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Offices, Boards and Divisions

Director

Offices, Boards and Divisions See More Job Openings by This EmployerArrow
  • Full Time
  • $150,160 - $225,700/year
  • Washington, DC
November 24, 2025 Attorney

Job Description

The Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking an individual to serve as the Senior Executive Service (SES) Director in its Office of Immigration Litigation.

Duties

The Director carries out significant executive leadership and management responsibilities overseeing the work of OIL. Major duties include:

  • Supervising and directing the work of OIL attorneys and support staff, including the assignment and distribution of work, the review and approval of pleadings, briefs, and other papers filed with the courts, and the counseling of attorneys concerning the preparation and presentation of cases.
  • Advising and consulting with staff on new program orientations or directives and ensures that adequate resources will be available for implementation. Analyzing and reviewing proposed and pending legislation that may affect the work of OIL.
  • Overseeing personally the briefing and argument of the most difficult and precedent-setting cases handled by OIL, particularly those with a nexus to national security.
  • Communicating with client agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and its Office of General Counsel, as well as the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review.
  • Representing the AAG to the officials and judges of the applicable courts in connection with all matters relating to OIL, as well as representing the Division on various interdepartmental committees or activities and interacting with counsel for litigants or others, including members of Congress.

Salary
  • $150,160 - $225,700/year
Conditions of Employment

  1. You must be a United States Citizen or National.
  2. Veterans' preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service.
  3. Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
  4. You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check for the security level designated for this position.
  5. You will be required to undergo a drug screening and obtain favorable results prior to being appointed.
  6. You may be subject to a one-year probationary period effective from the date on which you are appointed.
  7. This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
  8. You must meet all minimum qualifications to be deemed eligible. Only experience obtained by closing date of this announcement will be considered.
  9. Must be able to obtain and retain a Top-Secret clearance with SCI access.
As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications.

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 Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) embedded within their resume. The resume-based application should not 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 to the extent your application demonstrates that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the Director position. 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.

MTQ1. Demonstrated experience and expertise in civil immigration litigation that includes handling a variety of cases before federal district courts and circuit courts of appeals, particularly in handling complex, high-profile, and controversial cases.

MTQ2. Demonstrated significant experience in planning and overseeing the activities of a legal organization, including developing legal strategies to be utilized in U.S. courts and providing sound and timely legal counsel.

Education Applicants must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, have a desired 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. Other Information EEO Policy Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor. The complete DOJ EEO Statement/Policy is found at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1394116/download. Reasonable Accommodation Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The U.S. Department of Justice fosters an inclusive and diverse workforce, find our EEO statement online at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy. Legal and Regulatory Guidance Social Security Number - Your Social Security Number may be requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your records from those of other applicants who may have the same name. As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your Social Security Number is used to seek information about you from employers, schools, banks, and others who may know you. Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361. Signature - Before you are hired, you will be required to sign and certify the accuracy of the information in your application. False Statements - If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or you may be subject to fine, imprisonment, or other disciplinary action. Selective Service - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Required Documents

To a 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
  • Recent Performance Appraisal (for current or former federal employees)
  • Proof of active bar membership
  • Provide certification of OPM QRB approval (for graduates of SES Candidate Development Programs)
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 (12/29/2025) 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.



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