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Sanctions Regulations Advisor

Department of the Treasury
Treasury, Departmental Offices
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

Summary

This position is located at Departmental Offices,Terrorism and Financial Intelligence - Office of Foreign Assets Control. As a Sanctions Regulations Advisor, you will assist the Assistant Director, Regulatory Affairs (AD RA) in the formulation and implementation of OFAC regulations implementing economic and trade sanctions imposed by the United States.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/05/2026 to 03/19/2026
Salary
$102,415 to - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 14
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-DO-12899483-DH
Control number
859826600

Duties

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The following are the duties of this position at the GS-14. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

  • Play a pivotal role in developing new regulatory frameworks and updating existing ones to reflect U.S. national security and foreign policy priorities. Your work will shape sanctions programs targeting adversarial governments, human rights abusers, narcotics traffickers, international terrorists, illicit financial networks, and more.
  • Develop clear, actionable regulations, general licenses, and determinations that complement OFAC's designation actions and underlying Executive orders to implement sanctions programs in a manner that meets urgent foreign policy and national security objectives while providing practicable information to the regulated public.
  • Determine the critical priorities, goals, timeframes, and management objectives for projects involving the drafting of new regulations or amendment of existing regulations. In doing so, you will help define the roadmap for impactful policy initiatives that safeguard U.S. interests worldwide.
  • Tackle some of the world's most complex financial and legal challenges related to sanctions. Work across multiple domains-including trade, finance, fintech, and national security-to resolve issues that require regulatory creativity and strategic thinking.
  • Serve as a key advisor to senior Treasury officials, including OFAC's leadership, represent OFAC on interagency task forces focused on developing and implementing sanctions programs, and engage with international partner counterparts to advance U.S. sanctions objectives

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

  • Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
  • All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation.
  • All new hires will be required to comply with federal ethics laws. A review of financial or other interests may be conducted to determine if they create any real or apparent conflict of interests with official Treasury duties.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Please refer to the "Additional Information" section for additional Conditions of Employment.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized experience for the GS-14: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes ALL of the following:
-Experience independently drafting, reviewing, and analyzing U.S. economic sanctions programs.
(Examples of this could include but are not limited to: ensuring a financial institution's or corporation's compliance with economic sanctions regulations; advising clients on sanctions compliance; analyzing economic sanctions regulations; assisting a team in developing sanctions policy or regulations; enforcing sanctions or advising on sanctions enforcement-related matters; reviewing license applications and issuing licenses for sanctioned transactions or drafting or advising on the submission of sanctions-related license requests; researching individuals or entities to assess their sanctions compliance; or advising financial institutions or the public regarding regulatory implementation of sanctions); AND
-Experience with respect to advanced legal or regulatory writing, including writing for a professional audience.
(Examples of this could include but are not limited to: assisting a team in creating written analysis of regulations, statutes, or case law; drafting legal briefs or pleadings; preparing policy papers; drafting regulations; or preparing internal guidance documents, public-facing reports, or memos for senior leadership or the public); AND
-Experience with effective oral and written communication of substantive and technical issues.
(Examples of this could include but are not limited to: providing training or presentations explaining sanctions, regulations, or statutes; drafting informational or decision memoranda for executives or senior leadership; drafting licensing applications or voluntary self-disclosures relating to economic sanctions; oral argument before a court or relevant sanctions agency; or leading discussions, conducting outreach to stakeholders, or advising industry groups on regulatory changes.)

Specialized experience for the GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes ALL of the following:
- Experience with respect to U.S. economic sanctions regulations.
(Examples of this could include but are not limited to: assisting a team in ensuring a financial institution's or corporation's compliance with economic sanctions; providing advice to clients on sanctions compliance; researching individuals to assess their sanctions compliance; advising financial institutions or the public regarding the regulatory implementation of sanctions; analyzing economic sanctions or advising on sanctions enforcement-related matters; reviewing license applications and issuing licenses for sanctioned transactions or drafting or advising on the submission of sanctions-related license requests); AND
- Experience with effective oral and written communication.
(An example of this could include but is not limited to: providing training or drafting analytical memoranda, legal briefs or pleadings, or policy papers on sanctions, regulations, or similar material.)

Specialized experience for the GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes ALL of the following:
- Experience with concepts and principles of U.S. economic sanctions.
(Examples of this could include but are not limited to: assisting in research or training on economic sanctions; working in a compliance role in the private sector; assisting in advising clients, financial institutions, or the public on sanctions compliance; or assisting in researching individuals or entities to make recommendations on whether or not they meet compliance with sanctions regulations.)


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 resumé.

Additional information

OTHER INFORMATION:

  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • This is a non-bargaining unit position.
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid.
  • We may offer opportunities for telework.
  • We may offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
  • This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov).


Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes:

  • Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
  • Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
  • Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
  • A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
  • A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.
  • Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - Benefits

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This announcement is issued under the "direct-hire" authority. Consistent with 5 U.S.C. 3304(a)(3) and OPM regulations (5 CFR 337 Subpart B) on direct-hire: All candidates who meet all the qualifications and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply.

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

Referral: All candidates who meet all the qualifications and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must meet the following "well qualified" definition listed below and any education requirement 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.

Optional Essay Questions:
Applicants may choose to respond to four short essay questions (200 words max each) to help us better understand your alignment with the agency's mission. These responses are optional and will not affect the applicant's eligibility.

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