Government Ethics Specialist Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 26-OGE-12961972-MP Department Office of Government Ethics
Salary $85,477.00 to $158,322.00 Grade 11 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/19/2026 Close Date 6/2/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is located at Office of Government Ethics, Ethics Transparency and Assistance Division. The Division manages significant external communications between OGE and its many customers and stakeholders. The division combines key functions that cross OGE mission areas in order to bring targeted resources to these functions. As a Government Ethics Specialist, you will be responsible for providing a portfolio of agencies with access to on-demand ethics expertise.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Land and base management

Current or former employees of a base management agency.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

Special authorities

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.

Clarification from the agency

All candidates who are: Current or former Federal employees qualifying as Status Candidates, Federal employees currently serving on a VRA, VEOA eligibles, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., the Schedule A appointment for persons with disabilities, or covered by an Interchange Agreement), or at GS -11 VRA eligibles or Land Management employees eligible under Public Law 114-47.

Duties

As a Government Ethics Specialist, you will:

  • Serve as a Desk Officer for a portfolio of executive branch agencies. Provide oversight, analytical interpretation, technical assistance, and training to assigned departments/agencies on all matters relating to development of agency ethics programs and to standards of conduct, financial disclosure, and education/training regulations.
  • Participate in projects which further the education/training mission of the division.
  • Consult with attorneys in the Ethics Legal Branch to resolve questions from agency ethics staffs which require legal interpretation.
  • Respond to requests from the general public, providing general and specific information on the Executive branch ethics programs.

Requirements

Conditions of employment


- A probationary or trial period may be required. Continued employment is contingent upon supervisory certification that continued employment will benefit the Federal Service; the certification will occur no less than 30 days before the end of the probationary/trial period.
- Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
- The Hatch Act Reform Amendments of 1993 prohibits requesting, transmitting, accepting, or considering political recommendations for employment or other personnel actions for non-political positions.

Key Requirements:
  1. Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  2. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  3. Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.

Qualifications

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

For the GS-13, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
-Researching, interpreting and communicating about executive branch ethics questions that involve multiple authorities AND
-Certifying confidential or public financial disclosure forms; AND
-Delivering ethics training.

For the GS-12, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
:-Under supervision, researching, interpreting and communicating about executive branch ethics questions that involve multiple authorities; AND
-Experience in reviewing confidential or public financial disclosure reports for technical completeness and identifying potential conflicts of interest: AND-
Assisting with preparation of ethics training

For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
-Under supervision, researching and interpreting executive branch ethics questions; AND
Experience in reviewing confidential or public financial disclosure reports for technical completeness; AND
-Experience in developing and providing training
OR
You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR LL.M., if related.
OR
You may qualify with a combination of experience and education. To combine education and experience, your total qualifying experience is calculated as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level. Then, your education is calculated as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. The two percentages are added together. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. Note that only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level can be combined with the appropriate level of experience to qualify applicants for positions at the GS-9 and GS-11 grade level. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education. (Attach a copy of transcripts to ensure you receive proper credit).

Time-in-Grade: In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:For the GS-13, you must have been at the GS-12level for 52 weeks.
For the GS-12 you must have been at the GS-11level for 52 weeks
For the GS-11, you must have been at the GS-9level for 52 weeks

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Education


Additional information

Other Information:
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
- Relocation expenses NO
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- We offer opportunities for telework.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

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.

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.

Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.

In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Attention to Detail, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Self-Management, Teamwork, Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning

Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Treasury employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) you must meet the following "well qualified" definition listed below to receive special selection priority. To be found well-qualified, and in addition to meeting specialized experience, the applicant must have documented the following experience:
- Having a solid and comprehensive understanding of the position. Can perform the required tasks efficiently and is proficient in applying the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the job.

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).Please ensure all required documents, including any required work samples, narratives, or other materials as stated in this announcement, are attached to your application package.

Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the cut-off date.

All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) Please limit your resume to two-pages. Applicants with resumes exceeding two-pages will be removed from consideration. To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?

CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES -- Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:
- Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2". Your SF-50 must show that you have held the required grade level for at least 52 weeks.
- If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.
- Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, which includes the final rating. If you have not received this documentation for any reason (not employed, current employer does not give a performance appraisal, etc.) you must explain why in your application.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.

If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see USAJOBS Help Center - Unique Hiring Paths. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

REINSTATEMENT: If you are a former federal employee that has been separated for at least 1 year and wish to be non-competitively reinstated to a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF-50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND you MUST submit a qualifying performance appraisal from your most recent career or career-conditional position of at least Fully Successful (or equivalent). You will NOT be given consideration for non-competitive reinstatement, under this option, if a performance appraisal document is not submitted.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION:

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of courses showing title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion. . An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

  1. Click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
  5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
  7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
  8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources.

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.

The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.

To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application:
-Log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login)
-Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status. For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.

To preview the assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12961972

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center
Phone
304-480-7300
Email
OGEINQUIRIES@FISCAL.TREASURY.GOV
Address
Ethics Transparency and Assistance Division
Treasury Common Services Center
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US

Next steps

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your resume and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.

Office of Government Ethics

The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE), established by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, provides overall leadership and oversight of the executive branch ethics program designed to prevent and resolve conflicts of interests. For more information on OGE and its programs, please visit OGE's website.

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center
Phone
304-480-7300
Email
OGEINQUIRIES@FISCAL.TREASURY.GOV
Address
Ethics Transparency and Assistance Division
Treasury Common Services Center
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US