Director, NIH Ethics Office

Director, NIH Ethics Office

Department: Department of Health and Human Services

Location(s): Bethesda, Maryland

Salary Range: $151661 - $228000 Per Year

Job Summary: The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the largest biomedical research funding organization in the world. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs). The Office of the Director (OD), in the NIH, is seeking exceptional candidates for the position of Director, NIH Ethics Office (NEO). This is a career Federal position in the Senior Executive Service. See "Duties" section for a list of the major responsibilities.

Major Duties:

• This position offers a unique and exciting opportunity to serve as a key member of the OD leadership team.
• Reports to the NIH Principal Deputy Director, and is the senior advisor to the NIH Deputy Director of Management, who serves as the Deputy Ethics Counselor (DEC) for the NIH.
• Provides agency-wide advisory services related to development/administration of NIH policies for implementing government and Departmental supplemental standards of ethical conduct, conflict of interest, and financial disclosure statutes/regulations.
• Oversees and provides strategic direction of NIH activities relating to ethics laws and policies, oversight, risk management, and operational activities.
• Participates in overseeing a rigorous program of quality control and risk management, including assessing the effectiveness of conflict of interest operations and the application of delegated authority to the 27 ICs and Office of the Director, NIH.
• Provides briefings on politically sensitive issues and the analysis of such issues with potential solutions.
• Ensures NIH activities instill the highest level of confidence from the public, Congressional staff, and other agencies.
• Maintains effective system to identify staff subject to financial disclosure reqmts and review/track staff activities regarding outside activities/prohibited financial interests/ethics training/outside awards/gift acceptance, and other ethics issues.
• Participates in managing and overseeing the development and execution of NIH policies, plans, and implementation strategies consistent with the NIH mission and Departmental and Presidential/White House initiatives.
• Provides strategic advice on handling policy-sensitive issues and oversees the release of information for highly visible and publicized studies, projects, and events that receive intense scrutiny by the public, the media, and Congress.
• Conducts outreach activities within the NIH community, the public, and targeted audiences that are directly affected by or interested in NIH ethics activities.
• Provides recommendations on controversial or unprecedented matters, and carries out necessary negotiations with NIH ICs and outside organizations as appropriate.
• Directs a staff of 35 FTEs and an approximate annual budget of $6.36M.

Qualifications: 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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Technical Qualifications (TQs). TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications. TQ 1: Executive-level experience providing leadership and supervision at all levels to develop, implement, and drive results with governmental ethics policies and procedures for a large, complex research organization, including training, policy development, and agency review functions that drive organizational transformation and compliance. TQ 2: Extensive experience building coalitions through communicating complex agency matters clearly and concisely to diverse internal and external stakeholders, including top-level executive leadership. EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position. There are five ECQs: ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a 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. ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable. ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES. Please DO NOT submit separate documents addressing the ECQs or TQs. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: The Office of the Director, NIH seeks candidates who have a commitment to excellence and the energy, enthusiasm, and innovative thinking necessary to lead a dynamic and diverse organization. All competitive candidates for SES positions with the Federal Government must demonstrate leadership experience indicative of senior executive level management capability. Applicants must meet the requirements for the GS-301 series as defined by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Standards Manual for General Schedule Positions which is available at: OPM Qualifications Standards GS-301 Website under Administrative and Management Positions and demonstrate in your two (2) page resume that you possess the Technical Qualifications (TQs) listed above. It is recommended that your resume emphasize levels of responsibility, scope and complexity of programs managed, and program accomplishments and results. Candidates must possess experience at the senior level (GS-14/15 level or equivalent) in the job-specific Technical Qualifications (TQs). The TQs measure the technical expertise required by this position and must be addressed within your 2-page resume. It is recommended that corresponding TQs be annotated in parenthesis within your 2-page resume. Political, Schedule C, Non-career SES Appointee*: In the last five years, based on the closing date of this announcement, have you been or are you currently an employee in the Executive Branch serving on a political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointment? If yes, and you are selected through this vacancy announcement, you may be required to obtain approval by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) prior to beginning employment. (Please confirm whether or not you have this experience within your 2-page resume) *A political appointee is an appointment made by the President without confirmation by the Senate (5 CFR 213.3102(c)) OR an Assistant position to a top-level Federal official if filled by a person designated by the President as a White House Fellow (5 CFR 213.3102(z)). A Non-career SES appointee is approved by the White House and serves at the pleasure of the appointing official without time limitations. A Schedule C appointee occupies a position excepted from the competitive service by the President, or by the Director, OPM, because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties. NOTE: IF SELECTED, a Structured Interview will be used to certify the candidate by an OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB). If you are currently serving in a career SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, or have successfully completed an SES Candidate Development Program approved by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), you WILL NOT need to participate in a Structured Interview.

How to Apply: Applicants must submit application materials ELECTRONICALLY by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to the following email address: seniorre4@mail.nih.gov

Application Deadline: 2026-03-23