Lead IT Specialist (Program Manager)

Department of Justice

Offices, Boards and Divisions

Civil Division

Summary

Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) is a hiring authority granted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to address critical hiring needs or severe candidate shortages.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

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

Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority.

Duties

As a Lead IT Specialist (Program Manager), GS-2210-14, you will serve as the senior technical lead responsible for planning, coordinating, integrating, and delivering a mission-critical enterprise applications development program supporting public claims submission, claims processing, adjudication, and payment. You will provide technical leadership and coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure successful program execution.

Specific duties include:

Lead the planning, execution, integration, and delivery of complex enterprise IT programs and digital modernization initiatives.
Develop and manage integrated project plans, schedules, milestones, delivery roadmaps, and performance measures to ensure successful project execution.
Coordinate enterprise applications, case management systems, cybersecurity, contractors, and business stakeholders to deliver secure, integrated technology solutions.
Lead enterprise systems integration by ensuring interoperability across applications, APIs, workflows, identity management, data platforms, and legacy systems.
Identify and resolve technical, operational, and organizational risks, dependencies, and integration challenges affecting project delivery.
Establish and maintain project governance processes, monitor contractor performance, and ensure compliance with federal IT lifecycle, acquisition, and project management requirements.
Integrate cybersecurity requirements throughout the system development lifecycle, coordinate Security Assessment and Authorization (SA&A) activities, and serve as the System Owner responsible for achieving and maintaining the Authority to Operate (ATO).
Ensure compliance with Department of Justice cybersecurity policies, NIST standards, and other applicable federal security and privacy requirements.
Provide technical leadership, assign and review work, mentor Information Technology Specialists, and advise the Assistant Chief Information Officer (ACIO) on program execution and strategic initiatives.
Prepare and deliver executive briefings, governance reports, and recommendations to senior Department leadership, including the Assistant CIO, Senior Executive Service officials, Justice Management Division, and the Office of Management and Budget.
Collaborate with business owners and technical stakeholders to gather requirements, support user acceptance testing, manage organizational change, and facilitate successful deployment of enterprise technology solutions.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a United States Citizen or National.
You must successfully pass a security/background investigation and a drug screening.
Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period. See “Additional Information” section for specific details.
Selective Service: If you were born male, on or 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Lead IT Specialist (Program Manager), at GS-2210-14, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below.

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service that demonstrates experience in the following areas:

Leading complex enterprise information technology projects or programs;
Coordinating enterprise applications, systems integration efforts, and cross-functional technical teams;
Managing IT project schedules, milestones, risks, dependencies, resources, and deliverables;
Integrating cybersecurity requirements, security controls, and risk management activities into IT solutions throughout the system lifecycle; and
Providing technical guidance, recommendations, and project status briefings to senior leadership and stakeholders.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the 07/31/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

This announcement is being advertised under an agency specific OR a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority approved by OPM for filling vacancies when a severe shortage or critical hiring need exists. Veterans Preference and other Category Rating procedures do not apply to this announcement. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements of the position. The hiring office may interview and select any qualified candidate of their choosing from the qualified pool. See OPM, Direct Hire Authority for more information.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

Be rated well-qualified for the position based on the competencies listed above; and
submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies clearly exceeding the minimum qualification requirements for the vacancy.

Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
1) your performance and conduct;
2) the needs and interests of the agency;
3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: U.S. Department of Justice Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Issued December 31, 2025

DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Statement: 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 DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.

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.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pandemic-information/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.

This position is processed under a Direct Hire authority; therefore, veteran's preference and Category Rating procedures do not apply.

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this position, your resume and supporting documentation will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.You will be notified by email if your application is forwarded to the hiring official for further consideration.

If it is determined that your technical competencies do not meet the proficiency requirements for this position to move forward to the next evaluation stage, you will be notified by email.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):

IT Project Management and Delivery Execution
Enterprise Systems Integration
Cybersecurity and Risk Management
Agile / Iterative Delivery Coordination
Cross-Functional Leadership and Collaboration
Risk, Dependency, and Issue Management
Executive Communication and Reporting
Federal IT Governance and Lifecycle Management

When addressing the specialized experience statement, applicants must present evidence of the experience in their resume. If the specialized experience statement is repeated, in the applicant's resume, Human Resources will deem the applicant as ineligible.

If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13003790.

Required Documents

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility. Resume

Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

Official position title,
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (including month and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time,
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

CTAP/ICTAP eligibility documentation - If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP, you must submit:

A copy of the agency notice (i.e., letter of intent to separate, separation notice, or agency RIF letter),
Your most recent performance appraisal, and
Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/31/2026 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

Essay Questions: The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question (see the application questionnaire). You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
1. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
1. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
1. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

NEED HELP?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.

Reasonable Accommodation: 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.

Agency contact information

Brandon Cox

Phone: 202-598-9544
Fax: 202-514-7968
Email: brandon.l.cox@usdoj.gov

Next steps

You will receive e-mail notifications as your application status is updated by DOJ. However, you can also see your application status any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account and looking on the "Applications" page. Click the position title to expand the display for each application in the list.

We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement. Additional selections may be made from this announcement within 90 days.

Lead IT Specialist (Program Manager) Job in Washington, DC