Deputy Assistant Secretary
What you'd do
The mission of the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education is to administer and coordinate programs that are related to adult education and literacy, career and technical education, and community colleges. This position may be detailed to another Federal agency
Major duties
The Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) will provide executive leadership across OCTAE's program, policy, administrative, and operational functions including career and technical education, adult education and literacy, and related workforce and education initiatives, and will serve as a senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary on the administration of federal career and technical education, adult education, community college, correctional and reentry education, and workforce-aligned education programs. Within this operating environment, the DAS, OCTAE: Provides executive direction to OCTAE program offices and staff responsible for formula and discretionary grant programs, policy development, technical assistance, monitoring, performance reporting, and stakeholder engagement. Ensures that OCTAE maintains strong internal systems for grant administration, risk management, program oversight, grantee communication, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and Department policies. Oversees OCTAE's administrative operations, including budget execution, procurement, travel, training, human capital, performance management, awards, records management, internal controls, and office communications. Manages OCTAE's salaries and expenses planning, procurement planning, contract support, and administrative resource allocation in coordination with Department offices. Develops and maintains standard operating procedures for core office functions, including grants, contracts, budget, clearance, personnel actions, administrative approvals, and internal reporting. Coordinates OCTAE's contributions to Department-wide requirements, including GPRA, audit responses, performance reporting, budget materials, congressional inquiries, data calls, and internal control reviews. Ensures that OCTAE retains appropriate federal oversight, policy authority, statutory decision-making, and accountability when program operations involve interagency agreements or shared administrative support. Oversees grant lifecycle functions, including planning, application review, award, monitoring, technical assistance, continuation awards, closeout, and audit follow-up. Supports evidence-based policy development and practical implementation of Department priorities related to career-connected learning, workforce development, adult education, community colleges, apprenticeships, AI literacy, and education-to-employment pathways. Supports coordination across federal education and workforce programs, including alignment with Department of Labor and other federal partners where appropriate. Advises senior leadership on program risks, implementation barriers, stakeholder concerns, statutory limitations, and opportunities for improved performance. Represents OCTAE in senior-level Department meetings, interagency discussions, grantee meetings, stakeholder engagements, and internal management forums.
What you need to qualify
The application process used to recruit for this position is resume only. Do not submit separate Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) in lieu of resume. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications related to this position within your resume. Resume should NOT EXCEED 2 PAGES, with the font size no smaller than 10 points. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualifications. Failure to meet the basic qualification requirement and address all Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) within your resume will result in your application being disqualified. EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements 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 (5) 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 must attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES. TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs) There are two (2) TQs: TQ 1: Demonstrated ability in leading the development of career-technical education, adult education, community college, or correctional education policy and long-term planning, including assessing needs and opportunities and expanding interagency partnerships to support programmatic activities in order to expand impact. TQ 2: Demonstrated experience in conducting analyses and evaluation of program data to determine progress towards short and long-term objectives and continuous improvement.
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.
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