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Deputy Director, Executive Secretariat

Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary of Transportation

Summary

This position is in the U. S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, Executive Secretariat Office (S-10). Serve as the Deputy Director, Executive Secretariat and assists in overseeing the flow of information and policy recommendations to and from the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, and other top policy officers of the Department to ensure that actions emanating from all offices are complete and reach the proper executive in a timely manner.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 08/10/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 10, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be eligible for situational telework. Telework approval will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$169,279 - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Promotion potential
15
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
Yes
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
OST.ES-2026-0003
Control number
878711000

Duties

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The Deputy Director-Executive Secretariat:

  • Oversees Executive Information Flow: Manages the timely routing, technical accuracy, and legal compliance of Secretarial-level correspondence and policy recommendations.
  • Serves as Principal Advisor: Advises senior leadership, modal heads, and external federal agencies on complex internal organizational relationships and directives.
  • Directs Program Compliance: Acts as the Electronic Document Management System business owner, Committee Management Officer, and NARA archiving compliance manager.
  • Exercises Full Supervisory Authority: Manages personnel operations, including performance appraisals, employee relations, and strategic human capital recruitment.
  • Resolves High-Level Discrepancies: Mediates conflicting viewpoints between departmental officials to align responses with leadership's style preferences.

The ideal candidate is an expert administrative leader with proven experience operating within a high-stakes, politically sensitive environment, specifically at the Cabinet or Senior Executive Service (SES) level. This individual possesses a masterful understanding of executive correspondence lifecycles, information flow management, and federal archiving standards (NARA). They are highly skilled at managing conflict and negotiating solutions among high-ranking departmental officials, modal heads, and Congressional offices to ensure all policy recommendations and executive products are technically accurate, legally sound, and delivered on time. Additionally, the ideal candidate is a seasoned supervisor capable of leading a diverse team, closing organizational skill gaps, and strategically aligning human capital
with agency goals. They bring technical and programmatic expertise as a system business owner—ideally managing Electronic Document Management Systems (EDMS)—and possess direct experience overseeing the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) program.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • DRUG TEST: This position has been determined to be a critical safety/security position as defined in the Department of Transportation (DOT) Order, DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace." Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing.
  • SUPERVISORY PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience requirements. 

To qualify for the Grade 15, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-14, it must include:

  • Experience in executive operations, including managing critical correspondence and information flow for agency leadership, alongside formal supervisory authority. AND
  • Experience in FACA program management, navigating stakeholder relationships, and ensuring policy compliance with NARA standards.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  • Expert Knowledge of Executive Secretariat Operations and Federal Compliance. This includes direct experience managing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) archiving standards and overseeing the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) program.
  • Advanced Skill in Executive Stakeholder Management and Conflict Resolution. The ability to navigate highly sensitive, high-stakes political environments and mediate between opposing viewpoints held by high-ranking departmental officials, modal heads, and Congressional offices.
  • Ability to Provide Strategic Supervisory Leadership and Human Capital Alignment
  • Proven capability to lead, mentor, and manage a diverse professional team at the Cabinet or Senior Executive Service (SES) level, including handling performance appraisals and employee relations.


For all types of consideration, experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social).  Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.  You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

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.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process.  Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.  Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).


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Office of the Secretary of Transportation

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is focused on what matters most: prioritizing the safety of our transportation systems, modernizing our aging infrastructure, unleashing American innovation, and maximizing efficiency by removing bureaucratic red tape. We are looking for mission-driven professionals ready to deliver real results with discipline, urgency, and accountability to support American families, workers, and businesses.

As we usher in a Golden Age of Transportation, DOT values a results-oriented, high-performing workforce dedicated to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and a safe, collaborative environment. If you want to build big, beautiful infrastructure, scale transformative technologies, and achieve results that will serve our nation for generations to come, please consider joining the DOT family.

Did You Know? The Department of Transportation is consistently ranked as one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government!

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address
DOT, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States

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