Director, Appellate Section

Summary The Civil Rights Division (CRT or Division) is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as the Director, Appellate Section. This job is open to The public U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. Federal employees

• Competitive service Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales. Federal employees
• Excepted service Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Senior executives Individuals looking for an executive-level job and who meet the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). Clarification from the agency All U.S. Citizens, Senior Executive Service (SES), and Federal Employees in the Excepted or Competitive Service. Duties As the Director, the successful candidate: Plans and directs a nationwide program to enforce federal civil rights laws through handling Division cases in the United States Courts of Appeals and, in cooperation with the Office of the Solicitor General, in the Supreme Court. Recommends, based on input from other chiefs, staff, litigating sections, and the general counsels of other agencies, whether appellate review in the Supreme Court or courts of appeals should be sought of adverse judicial decisions and whether the Division should seek to participate as amicus curiae in the Supreme Court, federal courts of appeals, or state appellate courts. Assesses the quality and content of all appellate briefs and oral arguments handled by the Division, to ensure that they are persuasive, supported by the facts and law, and consistent with Department policy and priorities. Personally handles particularly sensitive, high-profile, or difficult civil rights appeals. Such cases often involve the establishment of legal precedents of great significance. Exercises management oversight of the Section, including setting enforcement priorities; supervises an office of approximately 25 fulltime positions, including managers, trial attorneys, and professional administrative support staff. Is responsible for overall management of personnel, litigative program development, budget, and other matters, and participates in the decisional process relating to these subjects. The chief supervises

• both directly and through subordinate managers
• the Section's attorneys and support personnel.

Consults with and advises the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and the Deputy Assistant Attorneys General. Coordinates with the Division's other Section Chiefs and Deputies as appropriate. Confers with the Office of the Solicitor General, as appropriate, regarding all important stages of appellate litigation. Meets, coordinates, and fosters good working relationships with United States Attorneys' Offices, other Department of Justice components, and other federal departments and regulatory agencies. Coordinates with counsel for private litigants in cases in which the Government intervenes or participates as amicus curiae. Requirements 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, Appellate 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 expertise managing complex appellate litigation before the federal courts of appeals, including developing appellate strategy; supervising briefs and dispositive motions; presenting oral argument; and ensuring consistent, high-quality, and timely outcomes across matters. 2. Demonstrated experience managing a complex organization, a broad 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. A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered. 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 05/28/2026 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. 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. 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 05/28/2026 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. Agency contact information Diane Turner Email Diane.

M.Turner@usdoj.gov Address Civil Rights Division 950 Pennslyvania ave NW Washington, DC 20530 US Next steps An Executive Resources Board (ERB) will conduct a review of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The best qualified candidates will be referred to a hiring committee for further consideration and possible interview. 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, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The Division enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status, national origin, and citizenship status. The Appellate Section (Section) was created in 1974 as a component of the Division. The Section works cooperatively with the trial sections in each of the Division's substantive enforcement areas in representing the United States in civil rights cases in the federal courts of appeals. Many of the Section's cases are appeals from district court judgments in cases originally handled by the Division's trial sections. Agency contact information Diane Turner Email Diane.

M.Turner@usdoj.gov Address Civil Rights Division 950 Pennslyvania 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