Correctional Program Officer (Chief, Jails Division)

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

Duties

Responsible for the management and supervision of the Jails Division of the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) which includes program planning and policy development, cooperative agreement and contract administration, personnel and fiscal management operations, technological utilization and program evaluation, professional contacts with national state and local agencies and organizations, and contacts with the media and the public.

Responsible for supervising the NIC protocol for all training programs conducted on and off site and all technical assistance activities conducted by the Jails Division staff.

Also expected to maintain and support a network of professional contacts with national, state and local agencies and organizations, and the general public.

Salary

• $125,776 - $192,331/year

Conditions of Employment

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility:
   • A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter),
   • Most recent performance appraisal, and
   • Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
   • See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.

EEO Statement/Policy: 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. More information can be found here: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Key Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements:

Education:

GS-14 and GS-15: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.

Experience:

GS-14 and GS-15: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. Specialized experience is directly related experience that included substantial involvement with a correctional program and provided a thorough knowledge of correctional techniques, or experience in meeting and dealing with people that demonstrated the ability to work effectively with inmates and associates in a correctional environment.

Experience must have also demonstrated the ability to perform supervisory or administrative duties successfully. This includes (1) understanding the problems of custody, treatment, training, and release of inmates of penal or correctional institutions; (2) a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of an institution's internal policies, programs, regulations, and procedures; and (3) training subordinates, coordinating and directing activities and functions, evaluating performance of operations and the effectiveness of programs, and maintaining high standards or work objectives. This experience must have been gained in an administrative position, or in other positions that included the successful direction, or assistance in the direction of, an entire correctional program or a major phase of such a program.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

GS-14:

• Experience monitoring and evaluating complex local corrections/jail issues and developing policy recommendations for persistent and emerging issues which may have an impact on corrections at the community level and local criminal justice systems.
• Experience in overall correctional/jail operations and administration in federal, state, county, regional and local systems, and federal and state laws.
• Experience in public administration, public relations, administration of cooperative agreements, training needs assessments, curriculum development, and policy development.
• Experience establishing and maintaining contacts with professional organizations which have a focus on jails and jail-based community corrections.

GS-15:

• Experience demonstrating the capacity to analyze current/emerging issues or trends, preparing reports, briefings on a variety of issues to senior level officials.
• Experience in analyzing information and utilizing technology for the establishment or modifications for national or agency/organization wide education, training and developmental programs.
• Experience in developing and establishing long and short-range goals for division programs by conducting planning sessions with staff to establish program priorities and appropriate mechanisms for delivery.
• Experience in applying extensive and complex knowledge of research, policies, practices and operations to manage, develop, improve, implement or change policy and practices.

AND

Selective Placement Factor:

GS-14 and GS-15: Applicants applying for this position MUST also possess the following Selective Factor. In the event you do not possess the Selective Factor, you will be found ineligible for the position.

• The applicant must have 5 or more years of current executive/managerial experience gained from working with federal/state/local and/or county correctional systems in one or more of the following areas: project/program management that includes designing policy guidelines or developing policy recommendations for a correctional agency; providing training to correctional senior-level executives on evaluation strategies to promote effective networking for jail based professional associations; providing training to correctional senior-level executives on strategies for the effective use of technology to enhance jail programs, offender transition or local reentry services.

NOTE: All applicants must clearly address the Selective Factor in their resume.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Other Information Location Negotiable: This position is within the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, National Institute of Corrections, Jails Division. The location is negotiable after selection. While the duty location for this position is designated as negotiable after selection, the final official duty station MUST be established within an approved Bureau of Prisons worksite. This position is not telework, nor remote work approved. The selectee will be expected to adhere to the agency's current work policies, which mandate physical reporting to the designated official duty station based upon the needs of the agency. Duty location: Central Office, Washington, DC or Management and Specialty Training Center, Aurora, CO The representative rate for this position is $162,740 per year, ($77.98 per hour). NOTE: Pay rates are based on Rest of the U.S. but could change depending on the location of the position. Special Conditions of Employment Section: Initial appointment to a supervisory/managerial position requires a one-year probationary period. The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency. Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed. This is a National Institute of Corrections (NIC) position. Individuals selected for these positions will lose law enforcement coverage and will need to return to a position with "primary" law enforcement coverage to regain coverage. This is a non-law enforcement coverage position. Required Documents

Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.

Veterans' Preference Documentation:
Failure to submit all required documents at the time of application will result in the loss of claimed preference eligibility.

• DD-214: Veterans MUST provide a DD-214 demonstrating that they have been discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions (i.e., the individual must have received either an honorable or general discharge).
• SF-15: If you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit:
  • A completed Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" AND all required documentation identified on the SF-15. NOTE: A Department of Veterans Affairs letter must contain the Veteran's Name and Combined Service-Connected Evaluation. For a copy of the most current SF-15, Click Here.
  • If you are on active duty and expect to be discharged or released from active duty service within 120 days, you may submit a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty from the appropriate Branch Personnel Office containing the following information:
    1. The military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and
    2. The character of service (must be an honorable or general discharge); and
    3. Any qualifying service/campaign/expeditionary medals.

• Resume (limited to 2 pages) must include your name, contact information, and 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, MOU, etc.). If providing a memorandum, it must follow the format below AND clearly cite the duties performed.
• To receive credit for experience, your resume and/or any satisfactory evidence must include:
  • Start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND
  • Number of hours worked per week.
• SF-50: If you are a current/former federal government employee, you must provide an unredacted copy of your latest SF-50.
• Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.
• A copy of your latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
• Proof of CTAP or ICTAP eligibility, Click Here, if applicable.

For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?

We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

How to Apply

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.

This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.

USAJOBS Help Center - How to Add a Resume to Your Profile

All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on 11/04/2026.

If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants

Reasonable Accommodation: To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator (NRAC) at BOP-HRM-NRAC@bop.gov for assistance.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13099134

How do I Apply for this Position if I am a Military Spouse applying under the Special Hiring Authority?
Military Spouses who meet the requirement of Executive Order 13832 must include the vacancy announcement number on all supporting documentation, as well as the appointing authority used. For more information Click Here. To be considered for this Special Hiring Authority, applicants must submit package to BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov including:

• Resumecontaining all information listed in the Qualifications Section (i.e. transcripts, certification, registration, and/or license, if applicable).
• Acopy of spouse's DD-214 and/or orders verifying the military member's current active-duty status.
• Documentation confirming marriage to the service member.
• If applicable, a copy of documentation from either the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense indicating the service member possesses a disability rating of 100 percent due to a service-connected disability.

Your completed application packet must be submitted to the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST), on 11/04/2026. You must include the last four digits of your social security number and the vacancy announcement number on your application packet. DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON-LINE.