Deputy Director

Summary

The Civil Division (Division) of the U.S. Department of Justice (Department) is seeking an individual to serve as Deputy Director in its National Courts Section. Organizationally, the position is known as the Deputy Director, Court of Federal Claims. The Section is responsible for litigation filed in the Court of Federal Claims, the Court of International Trade, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Duties

The Deputy Director of the National Courts Section: As delegated by the Director, directs and primarily supervises the work of attorneys and other personnel who are assigned to trial court-level work in the Court of Federal Claims, and in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in all appeals taken from the Court of Federal Claims, as well as his or her other organizational and functional areas, either directly or by providing guidance to Assistant Directors or Senior Trial Counsel. Assists in the assignment and distribution of this work among the attorneys, reviews and approves of pleadings, briefs, and other papers filed with this court and acts as the legal advisor and counsel to attorneys about approaches and strategies to be followed in preparing for or presenting a case or an appeal. Provides guidance and direction on all aspects of work performance and provides input to the Director for the preparation of performance appraisals and other personnel actions. Advises and consults with the staff on new program orientations or directives. Evaluates organizational structure and makes necessary changes based on new caseload requirements or policy directives. Oversees the Assistant Directors, who directly manage the complex assignment, handling, and defense of the voluminous expedited court challenges made to agencies' decisions in multi-million and multi-billion-dollar procurement contracts. Manages the Section's staffing of these matters and, where necessary, incorporates detailees from within the Commercial Litigation Branch and other Department components. Ensures proper training and support for Section attorneys and detailees, and consistency in the Government's positions taken in bid protest and other fast-paced litigation. Oversees coordination with the court, client agencies, and bid protester's counsel to ensure the most optimal and efficient resolution of these disputes is obtained that it is in the government's best interests. Personally leads cases and argues difficult and precedent-setting cases of unusual complexity. Analyzes and reviews proposed and pending legislation to determine whether it may affect the work of the Section, particularly with respect to whether the proposed legislation could create significant breach of contract claims, procurement challenges, civilian or military pay claims, or monetary constitutional claims against the United States. Assists the Director in responding to budgetary, operational, and other requests from the Assistant Attorney General.

Requirements

You must be a United States Citizen or National. Veterans' preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service. Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file. You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check for the security level designated for this position. You will be required to undergo a drug screening and obtain favorable results prior to being appointed. You may be subject to a one-year probationary period effective from the date in which you are appointed. 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. You must meet all minimum qualifications to be deemed eligible. Only experience obtained by closing date of this announcement will be considered. As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications.

Qualifications and evaluation

Only experience obtained by the 11:59 pm EST on the closing date of this announcement will be considered. Once this announcement closes the following will occur: A review of your resume, clear evidence of the 5 ECQs and MTQs, and supporting documentation will be conducted by the HR Specialist. Applicants deemed minimally qualified will be referred to an Executive Resources Board (ERB) to further evaluate applications. The ERB will further evaluate applications to determine the best qualified applicants for referral to the hiring official. Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring official and may be invited to participate in a structured interview. Interviews may be in a virtual setting or in person at DOJ offices. The selectee will receive a tentative offer from the agency however before an agency can appoint a new Senior Executive Service 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 Senior Executive Service (SES) prior to appointment. NOTE: You MUST address all MTQs as required above, but do not need to address the ECQs if you: Are currently serving under a career SES appointment; Are eligible for reinstatement into the SES; or 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.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, have at least 5 years of relevant post-J.D. experience, and be an active member of the bar in good standing a state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. IMPORTANT: Applicants are responsible for citing J.D. and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes.

How to apply

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Failure to submit a complete application (resume and all supporting documents) by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on November 17, 2026 may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully as missing application information will not be requested. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed. Note: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.

Required documents

To a apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Complete Resume that addresses the MTQs and ECQs. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Recent SF-50 that shows Official Title, Salary, Grade Level, Status Recent Performance Appraisal (for current or former federal employees) Proof of active bar membership Provide certification of OPM QRB approval (for graduates of SES Candidate Development Programs) Other supporting documentation as required.

Additional information

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 Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. 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. The U.S. Department of Justice fosters an inclusive and diverse workforce, find our EEO statement online at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy. Legal and Regulatory Guidance Social Security Number - Your Social Security Number may be 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. 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.