Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth is set to retire July 3. Hollingsworth, who served for close to 10 years, was the first to hold the Amateur Radio Spectrum Enforcement position.

On Tuesday, June 24, the FCC posted an announcement looking for an Attorney-Advisor (Special Counsel) within the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, Spectrum Enforcement Division to take over Hollingsworth’s position, a GS-15 level, when he retires. At a minimum, candidates must hold a professional law degree -- either a JD, LL.B and/or LL.M -- and have at least four years of professional law experience; at least one year must be equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal Service. All applicants must be a member of their state bar association, be able to pass a federal background investigation and be eligible to hold a security clearance. Interested parties have until July 9 to apply. The position is currently based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, but according to the job announcement, will now be headquartered in the nation’s capitol.

As a part of the job, the successful candidate provides authoritative legal advice to the Division Chief and Deputy Division Chiefs, Division staff, Bureau senior management and staff, as well as Commission officials on legal matters pertaining to assigned enforcement issues and activities. They are also responsible for proper interpretation of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, the Commission's Rules and all FCC policies. They will provide expert advice on legal issues affecting policy matters, evaluate current and potential policy issues and initiate original research and investigative analysis. They also must be able to conduct legal reviews and analyze issues affecting enforcement policy under consideration for the Amateur Radio Service, as well as be required to use legal expertise in researching precedents and advise on the appropriateness of actions or make recommendations for alternative approaches.

The successful candidate must keep abreast of major legal developments affecting enforcement issues and activities. They will perform incumbent reviews and approve the work of lower graded attorneys, assuring that the documents are legally and factually adequate, complete, comprehensive and internally consistent and in conformance with existing policy and precedent decisions, as well as handle unusually complex and controversial cases, including those of a precedent-setting nature.

The FCC offers a wide range of employee benefits including life insurance, holidays and leave, health insurance, a thrift savings plan, long-term care insurance and a retirement plan. For more information on the position, please contact Susan Beckham at the FCC's Enforcement Bureau via e-mail.