Director, Office of Hearings and Appeals

Director, Office of Hearings and Appeals

Department: Department of the Interior

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Salary Range: $197200 - $228000 Per Year

Job Summary: The Department of the Interior is currently seeking qualified candidates for the Senior Executive Service (SES) position of Director, Office of Hearings and Appeals located in Washington, DC or Albuquerque, NM. The Department structures its SES positions into categories to determine the minimum pay for each position. This is a category 3 position. The minimum pay for this position is $197,200. Veterans preference does not apply to the SES.

Major Duties:

• The incumbent carries out the following specific responsibilities: 1. The Director exercises program management and administrative responsibilities with respect to the hearings and appeals functions of the Department in accordance with existing policies, regulations, and procedures. These responsibilities include strategic planning, budget formulation and execution, performance management, human capital management, and information resources management. 2. The Director exercises program management capabilities in setting budget execution and formulation goals; maintains strong relationships with the Department's Budget Office; and works collaboratively with that office to secure approval for necessary budget increases or approaches to address potential budget shortfalls. 3. The Director establishes relationships and works collaboratively with Human Resources to execute workforce planning priorities for OHA generally. When necessary, the Director coordinates between Human Resources and Budget to implement specific workforce initiatives such as the hiring of detailees, law clerks, or other temporary or detailed staff to bridge budgetary gaps while addressing and prioritizing the workload of the various OHA units. 4. The Director serves as an ex officio member of the Appeals Boards of the Office and may participate in their decisions. The Director may assume jurisdiction of any case pending before any Appeals Board of the Office, review a decision of any Appeals Board, or direct reconsideration of a decision by any Appeals Board. 5. The Director exercises jurisdiction over the Administrative Law Judges in the Office's Hearings Divisions for administrative purposes only, including strategic planning, setting of annual adjudication goals, and budgetary decisions. The Director may not direct or participate in decisions of the Administrative Law Judges. If your resume does not include these basic qualifications, you will not be determined qualified for this position. We recommend that your resume includes examples that are clear, concise, and emphasize their level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs, activities, or services managed; program accomplishments; policy initiatives undertaken; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues addressed; and the results of actions taken.

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 qualifications, you must submit a two-page resume (max) that shows you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and two Technical Qualifications (TQs). To be considered, only the first 2 pages of your resume will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Technical Qualifications (TQs) are designed to assess an applicant's experience relevant to the specific position requirements. Your resume should clearly demonstrate your experience and accomplishments related to the two TQs below: TQ 1: Demonstrated ability to lead and modernize complex Federal adjudication programs through strategic policy development, organizational transformation, and the integration of innovative case management practices. TQ 2: Demonstrated ability to build and sustain high-level relationships with senior Department leadership, Federal partners, and Tribal, state, and local entities to manage sensitive, precedent-setting adjudicatory matters. Your two-page resume should also show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications listed below: By statute, the Office of Personnel Management prescribes Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) for the appointment of career SES members. The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and not technical expertise. ECQ 1-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. ECQ 2 - Driving Efficiency: 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: Demonstrated knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. ECQ 4 - Leading People: 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: Demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. Qualifications will be evaluated based on how clearly and concisely you emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of your programs; services managed; program accomplishments; policy initiatives undertaken; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues addressed; and the results of your actions taken. Typically experience will have been gained at the GS-15 or equivalent in the private sector or non-governmental organizations. Already SES Certified? If you are currently serving under a career Senior Executive Service appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the Senior Executive Service, or have completed a Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SES CDP) approved by OPM, you only need to submit a two-page resume and personnel action showing you have held a career SES position. SES CDP graduates must submit a two-page resume and a copy of their CDP program certification with their package.

How to Apply: You must submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to log in or create an account. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application." Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application Add your two-page resume. Select the documents you want to be included in this application. Review the package to acknowledge that your documents were reviewed. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site." Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing required documents or optional documents. Review and Submit Application. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement. To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job. Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So you must select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-19