Chief of Staff
What you'd do
Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Chief of Staff. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment. Duty Location: Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Commissioner's Office, Washington, D.C. Opened to Department of Interior Employees. Full time telework or remote work NOT available.
Major duties
The major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Serves as the Commissioner's Chief of Staff, managing sensitive, high-responsibility special assignments in direct support of the Commissioner and Reclamation's mission. Provides program oversight for major Reclamation-wide initiatives, integrating and coordinating high-impact projects, delegating complex and time-sensitive work, and offering recommendations on organizational structure, policy, and long-range planning. Reviews and edits policy statements and major program materials to ensure they accurately reflect the Commissioner's views and align with Departmental and Reclamation goals. Plans and coordinates key Commissioner responsibilities, including budget submissions, personnel actions, annual assurance statements, IT certifications, and major meetings and events involving internal and external stakeholders. Exercises supervisory responsibilities including assigning and reviewing work, setting priorities, evaluating performance, and approving leave. Leading liaison and coordination efforts with private-sector representatives, Federal, state, local, and Tribal governments, and other key stakeholders to advance complex, sensitive, and high-visibility issues.
What you need to qualify
You must be clear when describing your experience, we may not make assumptions in determining qualifications. If your resume does not clearly reflect the experience as noted below, your application will be marked as ineligible. GS-15: In order to qualify for the GS-15 grade level, your resume must reflect one year of specialized experience equivalent in complexity and difficulty to the GS-14 grade level in Federal service. Specialized Experience for GS-15: Experience includes leadership and advisory work in water and related resource management and hydropower generation, demonstrating the ability to: communicate effectively with internal and external leadership, anticipate leadership needs, and develop clear briefings and talking points; interpret and synthesize data from multiple systems to support decision-making and priority setting; manage rapidly changing situations, provide continuity, and represent leadership in varied settings; perform complex, sensitive or critical assignments under tight or short-notice deadlines; apply project management principles (time, resources, budget) to develop, implement, and improve processes and procedures; and ability to demonstrate strong collaboration, diplomacy, situational awareness, and sound judgment. Supervisory Competencies: Applicants should possess proficiency or the potential to develop proficiency in the following competencies for successful performance of Federal supervisory work: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, flexibility, integrity/honesty, interpersonal skills, oral communication, problem solving, resilience, and written communication. Additional information on supervisory competencies: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/Specialty-Stds/GS-SUPV.asp 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. Time-In-Grade: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower-grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including time-in-grade restrictions and any selective placement factors if applicable, by 07/09/2026.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.