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Director, Office of Oil and Gas

Department of Energy
Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office

Summary

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) seeks a dynamic and innovative executive to serve as the Department's senior oil and gas technical expert and lead the full lifecycle of oil and gas research and development (R&D) programs that unleash the full potential of America's resources while advancing affordable, reliable, and secure energy for the nation.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/08/2026 to 04/22/2026
Salary
$199,172 - $228,000 per year
Pay scale & grade
ES 00
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Senior Executive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Q Access Authorization
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-HG-0000435-12926078-SES
Control number
864155700

Duties

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As the Director, Office of Oil and Gas, you will:

  • Provide leadership management and direction for the Office, including strategic planning, key engagements, human resources, financial management, and program execution processes.
  • Direct the full lifecycle of oil and gas research and development programs, including framing strategic plans based on broad organizational assessments and evaluations of long-term organizational objectives.
  • Oversee the development of strategies for the purposes of planning R&D programs related to extraction, transportation and storage, and power generation, fuels, and chemicals.
  • Manage and execute budgets for R&D activities, articulates rationale for budget priorities and negotiate the defense of the Administration's budget within program areas of responsibilities.
  • Skillfully communicate complex and sensitive oil and gas technical and programmatic information while representing DOE as a senior advisor and spokesperson to defend budgets, provide testimony to Congress, and interact effectively with government agencies, private industry, academic institutions, Congressional staff, and the public.
  • Serve as a senior advisor to senior Departmental leaders on technical requirements and matters pertaining to oil and gas.
  • Provide technical and administrative supervision over subordinate organizations and resolve problems stemming from coordinating and directing activities complicated by particularized arrangements made between subordinate organizations.
  • Liaise with the National Energy Technology Laboratory Oil and Gas Center or Excellence counterpart to execute the mission and establish and achieve office goals and objectives.
  • Provide ongoing mentorship to junior staff by offering technical guidance, coaching, and constructive feedback to support their professional growth. Foster a collaborative learning environment, facilitates knowledge transfer, and helps staff build the competencies necessary to perform increasingly complex analytical and programmatic responsibilities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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.
  • Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests
  • File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278 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 entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • This position is full-time in the office. In rare instances, situational telework may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
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 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.

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

TQ1: Demonstrated leadership experience overseeing, managing, executing, and fostering major research, development, and demonstration programs through the application of broad practical knowledge of the principles and practices of engineering and/or related scientific disciplines related to oil and gas energy systems.

TQ2: Demonstrated expertise of the oil and gas industry, including production, transportation, storage, and utilization with experience leading the development of research and development strategies, identifying research objectives, evaluating program effectiveness, developing and defending budgets, preparing reports to Congress or other stakeholders, and interacting with public, private, and academic institutions.

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.

Education

In addition to meeting the qualifications listed above, applicant must also meet the education requirements listed below.

Basic Education Requirement for the 0801 Series


Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements section above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described above.

Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)

Basic Education Requirement for the 1301 Series

Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

OR

Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Additional information

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

Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions members may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement.

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)

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 Technical Qualifications (TQ) listed above. ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) 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, 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/.

Department of Energy - Agency Wide

Agency contact information

Christina Nanney
Email
Christina.Nanney@hq.doe.gov
Address
Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office
Department of Energy
Human Capital Shared Service Center
1000 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20585
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Department of Energy - Agency Wide, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.energy.gov/hgeo/hydrocarbons-and-geothermal-energy-office

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