Join the fast-paced federal litigation practitioners of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Labor and Employment Law Division (LELD) and leverage your legal experience to protect the homeland. This position is located in Washington, D.C. This position may offer up to $50,000 in signing and retention bonuses.
Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time on 10/22/2025. Please note that qualification claims will be subject to verification. Applicants must possess the following characteristics and competencies: leadership integrity, organizational skills, communication skills, reliability, perseverance, decisiveness, initiative, professionalism, discretion, the ability to function independently and as part of a team, interpersonal relationship skills including managing conflict and fostering productive relationships with internal and external partners, outstanding written and oral advocacy skills, and a superior knowledge of employment law. The applicant selected will be given significant responsibilities on an immediate basis. Prior supervisory experience is preferred but is not required. Bar Membership: You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 C.F.R. § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs.
OPLA is the largest legal program in DHS, employing nearly 2,000 attorneys nationwide. OPLA provides a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices. LELD's mission is to serve the agency by fostering best practices in compliance with federal personnel law and to effectively represent the agency in litigation. LELD provides advice and guidance to ICE supervisors and managers on a variety of topics relating to personnel management. This includes employee relations issues, such as conduct and performance. LELD also assists ICE managers with taking adverse actions; provides advice throughout all stages of an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint, including mediation; and serves as points of contact in matters involving the Office of Special Counsel. LELD also represents ICE before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and the EEO Commission. It works with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to defend Title VII, Equal Pay Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Rehabilitation Act claims in federal courts; compensation claims pending before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims; and petitions for review of MSPB decisions pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The duties of the LELD Deputy Chief include: supervising attorneys at ICE Headquarters and assisting the Division Chief in the general management of the division; providing legal advice, guidance and training on substantive employment law topics and policy; ensuring the quality of attorney written work product; overseeing litigation before the MSPB and EEO Commission and litigation support to DOJ; working with OPLA and ICE leadership on employment matters; representing OPLA in meetings with the DHS's Office of the General Counsel and other DHS components; and Strategic planning.