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Principal Director for Strategic Planning and Implementation

Department of Commerce
Economic Development Administration

Summary

he Principal Director for Strategic Planning and Implementation's primary mission is to oversee the integration of EDA's mission and operations to ensure operational alignment to meet EDA's mission. It includes coordination between programs and operations through the oversight of mission-enabling operations, strategic planning, performance management, and grant management policies.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/18/2026 to 04/01/2026
Salary
$151,661 to - $228,000 per year
Pay scale & grade
ES 00
Location
1 vacancy 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
Senior Executive
Promotion potential
00
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-EDA-12901096-ES
Control number
861278000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is open to Senior Executives, the Public, Federal Employees - Competitive Service, and Federal Employees - Excepted Service

Duties

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As the Principal Director for Strategic Planning and Implementation (PDSI), the incumbent serves as the primary strategic advisor to EDA's senior leadership on integrated operations and programs, including the establishment and measurement of organizational goals, objectives, and indicators. The incumbent designs and manages comprehensive programs that affect the quality of EDA-wide internal and external services and automations.

This position's responsibilities include:

  • Leads key strategic operational initiatives for EDA and provides strategic input and governance of policies that oversee the development, management, administration, and integration of all programmatic goals and operations across the EDA.
  • Oversees the development of short- and long-range plans to meet organizational objectives; establishes or revises programs' goals; institutes major modifications in organizational or functional structure; develops and implements change management strategies; and approves key appointments or promotions to ensure the most efficient organization.
  • Collaborates with other organizations to conduct strategic planning while aligning them to EDA's mission and goals; develops and recommends strategies to EDA's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development and Chief Operating Officer and the Assistant Secretary for Economic Development on the effective management of EDA's program delivery; establishes benchmarks for EDA program delivery; represents EDA's strategies and operations to external customers, partners, and other federal organizations.
  • Oversees the development of grants management policies and operating procedures to ensure EDA-wide consistency in grant development, vetting, and evaluation, as well as the efficient management and administration of EDA grants. Leads cross-organizational efforts to disseminate and adopt best practices, streamline grants management and administration procedures, and develop programmatic requirements for grants management information technology systems and upgrades.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  • May be subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
  • An initial Senior Executive Service (SES) career appointee is subject to a one-year probationary period.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for federal employment at the time requested by the agency.
  • 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.
  • File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
  • You may be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entering on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.

There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:

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 Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQ) related to this position within your resume-NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES.

Resumes over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed and will be disqualified. Your resume should be 2 pages or fewer and must not include images or graphics. Your resumes 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 Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs).

PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.

  1. Demonstrated experience creating, recommending, and managing a complex set of processes across multiple offices within a program and/or operations environment. Establishing organizational strategies, service design, process improvements and related programs, and business process streamlining and automation. Experience must demonstrate knowledge of these programs and their impact on organizational objectives and performance goals; skill in the development of program strategies and plans to meet organizational goals and government-wide mandates.
  2. Demonstrated experience in creating, recommending, and executing key organization-wide strategies to improve operations and program delivery. Experience must demonstrate direct interaction with the executive leadership and result in organization-wide implementations, including experience in improving the effectiveness or efficiencies of operations.

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.

  • 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 or Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement.

Additional information

Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines and may be required to sign a reassignment rights and obligation agreement.

Veterans Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm

Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to

Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)

False Statements: If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired, you may be fired after you begin work, or you may be subject to fine, imprisonment, or other disciplinary action.

OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or noncareer SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

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.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your application package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQ) listed above. ECQs and PTQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two-page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, an OPM QRB-certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/.

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