PD_OGE_Director

Position Description

Director, Office of Government Ethics

Overview

Senate Committee

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.¹ _Congress.gov

Agency Mission

To provide overall leadership and oversight of the executive branch ethics program to prevent and resolve conflicts of interest and to establish uniform standards of ethical conduct across the executive branch.² _{https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/Mission%20and%20Responsibilities}

Position Overview

The Director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) leads the agency responsible for providing the overall direction of executive branch policies related to preventing conflicts of interest on the part of officers and employees of any executive branch agency, as defined in the Ethics in Government Act.³ _{OPM position description}

Compensation

Level III $168,400 (5 U.S.C. § 5314)⁴ _{The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, December 27 ,2020), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials through January 1, 2022. The compensation information is based on guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and can be accessed here. If you are selected for this position, please consult the agency’s HR representative for further guidance on compensation.}

Position Reports to

The director serves at the pleasure of the president for a five-year term. (5a U.S.C. § 401)

Responsibilities

Management Scope

OGE oversees the federal executive branch ethics system with a staff of 80 full-time equivalent positions and a current budget of approximately $17 million.⁵ _{https://www.oge.gov/Web/OGE.nsf/Resources/Budget+and+Appropriations}

Primary Responsibilities

® Serves as the senior ethics official in the executive branch and the final authority on all non-criminal ethics matters arising in the executive branch.
® Leads and manages in the following areas:
® Promulgating and maintaining uniform enforceable standards of ethical conduct for approximately 2.7 million employees in over 130 executive branch agencies and the White House.
® Overseeing a financial disclosure system that reaches more than 26,000 public and more than 380,000 confidential financial disclosure report filers.
® Certifying that all Senate-confirmed executive branch officials have made full and complete disclosure of interests as required by law, and that they have written plans to perform their duties free from conflicts of interest.
® Certifying that the president, vice president, and candidates for those offices have made full and complete disclosure of interests as required by law.
® Ensuring that executive branch agency ethics programs are in compliance with applicable ethics laws and regulations.
® Providing education and training to the more than 4,500 ethics officials executive branch-wide.
® Conducting outreach to the general public, the private sector and civil society.
® Providing technical assistance to state, local and foreign governments and international organizations.
® Serves as a member of the Council of Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency.
® Establishes the agency’s priorities and ensures that they are effectively carried out.
® Ensures that the agency operates in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and public policies.
® Oversees the agency’s human, financial and other resources.⁶ _{OPM position description}

Strategic Goals and Priorities

® Ensures the timely and accurate review of financial disclosure statements and ethics plans by prospective executive branch nominees requiring Senate confirmation.
® Ensures the timely and accurate review of annual and termination financial disclosure statements by Senate-confirmed executive branch appointees.
® Works closely with outgoing and incoming administrations during presidential election cycles.
[Other strategic goals and priorities depend on the policy priorities of the administration]

Requirements and Competencies

Requirements

® Some background in law and/or ethics and prior experience with the executive branch ethics program (beneficial).

Competencies

® High degree of skill in managing both programs and personnel.⁷ _{OPM position description}
® High degree of integrity.

Past Appointees

Emory A. Rounds III (2018 to present): Associate General Counsel, OGE; Acting Chief of the Internal Operations Division, OGE, Special Assistant to the Acting Director, OGE
Walter M. Shaub Jr. (2013 to 2017): Deputy General Counsel, OGE; Program Manager (Nominee Financial Disclosure), OGE; Deputy General Counsel for Financial Disclosure, OGE
Don Fox (2011 to 2013, acting): General Counsel and Principal Deputy Director, OGE; Deputy General Counsel and Deputy Designated Ethics Official, Department of the Air Force; Associate General Counsel, Department of the Air Force
Robert Irwin Cusick, Jr. (2006 to 2011): Partner in charge of Ethics Counseling at Wyatt Tarrant Combs law firm; Bar Governor of the Kentucky Bar Association; Chairman of the Ethics 2000 Project; Chair of the Jefferson County Ethics Commission
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