Deputy Chief of Discipline (Employment Law Branch)

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

The primary mission of the Employment Law Branch (ELB) is to represent the Agency in labor and employment cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), as well as the Office of Special Counsel (OSC).  The attorneys in the Branch provide assistance to attorneys outside of the Bureau.  In civil complaints of employment discrimination, ELB attorneys provide legal assistance to Assistant United States Attorneys in United States District Court and in the United States Court of Federal Claims.  ELB attorneys also provide assistance to DOJ Civil Division attorneys in matters before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the District of Columbia Circuit.  ELB staff review disciplinary letters for technical and legal sufficiency, conditions of employment reviews, and compressed work schedules. They provide legal advice to management officials on labor and employment matters. In addition to the staff in Central Office, Washington, DC, ELB has satellite offices in Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, Annapolis, MD; Kansas City, Kansas; Atlanta, Georgia; Grand Prairie, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Stockton, California.

As Deputy Chief, the incumbent supervises Employee Relations staff within the Employment Law Branch staff. This position has five possible duty locations: Central Office, Washington, D.C., Southeast Regional Office, Atlanta, GA, South Central Regional Office, Grand Prairie, Texas, North Central Regional Office, Kansas City, KS, or Phoenix. The incumbent will assist the Branch Chief and the Deputy Chief with the management of the Branch, particularly related to employee disciplinary cases. The incumbent will also provide training and guidance to subordinates in relation to preparation of disciplinary letters and hearings, as well as professional development.

The Practice areas related to this position are: Correctional Law, Employment Law, and Employment Discrimination.

Salary

• $150,359 - $197,200/year

Conditions of Employment

• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
• Selective Service Requirement: http://www.sss.gov
• U.S. Citizenship is Required.

Veterans:  There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his  or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

Qualifications

Required qualifications: Applicants must have a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least three (3) years post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience.  
 
In addition, incumbent must have prior litigation experience and must have experience practicing before a minimum of one of the following forums: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the Merit Systems Protection Board; the Federal Labor Relations Authority or before labor arbitrators.  Further, the incumbent must have substantive knowledge of federal personnel laws, particularly in relation to the disciplinary process.
 
Preferred qualifications: Experience in federal sector labor and employment law is preferred.  Prior supervisory experience is preferred.  

Education See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. Other Information Special Conditions of Employment Section: Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check and must pass a review of their income tax filing history. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances. Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement. Required Documents

• Resume: Resume limited to 2 pages showing relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, etc.)
• To receive credit for experience contained in an application, the experience must be documented:
  • Reflecting start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND
  • Include the number of hours worked per week.
• College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable).
  • NOTE:  If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.
• SF-50: for proof of prior LEO coverage, if applicable.

Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit a cover letter highlighting relevant experience, resume (not to exceed two pages), preferred duty location, list of references, and a writing sample by May 22, 2026 to Douglas Goldring, Associate General Counsel, at BOP-OGC-EmploymentLawApplications@bop.gov. Please include in the subject line “ELB Deputy Chief - May 2026."

Applications must be received on or before the application deadline date below:

May 22, 2026

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE REFER TO: https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/

DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON-LINE.

• Submit a complete/detailed resume or curriculum vitae.
• Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. 
• Resume or curriculum vitae must contain all information listed in the Qualifications Section.
• Submit supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, certification, registration, and/or license, if applicable).

A complete application packet (including optional questionnaire responses) MUST be submitted directly to the following email address: BOP-OGC-EmploymentLawApplications@bop.gov.

Benefits The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.