Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens, Senior Executive Service, and those Federal Employees in an Excepted or Competitive Service Status.

The Director is the Departmental Security Officer (DSO) and advisor to the Assistant Attorney General for Administration (AAG/A) for the Justice Management Division (JMD) in the development, implementation, coordination, and monitoring of Department-wide security policies and programs for the agency. The Director partners and collaborates with senior leadership across the Department to ensure operational continuity across all lines of business.

The Director, in coordination with the Deputy Director, oversees compliance with security policies and leads the implementation of Government-wide security initiatives. This includes emergency preparedness and continuity planning, facility security governance, personnel training, access control, protection of classified information, mitigation of security risks, and enforcement of federal facility safety and weapons regulations in accordance with applicable laws and executive directives.

Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Security Leadership & Oversight: Serve as senior security advisor to the AAG/A, overseeing DOJ-wide personnel, information, and physical security programs. Direct enterprise security clearance, insider threat, and continuous evaluation programs. Lead COOP planning, facility security, and emergency preparedness initiatives.

Policy Development & Compliance: Develop, implement, and monitor DOJ-wide security policies. Ensure compliance with federal laws, Executive Orders, and directives. Conduct audits, risk assessments, and program evaluations to maintain operational readiness and policy alignment.

Program Management & Implementation: Oversee deployment of security programs across all DOJ components. Coordinate with HR, IT, facilities, and law enforcement to integrate security measures. Establish performance metrics and ensure agency-wide adoption of best practices.

Supervisory & Managerial Duties: Lead, mentor, and evaluate staff; manage workflow, budgets, training, and organizational priorities. Ensure staff compliance with security and safety standards.

Interagency Coordination & Representation: Represent DOJ in national security forums, councils, and interagency initiatives. Collaborate with federal partners and respond to oversight inquiries related to security programs.

Conditions of employment

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 in 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.

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 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 Security Officer). 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 executive-level leadership and oversight of the administration of Security Programs e.g. personnel security, information security, physical security, protective services, emergency preparedness (Continuity of Operations-COOP) by directing the operations, planning, and evaluation in accordance with federal laws, Executive Orders, and interagency directives for a large complex organization.

MTQ 2: Demonstrated executive-level experience with the implementation of broad Security policy development, compliance oversight, and implementation for a large complex organization. Providing high-level security-related recommendations to Senior Leadership to improve overall security readiness and continuity.

MTQ 3:Demonstrated executive-level expertise conducting enterprise Risk Management and inspections applying risk-based methodologies to identify, assess, and mitigate threats within a large complex organization's workforce, facilities, sensitive information, and overall mission operations.

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 11:59pm EST on the closing date (02/23/2026) 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 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 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)
- Other supporting documentation as required.

Next steps