Summary
You will serve as a Deputy Director, International Operations with the Office of the Secretary of Interior.
This position is located within the Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of the Secretary (OS), Office of International Affairs (INT), in Reston, VA or Washington D.C.
Duties
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This is a Merit Promotion announcement for current career and career conditional Department of Interior (DOI) employees in the Office of the Secretary (OS) and Career Transition eligibles (CTAP). Refer to Required Documents section for more information.
Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:
1. Provides strategic leadership for international operations, developing multi-year strategies, annual operating plans, and Departmental positions on international operational issues.
2. Ensures compliance with ethics, travel, procurement, information security, and data-sharing requirements; establishes internal controls and conducts periodic reviews to maintain audit readiness and mitigate operational risk.
3. Oversees systems governing international travel, agreements, financial management, and related processes to ensure accuracy, accountability, and efficiency across operations.
4. Supervises a multidisciplinary staff, sets priorities, evaluates performance, and manages recruitment, staffing, onboarding, and workforce planning to support domestic and overseas operational requirements.
5. Formulates and manages multi-year budgets and annual funding requests for international operations; oversees execution, conducts cost-benefit analyses, and prepares briefing materials and justifications for senior leadership, OMB, and Congress.
6. Develops, negotiates, and manages international agreements-including MOUs, IAAs, and cooperative agreements-across the full lifecycle, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
7. Monitors agreement performance and financial obligations, leads corrective actions when needed, and provides expert guidance on agreement authorities and statutory requirements.
8. Represents the Department in interagency forums and policy discussions; advises senior leadership on operational issues, risks, and emerging priorities affecting international programs.
9. Directs cooperative agreements and grants administration for international initiatives, ensuring adherence to DOI regulations, reporting standards, and performance monitoring requirements.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/10/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.
Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
1. Developing strategic plans for international programs and providing oversight of international travel policies to support agency mission objectives and guide global initiatives, technical assistance, and capacity-building efforts.
2. Developing policy memoranda for senior officials to support decision-making on emerging international issues.
3. Leading agreement management efforts for international partnerships to sustain uninterrupted operations.
4. Coordinating financial management activities for international programs to support budget planning, execution, and regulatory compliance.
MUST MEET ALL. You must include hours per week worked.
Volunteer Experience: 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.
Education
This position does not allow substituting education for experience.
Additional information
Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive.
All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.
The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
Benefits
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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 windowLearn 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.
