Director, Educational Opportunities Section

Summary

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

Duties

As the Director of the Educational Opportunities Section, the successful candidate: Directs and oversees Section operations, including litigation, investigations, policy development, outreach, and strategic planning. Leads enforcement of federal civil rights laws involving discrimination in educational settings based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, and English learner status. Oversees complex and high-profile litigation and investigations involving systemic discrimination and constitutional or statutory violations. Reviews and approves litigation recommendations, settlement agreements, investigative findings, and legal memoranda. Advises Division and Department leadership on legal, policy, and operational matters affecting educational civil rights enforcement. Represents the Section and Division in meetings with federal agencies, educational institutions, advocacy organizations, congressional staff, and other stakeholders. Supervises attorneys, investigators, analysts, and administrative staff, including workforce planning, performance management, and employee development. Establishes Section priorities, allocates resources, and ensures compliance with Department policies and management requirements. Coordinates with United States Attorneys' Offices, Department components, and federal agencies on enforcement and policy initiatives.

Qualifications and evaluation

Only experience obtained by the 11:59pm EST on the closing date 11/12/2026 of this announcement will be considered. After this announcement closes: An HR Specialist will review your resume and supporting (required) documentation. Applicants found minimally qualified will be referred to an Executive Resources Board (ERB). The ERB will evaluate applications to determine the best qualified applicants for referral to the hiring official. The hiring official may contact applicants to participate in an interview. Interviews may be in a virtual setting or in person at DOJ offices. The hiring official will make a selection, which must be approved by CRT's Assistant Attorney General. 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: 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 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.)

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 11/12/2026 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://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email 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. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative method to apply from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Civil Rights Division at Diane.M.Turner@usdoj.gov.

Required documents

To be considered for this position, you must provide a complete application package in the format outlined in this job announcement. Applications that do not include all of the required documents or exceed the 2 page resume requirement will not be considered. - A comprehensive 2 page resume that includes the name of the college or university, and month and year, from which you obtained your J.D. Your resume must clearly demonstrate your leadership abilities by addressing the ECQs and MTQs. - Recent SF-50 that shows Official Title, Grade Level, Status - Certification of OPM QRB approval (for graduates of SES Candidate Development Programs) - Other supporting documentation as required. - Transcripts - Proof of active bar Applicants who fail to submit all information as described in this job announcement WILL NOT receive consideration for this position. It is highly encouraged that applicants submit their most recent performance appraisal. DO NOT SUBMIT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Extraneous materials not requested in this job announcement will not be considered.

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.