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Deputy Director (ORI)

Department of Labor
Employee Benefits Security Administration
Office of Regulations and Interpretations

Summary

EBSA plays a vital role in protecting the retirement, health, and other job-based benefits of America's workers, retirees, and their families. We issue effective regulations, offer comprehensive education and assistance to workers, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers, and rigorously enforce the law. We serve workers, families, and the broader employee benefits community by protecting the security and integrity of the nation's benefit systems.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 06/18/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 18, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$169,279 - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
Yes
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
MS-26-CHI-EBSA-12979836-NG
Control number
872713200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to current Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) employees with competitive/noncompetitive status as well as Career Transition Program (CTAP) eligibles in the local commuting area.

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Duties

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This position is located in the Office of Regulations and Interpretations (ORI), in the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). ORI has primary responsibility to facilitate compliance with and enforcement of EIRSA through the development and implementation of advisory opinions, interpretive materials, and regulations.

Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

  • Program and Policy Planning and Development As Deputy Director, the incumbent participates with the Director in all phases of planning, developing, and executing programs for the coordinated development, issuance, review, and analysis of policies, regulations, opinions, interpretations, forms, and other guidance regarding the fiduciary responsibility, reporting and disclosure, coverage, preemption provisions, as well as other provisions of Title I of ERISA and those provisions of FERSA for which the Secretary has interpretive and regulatory authority.
  • Program, Personnel, and Resource Management Participates with the Office Director in the evaluation of Office program accomplishments. Develops performance measures, evaluates overall program performance and accomplishments, identifies problem areas or areas capable of improvement, and develops and recommends, to the Office Director, approaches for correcting deficiencies and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Office operations. Develops both short and long-range plans, budgetary estimates, resource needs, and program justification documents. Coordinates the development of multi-year work plans. Recommends the development of policy, procedural, and staffing changes in response to changes in levels of appropriations and/or program emphasis. Approves milestones and schedules for completion of work; assigns continuing program responsibilities, projects, or studies to subordinates; furnishes advice and guidance on problems, and reviews completed work for conformance to established policies and project objectives.
  • Coordination, Technical Assistance, and Liaison Activities Represents the Agency on Department, interagency, and Government-industry committees to assure coordination of national programs, policies, and regulatory strategies affecting employee benefit plans, on behalf of the Director and the Assistant Secretary/Deputy Assistant Secretaries of EBSA. Directs and coordinates the Agency's program for the development, drafting, and issuance of interpretations, opinions, rulings, forms, and other guidance. Ensures the review and analysis of major legislative proposals and interpretive issuances developed both within the Department and by other agencies and which directly or indirectly affect the provisions of Title I of ERISA. Explains EBSA policies, stance with regard to specific interpretations, opinions, rulings, forms, and other guidance, and potential for cooperative efforts and represents the Agency on program issues.
  • Program and Policy Planning and Development As Deputy Director, the incumbent participates with the Director in all phases of planning, developing, and executing programs for the coordinated development, issuance, review, and analysis of policies, regulations, opinions, interpretations, forms, and other guidance regarding the fiduciary responsibility, reporting and disclosure, coverage, preemption provisions, as well as other provisions of Title I of ERISA and those provisions of FERSA for which the Secretary has interpretive and regulatory authority.
  • Program, Personnel, and Resource Management Develops performance measures, evaluates overall program performance and accomplishments, identifies problem areas or areas capable of improvement, and develops and recommends, to the Office Director, approaches for correcting deficiencies and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Office operations. Develops both short and long-range plans, budgetary estimates, resource needs, and program justification documents. Coordinates the development of multi-year work plans; recommends revisions of long- range plans. Approves milestones and schedules for completion of work; assigns continuing program responsibilities, projects, or studies to subordinates; furnishes advice and guidance on problems, and reviews completed work for conformance to established policies and project objectives.
  • Coordination, Technical Assistance, and Liaison Activities Represents the Agency on Department, interagency, and Government-industry committees to assure coordination of national programs, policies, and regulatory strategies affecting employee benefit plans. Directs and coordinates the Agency's program for the development, drafting, and issuance of interpretations, opinions, rulings, forms, and other guidance. Explains EBSA policies, stance with regard to specific interpretations, opinions, rulings, forms, and other guidance, and potential for cooperative efforts and represents the Agency on program issues.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Subject to financial disclosure requirements.
  • Requires a supervisory probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Qualifications

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Position titles alone cannot be used to determine if you are qualified. Please list dates in MM/DD/YY format. This is imperative in determining if whether you have at least one year of creditable specialized experience. Dates will not be assumed.

You must meet the Basic Requirements and the Specialized Experience to qualify for Deputy Director (ORI), as described below.

Basic Requirements:
Education: Undergraduate and graduate education: Major study in one or a combination of the following fields- finance, banking, business administration, economics, mathematics, accounting or auditing, pension plan administration, law, industrial relations, public administration, or other related fields.
OR

Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible experience that demonstrated the ability to perform work in the field of pension and welfare plans. Such experience may have been gained in (1) management, administration, development, analysis, audit, financial management, or tterminationof such plans or their funds; or (2) in closely related work such as taxation, securities, and investments.

Specialized experience may have been gained in government, a welfare and pension plan administration or consulting firm, law firm, actuarial or accounting firm, labor union, welfare and pension association or research service, banking trust department, or investment firm. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Analysis and application of fiduciary, reporting and disclosure, bonding, funding, vesting, administration, and termination provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and related laws, regulations, court decisions, and precedent rulings.
  • Development of proposals for new or revised pension or welfare plans, petitions for exemptions, or requests for rulings under governing law.
  • Legal work, a substantial portion of which required interpretation of Federal laws and legal requirements concerning welfare and pension plans, or in such related fields as taxation, securities, real estate, corporations, trusts, bankruptcy, and investments.
  • Auditing or accounting work that involved determining compliance with Federal and State laws governing welfare and pension plans, securities, banking, insurance, or corporations.
  • Analysis of Federal laws or regulations, development of policy, and drafting of proposed changes in an employee welfare and benefit plan or a related function.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must meet 3 out of the 5 examples of specialized experience listed below for this grade level:

For GS-15: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-14 in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Qualifying specialized experience for GS-15 includes:

  • Leading the coordinated development, drafting, issuance, review, and analysis of regulations, advisory opinions, interpretations, forms, and other guidance implementing Title I of ERISA and FERSA (including fiduciary responsibility, reporting and disclosure, coverage, and preemption), and coordinating these efforts with EBSA components, DOL, and other Federal agencies (e.g., PBGC, IRS, SEC).
  • Managing program planning and resources for a regulatory/interpretive office, including developing multi-year work plans and budgets, setting milestones and performance measures, allocating staff and resources, directing subordinate supervisors and professional legal/economic staff, and conducting performance appraisals.
  • Representing Government-industry committees; establishing and maintaining liaison with congressional committees/staff, Federal and State regulators, and industry groups; presenting authoritative policy options and recommendations; and committing to courses of action.
  • Evaluating program effectiveness to identify deficiencies and implement corrective actions to improve efficiency and outcomes; and reviewing and analyzing legislative, regulatory, and policy proposals for their impact on ERISA/FERSA and employee benefit plan operations.
  • Providing expert technical advice on ERISA, FERSA, and related laws (Internal Revenue Code), employee benefit plan operations, and financial institution practices; serving as an expert witness in ERISA litigation; and developing or overseeing internal training and public education materials/programs to promote voluntary compliance.

Note: Specialized experience must be clearly documented in your resume; merely copying this statement into your application does not demonstrate that you possess the required experience.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

You may not be aware, but in the regulations for agency ethics programs, there are requirements for supervisors. Section 2638.103 of Title 5 of the CFR states: Every supervisor in the executive branch has a heightened personal responsibility for advancing government ethics. It is imperative that supervisors serve as models of ethical behavior for subordinates. Supervisors have a responsibility to help ensure that subordinates are aware of their ethical obligations under the Standards of Conduct and that subordinates know how to contact agency ethics officials. Supervisors are also responsible for working with agency ethics officials to help resolve conflicts of interests and enforce government ethics laws and regulations, including those requiring certain employees to file financial disclosure reports. In addition, supervisors are responsible, when requested, for assisting agency ethics officials in evaluating potential conflicts of interest and identifying positions subject to financial disclosure requirements.

Supervisory Financial Disclosure (If applicable): This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

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.

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12979836

SME Resume Panel Review

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to assess your technical qualifications based on the competencies listed below. Applicants who meet the required qualifications will advance to the next stage of the hiring process.

For each below competency, SME(s) will provide a rating of 0-Not Applicable, 1-Awareness, 2-Basic, 3-Intermediate, 4-Advanced, or 5-Expert based on the content of your resume.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

  • Administration and Management
  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating


Click here for evaluation details.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Employee Benefits Security Administration

Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and you will help shape the workforce of tomorrow. DOL offers rewarding opportunities to contribute to a noble mission; to serve and protect American workers, prepare them for new and better jobs, and to ensure the safety and fairness of American workplaces.

The Department of Labor values its customers. Every DOL employee is responsible for delivering good customer service through accurate, courteous, efficient, and effective transactions.

The Department of Labor does not make unfavorable hiring decisions on the basis of an applicant's previous or current unemployment, or the fact that an applicant has experienced financial difficulty through no fault of his/her own and has undertaken good faith efforts to meet his/her financial obligations. Consideration is given to financial status in relation to appointments only where required by law, regulation, or Executive Order.

Applicants with disabilities can contact the vacancy point of contact listed on the job vacancy announcement to request reasonable accommodations needed for the application process.

Agency contact information

Nekeysha Garcia
Phone
404-302-5863
Email
garcia.nekeysha.a@dol.gov
Address
Employee Benefits Security Administration
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Employee Benefits Security Administration, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa

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