Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations
What you'd do
The Department of Energy is looking for a dynamic executive to serve as a member on the leadership team for the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI). The incumbent will serve as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations responsible for advancing America's energy and national security through the research, development, demonstration and deployment of mining, processing and production of critical minerals, rare earth elements and associated metals.
Major duties
Are you a visionary executive leader ready to secure America's energy future and drive national security? The Department of Energy is seeking an outstanding leader to serve as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations (DAS-O) within the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI). In this critical Senior Executive Service (SES) role, you will serve as the chief operational strategist and principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary on all business, financial, and management operations. You will oversee a diverse and highly complex, multi-site portfolio encompassing multi-billion dollar program budgets, cutting-edge technical facilities (including the Golden Field Office and the National Energy Technology Laboratory), and high-level interagency coordination. If you are an agile change-agent skilled in integrating business systems, optimizing human capital, and leading high-performing organizations through transformation, we encourage you to apply. As the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations, you will lead CMEI's operational enterprise across Headquarters and critical field assets. Crucial duties include: Executive Strategy & Advisory: Serve as the principal advisor to the Assistant Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (APDAS) on enterprise-wide organizational, business, and management strategies. Lead highly sensitive, complex, and ambiguous assignments at the direct request of leadership. Operational Oversight & Field Integration: Direct day-to-day operations and program execution across HQ and field offices, specifically integrating corporate business management and IT systems to maximize efficiency and minimize operational risks across diverse locations. Fiscal Stewardship & Budget Formulation: Direct the CMEI Budget Office and Financial Assistance Office, ensuring absolute fiscal integrity. Oversee the formulation, execution, and integration of multi-year, multi-billion-dollar operating budgets supporting critical scientific and technological programs. Executive Supervision & Human Capital: Exercise full technical and administrative supervisory authority over a diverse workforce, including Senior Executive Service (SES) members, GS-15 managers, and senior technical experts. Solve cross-cutting coordination challenges across offices and set internal controls to maintain a high-performance culture. Coalition Building & High-Level Representation: Represent the Department and CMEI in high-stakes engagements with Congress, the White House, state/federal agencies, international ministries, and private sector CEOs to secure resources, align policy, and advance critical minerals and energy innovation objectives. As the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations, you will be the operational engine behind a high-profile, nationally critical mission. This role is a high-impact, executive portfolio where your decisions will directly shape the United States' energy resilience and geopolitical standing. Why This Role? Scale & Impact: Direct a multi-site operational footprint and steward multi-billion-dollar domestic critical mineral and clean energy portfolios that influence national defense, global supply chains, and private industry. Executive Influence: Act as a key member of the CMEI senior leadership team, reporting directly to presidential appointees and career executives at the very pinnacle of the Department of Energy. High-Visibility Leadership: Represent the Department in high-stakes environments-briefing Congress, the White House, and international ministries, and collaborating with Fortune 500 energy CEOs. Enterprise Transformation: Lead complex organizational reforms, integrate cutting-edge IT and business systems across headquarters and national laboratories, and inspire a world-class workforce. If you are a decisive leader who thrives in high-stakes, politically sensitive environments and possesses the fiscal and operational acumen to navigate multi-billion-dollar programs, this is your platform to make a lasting national impact.
What you need to qualify
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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications. TQ 1: Demonstrated executive-level experience directing large-scale, technically complex energy or national security programs of national significance. This includes comprehensive oversight of multi-site operations, formulation and execution of multi-billion-dollar budgets, and leadership of a diverse workforce that includes senior managers and technical experts. TQ 2:Demonstrated experience providing principal executive counsel on business and management strategy to the highest levels of an organization. This includes shaping departmental policy and representing an agency's interests before critical stakeholders such as Congress, the White House, state governments, and private industry CEOs to build strategic coalitions and advance complex organizational objectives. EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position. There are five ECQs: ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a 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. ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable. ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.
Before you apply
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