The mission of the NIA Ethics Office is to provide advice, education, and training to IC ethics staff and all employees to minimize the potential for conflict of interest. The Ethics Office administers a comprehensive ethics program that reflects statutory responsibilities and integrity in service to the public; develops and recommends policies and procedures related to employee standards of conduct, financial interests and disclosure, and outside activities; reviews and certifies financial disclosure reports; review and approves requests for outside activities for conformance with regulations and policies; provides ethics training; serves as the liaison to the DHHS Office of the General Counsel (OGC) and the Office of Government Ethics (OGE); and provides advice regarding conflict of interest of individuals involved in the conduct of biomedical research, including Government employees, advisory committee members, and non-Government employees such as peer reviewers, or members of working groups.
The Ethics Specialist (GS-13) both carries out the activities of the NIA Ethics Office and supports management of the overall NIA ethics program, with responsibility for administering, and implementing the Ethics Program and for ensuring that it is carried out in accordance with applicable ethics regulations and statutes.
Role and responsibilities
The responsibilities of this position include:
- Conducts initial technical and/or conflict reviews on public and confidential financial disclosures.
- Provides advice to the NIA staff on matters covered by the Ethics in Government Act, the Federal Criminal Conflict of Interest Statutes, and the Standards of Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, the Procurement Integrity Act, political activity restrictions in the Hatch Act, and related rules upon initial appointment consideration of recruits, during holding of office, and on post-employment matters. Advice may include findings on whether violations have occurred and recommendations as to possible corrective action, including referral to the Inspector General.
- Coordinates the planning, development, and implementation of ethics training activities, including the design of curricula incorporating controversial issues and specific case law that has impacted policy decisions.
- Disseminates information to NIA staff, including summarizing regulations and information from the Office of Government Ethics or the HHS Office of the General Counsel, Ethics Division.
- Ensures the timely distribution of new or revised guidelines or explanations of ambiguous requirements via issuances, memoranda, etc.
- Develops and implements an education and training program regarding ethics, political activity, and related topics.
- Determines and develops appropriate remedies for indicated conflicts or impartiality concerns, including waivers, authorizations, recusals, and divestitures; reviewing waivers for conflict-of-interest issues prior to Advisory Committee meetings; providing advice and counsel to managers, supervisors, and individual employees on the statutes and regulations governing conflicts of interest, representational activities, salary supplementation, post-employment restrictions, political activity, and related ethics issues.
- Conducts preliminary reviews and makes recommendations to the Ethics Officer regarding the approval of new entrant and annual Confidential Financial Disclosure Reports, Outside Activity Requests, Official Duty Requests, 502 Authorizations, Recusals, Awards from Outside Organizations, and Conflict of Interest Fair Access Surveys for Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs). Conducts background research to support conflict of interest, conduct opinions or other decisions, some with far-reaching implications. Analyzes, evaluates, and recommends agency positions on various ethical, practical and legal issues related to NIH policies, HHS Standards of Conduct and NIA program activity.
- Researches and determines appropriate mechanisms under which the NIA senior staff should participate in activities with outside organizations in adherence with regulatory and statutory guidelines. Prepares appropriate background information and documentations for NIH approval.
Who should apply?
The ideal candidate should possess:
- A J.D. degree is preferred
- Strong organizational skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Self-starter capable of working independently and as a team player
How to apply?
Interested candidates are encouraged to send their CV and resume to Rita Watson.
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