The Departmental Ethics Office administers the Department-wide ethics program and implements ethics policies. It provides ethics advice and training to senior leadership and management offices, the Justice Management Division, the Office of Public Affairs, and the Office of Tribal Justice, as well as oversees ethics, financial disclosure, and pro bono programs across all other Department components.
Duties
The Director of the Departmental Ethics Office is a Senior Executive Service position and serves under the general direction of the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Management and Compliance, within the Justice Management Division (JMD), Headquartered in Washington D.C. The incumbent manages a Department-wide ethics program and provides broad oversight and guidance to over 35 Deputy Designated Agency Ethics Officials (DDAEO's) throughout the Department. The program consists of training and counseling employees on matters of government ethics, as well as the collection and review of financial disclosure reports. The incumbent is personally involved in all aspects of the programs by providing direct service to the Department's leadership offices, JMD, and selected component offices. He/she is also responsible for ensuring the DDAEO's provide similar services of a high quality within their respective components. Primary responsibilities of the incumbent include but not limited to: Developing, implementing, and managing a department-wide system for compliance with the financial disclosure reporting requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. Identifies and makes changes to that system as necessary to pass annual audits by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). Analyzing ethics issues and standards of conduct on a government-wide basis for revising Departmental ethics policies, financial disclosure procedures, and training programs. Serving as the Departmental expert in the analysis and interpretation of new or challenging ethics laws and regulations such as the Hatch Act, Procurement Integrity Amendments, and the Ethics Reform Act of 1989. The Director manages a staff that is responsible for reviewing financial disclosure reports filed by Presidential appointees. During this process, the incumbent thoroughly reviews the nominees' financial disclosure reports, identifies actual and potential conflicts of interest, and drafts Ethics Agreements mitigating the conflicts identified. Ensures the reviews are completed correctly and in a timely manner and that reports are forwarded to the Deputy Attorney General (DAG), Associate Attorney General (ASG), or the Assistant Attorney General for Administration (or designee) for timely certification. Serves as the liaison between the Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO) and the DDAEO's on ethics matters. Serves as the Department's subject-matter expert on conflict-of-interest laws, standards of conduct, and financial disclosure, maintaining awareness of ethics developments across all levels of government. Interprets new ethics legislation, advises senior DOJ leadership on its implications, and implements updates through revised DOJ orders, memos, policies, and other written guidance.
Salary
Qualifications
The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. Applicants must show clear evidence of their demonstrated leadership ability by addressing the the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) embedded within their resume. The resume-based application should not to exceed 2 pages (1-sheet double-sided or 2 sheets one-sided) **Note: Applicants who have completed the SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) and have had their ECQs certified by OPM must provide a copy of their certificate as part of their application. Candidates must still satisfy the MTQs of the position. We recommend that your resume emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions. You will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required of the position and on the extent your application demonstrates that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the Director, Departmental Ethics. Please be sure to give concrete examples of your experience and demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess. ECQ1 - COMMITMENT TO THE RULE OF LAW AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE AMERICAN FOUNDING. Demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the Rule of Law, and commitment to serve the American people. ECQ2 - DRIVING EFFICIENCY. Demonstrated ability to strategically and sufficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. ECQ3 - MERIT AND COMPETENCE. Demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. ECQ4 - LEADING PEOPLE. Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals; To drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. ECQ5 - ACHIEVING RESULTS. Demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to state goals from superiors. For this position, the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) have been established and should be addressed within the resume application. MTQ 1: Demonstrated, in-depth knowledge of Federal ethics statutes and regulations, including financial disclosure requirements, review, and counseling, with substantial experience administering and overseeing ethics programs within a large, complex organization. Proven ability to interpret and apply ethics laws, ensure regulatory compliance, and provide authoritative guidance to senior leaders and employees. MTQ 2: Demonstrated ability to lead policy development, direct strategic and operational planning, and oversee comprehensive ethics training programs within a Cabinet-level agency or comparably complex organization. MTQ 3: Demonstrated ability to review financial disclosure reports from Presidentially nominated appointees, identify actual and potential conflicts of interest, and draft Ethics Agreements mitigating the conflicts identified while ensuring the reviews are completed correctly and in a timely manner before forwarding them to agency leadership for timely certification.
Education
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, have at least 5 years of relevant post-J.D. experience, and be an active member of the bar in good standing a state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. IMPORTANT: Applicants are responsible for citing J.D. and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: - Complete Resume that addresses the MTQs and ECQs. Your resume must not exceed (2) pages. - Recent SF-50 that shows Official Title, Salary, Grade Level, Status and (for current or former federal employees) - Recent Performance Appraisal (for current or former federal employees) - Provide certification of OPM QRB approval (for graduates of SES Candidate Development Programs) - Proof of ACTIVE Bar Membership - Other supporting documentation as required.
How to Apply
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Failure to submit a complete application (resume and all supporting documents) by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 02/20/2026 may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully as missing application information will not be requested. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed. Note: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
