Strategic Planning Officer Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 26-DD-12965336 Department Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Salary $121,785.00 to $197,200.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/20/2026 Close Date 6/10/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Strategic Planning Officer position is in the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO), Office of the Deputy Director. This position supports AO and judiciary-wide strategic planning efforts involving AO executives, managers, and the chairs of committees of the Judicial Conference of the United States.

This job is open to

The public

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

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.

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

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open to the public. This position allows for recurring and situational telework but does not qualify for full-time or remote telework.

Duties

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO), Office the Deputy Director (DDO) is seeking a highly motivated and collaborative leader to serve as Strategic Planning Officer.

The Strategic Planning Officer serves as the federal judiciary's expert on strategic planning and supports a judiciary-wide planning process involving the chairs of Judicial Conference committees and committee staff. The Strategic Planning Officer also develops and leads the AO's strategic planning activities. This position reports to the DDO Chief of Staff.

The ideal candidate has strong leadership skills and is an expert on strategic planning for complex organizations. The candidate should have experience designing and facilitating planning sessions, and analyzing and writing policy and management guidance. The candidate should also have excellent communication skills, the ability to handle multiple and competing priorities, and an understanding of the judiciary's organizational and governance structure.

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

  1. Advising Judicial Conference Committee chairs and staff on strategic planning in the federal judiciary.
  2. Supporting the planning processes of the Judicial Conference, including the semi-annual planning meetings of Judicial Conference Committee chairs.
  3. Serving as the federal judiciary's expert on strategic planning.
  4. Engaging AO leaders in the identification of issues, strategies, goals, and priorities.
  5. Producing AO and judiciary strategic plans.
  6. Developing and implementing methods to report on agency progress.
  7. Analyzing emerging issues, trends, and scenarios.
  8. Researching and reporting on issues of significance to the federal judiciary's mission, goals, programs, and operations.

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 as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience must demonstrate experience in ALL areas defined below:

  • Researching and analyzing complex issues related to judicial administration, justice policy, or work involving enterprise-wide strategic planning and analysis for a complex organization or program.
  • Applying planning and analysis concepts and techniques to develop strategic plans or identify significant organizational goals and directives.
  • Policy-making and planning mechanisms in complex nonhierarchical organizations.

Highly Desired:
  • Experience with the federal court system.
  • Ability to formulate broad policy questions, identify trends and strategic issues, think creatively, and foster creative thinking by others.

Education

This position does not require education to qualify.

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.

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.
  • Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
  • Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - All applicants outside of the AO must submit a copy of your latest SF-50 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 06/10/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click

  • 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/12965336

Agency contact information

Rosemarie Thompson
Phone
(202) 502-3800
Email
Rosemarie_Thompson@ao.uscourts.gov
Address
Administrative Office of the US Courts
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.

Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

The Administrative Office (AO) of the United States Courts supports, through excellence and innovation, the constitutional and statutory mission of the federal judiciary to provide equal justice under the law as an independent and equal branch of government.

The AO, an agency of the judicial branch of the federal government, is committed to serving and supporting the federal court system of the United States. The AO provides a broad range of legislative, legal, financial, technology, management, administrative and program support services to the Federal courts.

AO positions are classified and paid under a broad-banded system with the exception of positions in the AO Executive Service. Salary is commensurate with experience. Most AO employees are eligible for full federal and judiciary benefits.

The AO is committed to attracting the best and brightest applicants in our support of the third branch of government. We take pride in serving the judicial branch and supporting its mission to provide equal justice under law.

Agency contact information

Rosemarie Thompson
Phone
(202) 502-3800
Email
Rosemarie_Thompson@ao.uscourts.gov
Address
Administrative Office of the US Courts
One Columbus Circle NE
Washington, DC 20544
US

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