Clarification from the agency

This job is open to Federal Employees-Competitive Service, Federal Employees - Excepted Service and Senior Executives, in addition to the Public.

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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Only experience obtained by the 11:59 pm EST on the closing date (12/29/2025) of this announcement will be considered.

Once this announcement closes the following will occur:

1. A review of your resume, clear evidence of the 5 ECQs and 2 MTQs, and supporting documentation will be conducted by the HR Specialist.
2. Applicants deemed minimally qualified will be referred to an Executive Resources Board (ERB) to further evaluate applications.
3. The ERB will further evaluate applications to determine the best qualified applicants for referral to the hiring official.
4. Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring official and may be invited to participate in a structured interview. Interviews may be in a virtual setting or in person at DOJ offices.
5. The selectee will receive a tentative offer from the agency however before an agency can appoint a new Senior Executive Service member, The selected individual will be subject further evaluation through a Structured Interview by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB) as required by law. OPM must review the executive qualifications of each new career appointee to the Senior Executive Service (SES) prior to appointment.

NOTE: You MUST address all MTQs as required above, but do not need to address the ECQs if you:

1. Are currently serving under a career SES appointment.
2. Are eligible for reinstatement into the SES; or
3. Have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program and been certified by Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Proof of Qualifications Review Board (QRB) certification must be provided in your application.

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

Next steps