Chief of Staff Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 25-DPS-12790715 Department Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Salary $210,547.00 to $233,941.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/29/2025 Close Date 9/5/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Chief of Staff position is located in the Department of Program Services (DPS) within the Associate Director's Office.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This position is designated as confidential or policy-determining under the Administrative Office (AO) Personnel Act, Section 3(a)(5)(B) and, as such, is not covered by the AO's personnel regulations developed under the AO Personnel Act of 1990. Relocation expenses will not be provided unless specifically authorized by the Director of the AO. This position allows for situational, and recurring telework, but does not qualify for full-time or remote telework.

Duties

This position reports directly to the Associate Director (AD) of the Department of Program Services (DPS). The DPS provides leadership and vision for this critical role and supports the Director of the Administrative Office (AO) through a broad range of services: Judicial, Court, and Probation/Pretrial Services. The DPS oversight includes, but is not limited to, strategic planning, coordination, and assessment, policy and Judicial Conference Committee support coordination; support for judges and chambers staff; support for court executives and staff and court programs; and the critical supporting functions assigned to each of these programs, system, and service areas.

The ideal candidate will have high-level knowledge and skills to serve as the directorate's expert on program matters, particularly budget, human resources, and procurement supported within the department. Additionally, the candidate must possess outstanding diplomacy, and analytical and organizational skills; and a demonstrated record of achieving results through effective management and collaboration. The duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

The duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

  1. Serving as the principal representative for the Associate Director on administrative matters related to DPS.
  2. Serving as the principal advisor and coordinator to the Associate Director for all cross-cutting assignments between functional teams in the Department.
  3. Fostering and maintaining productive relationships with all levels of internal and external staff and customers.
  4. Carrying out complex and sensitive assignments that relate to day-to-day program matters and communicating the Associate Director's guidance and expectations to staff related to cross-functional priorities, budgetary, personnel, procurement, administrative, and policy matters.
  5. Assigning work and making decisions on work matters presented by program supervisors and staff with responsibility for ensuring development and implementation of accurate, complete, and timely program work, products, and services in alignment with mission requirements.
  6. Leading and participating in meetings conducted by and on behalf of the Associate Director.
  7. Conducting research, clarifying issues, and preparing briefing and meeting materials to ensure that program interests are addressed.
  8. Establishing priorities, identifying solutions, seeking, and implementing program improvements, and carrying out corrective and preventive measures to ensure quality work products and deadlines are met.
  9. Collaborating with the other AO chiefs of staff on matters related to internal and external matters.
  10. Developing short and long-term program and project milestones and timelines.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
  1. All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
  2. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statue), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
  3. All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.
  4. New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  5. All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.
  6. You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment.
  7. If appointed to a temporary position, management may have the discretion of converting the position to permanent depending upon funding and staffing allocation.

Qualifications

Applicants must have demonstrated experience which shows competence in the qualifications as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which includes interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (preferably three) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-15/JSP-15/CL 31 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as follows:
  1. Experience overseeing and managing a high-level program and/or organization where highly visible program matters of competing interests must be effectively handled and resolved.
  2. Experience in overseeing complex budget, personnel, and procurement matters.

Additional Assessment: Applicants who meet the specialized experience requirements also will be assessed on the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).

Mandatory Technical Qualifications: The MTQs listed below should be evident in your resume. A supplemental narrative must be uploaded and attached to your application addressing each MTQ listed below. Please limit your response to two pages for each MTQ.
  • Demonstrated experience in financial management, policy formulation, human resources management, budgeting, and procurement.
  • Demonstrated experience leading and/or supervising management-level employees and/or teams.
  • Demonstrated experience prioritizing tasks, resources, and performing high-level functions simultaneously recognizing and managing milestones, priority changes, staff turnovers, and reducing financial resources.
  • Knowledge of and experience with judiciary and/or AO policies, procedures, and guidelines.
  • Demonstrated experience presenting and representing at high-level meetings, coordinating with all levels of staff, attending conferences both within and outside the agency to develop program/department responses, recommendations, proposals, reports, and other documents.
  • Expert level ability to communicate ideas, concepts, methods, analyses, evaluations, and recommendations in a lucid, logical, and convincing manner, either orally or in writing to a variety of audiences including management, professional, technical, and administrative staff at all organization and hierarchical levels with equal facility and clarity.
This information should be evident in your resume.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs): Applicants currently serving in an AOES position or under a career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment, eligible for reinstatement into SES, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) approved by OPM are not required to submit a narrative response for the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ). A narrative response as part of the application package for each of the following ECQs is MANDATORY for all other applicants. Please limit your response to two pages for each ECQ.
  1. Leading Change: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. Leadership Competencies: Creativity & Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision.
  2. Leading People: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. Leadership Competencies: Conflict Management, Developing Others, Team Building.
  3. Results Driven: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. Leadership Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility.
  4. Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. Leadership Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management.
  5. Building Coalitions / Communication: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. Leadership Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating.

Education

This position does not require a positive education requirement.

Additional information

The AO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses on the occupational questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, we will evaluate your application package, to assess the quality, depth, and complexity of your accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the requirements listed in this vacancy announcement.

You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume and/or narrative responses, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Failure to submit the mandatory narrative responses will result in not receiving full consideration and/or rating credit. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you, withdrawing an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.

Required Documents

For this job announcement the following documents and/or information are required:

  • Resume - Any written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications.
  • MTQ Narrative - Statement addressing the MTQs
  • Current or former career AOES/SES members - Provide a copy of your AOES/SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), and an SF-50 showing current career AOES/SES status or reinstatement eligibility.
  • Applicants who have successfully completed an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) - Submit a copy of your CDP certification.
  • ECQ Narrative - A narrative response as part of the application package for each of the following ECQs is mandatory for all applicants who are not current or former career AOES/SES members, and/or completed an OPM approved CDP.
  • Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
  • Current or former Federal Civilian employees - All applicants outside of the AO must submit a copy of your latest SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action)to verify current or former Federal employment status.
  • Veterans Preference documentation - Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214), if applicable Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) and an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 09/05/2025 to receive consideration. To begin:

  • Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
  • You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12790715.

Agency contact information

Nida Khan
Address
Department of Program Services
One Columbus Circle, NE
Washington, DC 20544
US

Next steps

After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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