Inspector General - Office of Inspector General

OVERVIEW: 

The Board of Directors (Board) of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) invites applications for position of Inspector General of LSC. 

LSC is a private, nonprofit corporation located in Washington, D.C. Established by Congress in 1974, LSC is the country’s single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans. LSC currently funds 132 independent nonprofit legal aid organizations with more than 800 offices throughout the nation. LSC’s mission is to promote equal access to justice and provide grants for high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. LSC’s Board is bipartisan and composed of eleven voting members who are appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. 

Appointed by the Board, the Inspector General directs the operation of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in the discharge of its duties pursuant to the statutory requirements of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. The Inspector General reports to and is under the general supervision of the LSC Board and also reports to Congress. Though LSC reports to Congress, LSC employees are not federal government employees, and this position is not a federal government/Senior Executive Service position. 

The OIG has two principal missions: to assist management in identifying ways to promote efficiency and effectiveness in the activities and operations of LSC and its grantees; and to prevent and detect fraud and abuse. The OIG's primary tool for achieving these missions is fact-finding through financial, performance and other types of audits, evaluations and reviews, as well as investigations into allegations of wrongdoing. The OIG’s work at LSC focuses largely on reviewing LSC grantees, and as such, the Inspector General works cooperatively with LSC management on grantee oversight while simultaneously ensuring the OIG’s independence. Learn more about the LSC OIG at: www.oig.lsc.gov. 

This position is based in LSC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. but is currently remote. When LSC returns to in-office work, the successful candidate is expected to maintain a regular physical presence at LSC’s headquarters and must be available to do so on short notice as needed. 

BASIC FUNCTION:

Under the general supervision of the Board of Directors, the Inspector General (IG) is responsible for ensuring the continued independence and objectivity of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in the discharge of its duties pursuant to the statutory requirements of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. To that end, the IG is responsible for promoting economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration of Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) programs and operations; preventing and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse in LSC programs and operations; and informing LSC, its Board of Directors, and Congress about problems and deficiencies and recommending corrective action.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides executive leadership in directing the operations of the OIG pursuant to the statutory requirements of the IG Act.
2. Provides planning and policy direction for and conducts, supervises, and coordinates audits and investigations relating to the programs and operations of Legal Services Corporations and its grant recipients.
3. Reviews existing and proposed legislation and regulations relating to LSC’s programs and operations and makes recommendations in the semiannual reports required by section 5 (a) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (IG Act) concerning the impact of such legislation or regulations on the economy and efficiency in the administration of LSC programs and operations or the prevention and detection of fraud and abuse in such programs and operations.
4. Recommends policies for, and conducts, supervises, or coordinates other activities carried out or financed by LSC for the purpose of promoting economy and efficiency in the administration of, or preventing and detecting fraud and abuse in, LSC’s programs and operations and those of its grant recipients.
5. Recommends policies for, and conducts, supervises, or coordinates relationships between LSC and other Federal agencies, State and local governmental agencies, and nongovernmental entities with respect to matters relating to the promotion of economy and efficiency in LSC’s administration of its programs and operations, as well as the prevention and detection of fraud and abuse in, LSC’s programs and operations, and the identification and prosecution of participants in any such fraud or abuse.
6. Keeps the Board of Directors of LSC and the Congress fully and currently informed, by means of the reports required by the IG Act and otherwise, concerning fraud and other serious problems, abuses, and deficiencies relating to the administration of LSC’s programs and operations. Recommends corrective action concerning such problems, abuses, and deficiencies, and reports on the progress made in implementing such corrective action. Directs the preparation of cases for prosecution; informs the Board of Directors of investigative findings.
7. Builds, motivates, and retains a strong, professional, innovative, service-driven, productive, effective, results-oriented Office of Inspector General that is proactive, operationally excellent, and is -- and is perceived to be ethical, collaborative, and fair. 
8. Provides executive direction, managerial and supervisory guidance, evaluates the performance of direct reports, sets annual goals and objectives, and identifies and provides appropriate training for staff.
9. Manages the OIG and OIG resources in an ethical and fiscally responsible manner; develops and manages the OIG budget to effectively support operations, including salaries and benefits for OIG employees. 

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

General:

Outstanding leadership and management skill with demonstrated ability to lead a high-functioning, collaborative team that is committed to – and delivers – excellence. Unimpeachable integrity and adherence to the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. Ability to plan and execute program-wide strategies for improving effectiveness and maintaining integrity. Ability to communicate independently with the entity head and appropriate members or committees of Congress. Excellent written communication skills with demonstrated ability to produce professional, clear, well-written work product; excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to reach different audiences and manage conflicts. Ability to function in a discreet, diplomatic, and confidential matter. Must possess sound judgment and be conscientious, disciplined, versatile, and highly motivated. Strong commitment to diversity. High degree of flexibility, capacity for self-management, and attentive to detail. Strong organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple priorities. Understanding of and commitment to organizational mission and goals; ability to influence, motivate, challenge, and inspire confidence among others. 

Technical/Specialized:

A degree in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or investigations. Must have at least twelve (12) years of experience in one or more of these fields, including significant leadership experience in organizations conducting and supervising audits, investigations, management analysis or the law. MBA, JD, or other advanced degrees in areas related to public administration or public policy and/or extensive experience related to nonprofit organizations and grants or contracts preferred. Significant Inspector General Act experience. Experience in interfacing with the highest level of management officials within an organization, at the Board of Directors level, as well as with peer organizations is preferred. Significant experience in administrative law, federal appropriations law, tax-exempt organization law and governance, FOIA, and the Sunshine Act preferred.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

$221,174 per year.

Excellent benefits package.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Please review the instructions below. Then go to the top right of the page and click "Apply", which will direct you to the online application. Applications must be submitted by January 19, 2023, and must include the following three documents: 1) a cover letter; 2) a resume; and 3) a document containing written narrative responses to the writing prompt below. To be considered for the position, applicants must answer all application questions in the portal, upload the three documents described above, and submit a completed application.

Writing Prompt

Please provide a written narrative demonstrating your competency in each of the five areas listed below. Please address each area separately and limit your responses to 250 words per area (for a total limit of 1,250 words). Please use Word or PDF and upload the document in the application portal. You must include your full name on each page of the document. [While the following competencies mirror the federal government’s Executive Core Qualifications for Senior Executive Service, this is not a federal government/Senior Executive Service position.] 

1. Leading Change (the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals);
2. Leading People (the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals);
3. Results Driven (the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations);
4. Business Acumen (the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically); and
5. Building Coalitions (the ability to build coalitions internally and with external government entities, nonprofit and private sector organizations, and other entities to achieve common goals).

Note: If you need a reasonable accommodation in the application process, please notify OHR at jobapplicant@lsc.gov.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

LSC embraces diversity as a core value. We recognize that our success as a corporation depends upon creating and maintaining a diverse team of talented professionals, and we are committed to a workplace that reflects and supports diverse individual backgrounds and perspectives. Our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and non-discrimination includes race, sex, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, personal appearance, genetic information, political affiliation, marital status, family responsibilities, disability and status as a veteran, and any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws or regulation. We strive to have a workplace that is comfortable and welcoming for everyone. LSC is an equal opportunity employer.