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Director, Employment Litigation Section

Department of Justice
Offices, Boards and Divisions
Employment Litigation Section, Civil Rights Division

Summary

The Civil Rights Division (CRT or Division) is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as the Director, Employment Litigation Section.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/29/2026 to 05/14/2026
Salary
$151,661 - $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
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Senior Executive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-CRT-SES-004
Control number
867144700

Duties

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As the Director the Employment Litigation Section, the successful candidate:

  • Leads the DOJ's efforts to enforce federal laws that protect against employment discrimination.
  • Sets priorities and direction for how employment discrimination cases are handled across the Department.
  • Oversees major litigation and ensures a consistent approach to enforcing civil rights laws nationwide.
  • Works closely with U.S. Attorneys' Offices and other federal agencies to coordinate enforcement efforts and resolve complex legal or policy issues.
  • Directs programs related to employment discrimination, including cases involving workplace rights, military service protections, and federal contracting programs.
  • Manages a large, nationwide team of attorneys and staff, providing guidance on legal strategy and program goals.
  • Allocates resources, manages budgets, and ensures programs are operating effectively and in line with Department priorities.
  • Engages with stakeholders and represents the Department in high-impact cases that may shape national policy.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to qualify for this position.
  • The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualification must be demonstrated in your resume.
  • You must complete a background investigation, to include pre-employment drug testing. Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion and adjudication of your background investigation and award of a Top-Secret security clearance.
  • You must have a Juris Doctorate degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the US, the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
  • Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
  • Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service are subject to a one-year probationary period.
  • Veterans' preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service.
  • Selective Service - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.
  • This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
  • Resume cannot exceed two (2) pages.

Qualifications

***READ THIS JOB OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT CAREFULLY AND IN ITS ENTIRETY. It contains detailed information required to ensure you are appropriately considered for the position.***

The application process for Senior Executive Service (SES) is RESUME-ONLY. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.

Your resume file must be 5 MB or smaller. For best results, save and upload your resume as a PDF to preserve its formatting and page count. You may also upload files in GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, ODT, or Word (DOC or DOCX) formats. Do not upload PDF portfolios, as the system will not accept them.

It is recommended that applicants use a clean, common font such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto, or Noto Sans. Set margins to 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point font for section titles and 10-point font for the main text.

The Resume Builder can also support these recommendations and uses information from your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

**Note: If you are a current SES career appointee, a former SES member having reinstatement eligibility, or an OPM-certified graduate of an approved SES Candidate Development Program and have had their ECQs certified by OPM, you must provide a copy of your certificate. Possessing an SES certification does not remove the requirement to address the position's MTQs.

you must submit the appropriate SF50 (showing SES status) or an OPM Qualifications Review Board certificate.

We recommend that your resume emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions. You will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required of the position and on the extent your application demonstrates that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of theDirector, Employment Litigation Section. Be sure to give concrete examples of your experience and demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess. Applicants must clearly demonstrate their leadership abilities by addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) in their resume. Make sure your accomplishments clearly show how you meet each qualification.

ECQS


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.

2. DRIVING EFFICIENCY. Demonstrated ability to strategically and sufficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.

3. MERIT AND COMPETENCE. Demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.

4. LEADING PEOPLE. Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals; To drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture.

5. ACHIEVING RESULTS. Demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to state goals from superiors.

MTQs
1. Demonstrated experience engaging internal and external stakeholders to inform employment litigation strategies, case priorities, and operational decisions; coordinating across offices to ensure alignment on case handling and Section initiatives; communicating legal positions, policies, and litigation priorities in a clear and persuasive manner; negotiating complex or sensitive matters with Division leadership, and building and sustaining strategic relationships while navigating the Section's mission.
2. Demonstrated experience managing a complex organization, a diverse workforce and challenging organizational issues while enforcing policies and law.
3. Demonstrated experience communicating effectively on complex technical issues through oral and written communication, including the ability to advocate successfully with diverse stakeholders, external partners and individuals or groups having differed and often conflicting interests, on matters related to the successful execution of a large-scale organization's mission, programs and projects.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. (Include in your resume the month and year in which you obtained your degree and the name of the College or University from which it was conferred/awarded.)

Additional information

Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

EEO Policy Statement: : The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor. The complete DOJ EEO Statement/Policy is found at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1394116/download.

Reasonable Accommodation: Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. DOJ offers a comprehensive benefits package. Please see the "Benefits" area below for details.

Legal and Regulatory Guidance

  • Social Security Number - Your Social Security Number is requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your records from those of other applicants who may have the same name. As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your Social Security Number is used to seek information about you from employers, schools, banks, and others who may know you. Failure to provide your Social Security Number on your application materials will result in your application not being processed.
  • Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.
  • Signature - Before you are hired, you will be required to sign and certify the accuracy of the information in your application.
  • 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.
  • Selective Service - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.

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.

Only experience obtained by the 11:59pm EST on the closing date 05/14/2026 of this announcement will be considered.

After this announcement closes:

  1. An HR Specialist will review your resume and supporting (required) documentation.
  2. Applicants found minimally qualified will be referred to an Executive Resources Board (ERB).
  3. The ERB will evaluate applications to determine the best qualified applicants for referral to the hiring official.
  4. The hiring official may contact applicants to participate in an interview. Interviews may be in a virtual setting or in person at DOJ offices.
  5. The hiring official will make a selection, which must be approved by CRT's Assistant Attorney General.
  6. The selectee will receive a tentative offer from the agency; however, before an agency can appoint a new SES member, the selected individual will be subject further evaluation through a structured interview by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB) as required by law. OPM must review the executive qualifications of each new career appointee to the SES prior to appointment.
NOTE: You MUST address all MTQs as required above, but do not need to address the ECQs if you:
  1. Are currently serving under a career SES appointment;
  2. Are eligible for reinstatement into the SES; or
  3. Have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program and been certified by Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Proof of Qualifications Review Board (QRB) certification must be provided in your application.

Offices, Boards and Divisions

Are you interested in a rewarding and challenging career? Join the U.S. Department of Justice!

The Civil Rights Division (Division) of the Department of Justice (DOJ or Department), created by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans. The Division enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status, national origin, and citizenship status.

Mission

The mission of the Department is to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.

Organization

The Civil Rights Division is primarily responsible for enforcing federal statutes and executive orders that prohibit, among other things, unlawful discrimination in education, employment, housing, police services, public accommodations and facilities, voting, and federally funded and conducted programs. The laws that the Division enforces also prohibit conduct by law enforcement agencies, conditions of public residential institutions, such as health care and correctional facilities, and restrictions on gun ownership and use that violate the constitution.

Agency contact information

Diane Turner
Email
Diane.M.Turner@usdoj.gov
Address
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20530
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Offices, Boards and Divisions, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.justice.gov/crt

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