Deputy Director Plans and Policy

About the role

As the Deputy Director for Plans and Policy (DJ5) at USSTRATCOM, you serve as the senior civilian executive leading global strategic deterrence during a complex shift to a multi-polar nuclear landscape. Working with the J5 Director, you oversee day-to-day operations and a diverse workforce.

Your mission is dual-track: sustaining legacy systems while rapidly modernizing capabilities across cyber and space, acting as a key diplomat to OSW/OSD and the NSC.

What you will do

• The Deputy Director for Plans and Policy (DJ5) at USSTRATCOM is the senior civilian executive responsible for ensuring that all strategic operational plans and nuclear employment concepts strictly align with Title 10 and Title 50 of the U.S. Code, international law, and arms control treaties.
• To maintain democratic oversight and safeguard public trust, the Deputy Director establishes transparent communication channels with congressional committees, the White House, and defense oversight bodies, translating highly classified capabilities into clear briefings.
• As the primary champion for human-in-the-loop systems integrity, the incumbent systematically audits artificial intelligence and machine learning integrations within warning systems to protect presidential decision-making authority.
• Operational efficiency is driven through calculated risk management, balancing the fail-safe sustainment of legacy platforms with the rapid scaling of modernized kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities.
• The Deputy Director exercises direct executive control over an operational budget of up to $9.2 million-including key portfolios like Deterrence Assurance Planning Support ($1.6M-$1.8M) and Tri-lab funding ($2.7M-$3.1M)-by streamlining contract integration and holding contractors to performance-based benchmarks.
• Efficiency is further enhanced by adopting advanced software, big data analytics, and cloud tools to automate routine administrative workflows, freeing human intelligence for high-priority strategic analysis.
• This role demands elite cognitive agility to transition between zero-defect nuclear operations and the agile thinking required to navigate space, cyber, and electromagnetic spectrum domains.
• Serving as the chief futurist, the Deputy Director leads long-range intelligence-fusion efforts to anticipate adversary technological breakthroughs, such as hypersonics and quantum communications, and preemptively adjusts USSTRATCOM's strategic posture.
• Applying authoritative technical expertise in Joint doctrine and nuclear command and control, the incumbent designs unified plans integrating conventional, nuclear, and non-kinetic options.
• Leading a highly specialized joint workforce of approximately 190 active military, 205 federal civilians, and 37 contractor personnel, the Deputy Director builds a collaborative culture of innovation and psychological safety where personnel can challenge outdated processes without reprisal.
• This leadership actively supports physical, mental, and professional resilience while cultivating future national security leaders through dedicated mentorship and succession planning for the Senior Executive Service and flag-officer ranks.
• To achieve critical results, the Deputy Director acts as USSTRATCOM's primary senior diplomat in Washington, D.C., negotiating policy and resource allocations with 4-star generals, the Secretary of War/Defense, the Joint Staff, and the National Security Council.
• The incumbent dismantles institutional silos between Combatant Commands by leading cross-functional working groups to synchronize global deterrence postures.
• By leveraging a mature, pre-existing network across the Joint Staff, OSW/OSD, the Department of Energy, the Department of State, and the Intelligence Community, the Deputy Director rapidly resolves coordination deadlocks during fast-breaking crises.
• Ultimately, these efforts deliver highly integrated, timely, and credible strategic options to the President, combining kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities to preserve vital presidential decision space during national security emergencies.

Education

A bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited institution is highly desired.

How you will be evaluated

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet the education, eligibility, and minimum qualifications requirements, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) listed above.

ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Applicants will be evaluated against the qualifications requirements by a screening panel composed of senior executives and/or general officers selected for organizational and/or functional backgrounds relevant to this position.

Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Final selection is contingent on approval by the Under Secretary of the Air Force.

Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the selected candidate must have their executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB) prior to appointment.

The selected candidate's application will be forwarded to OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Once QRB certified, the selected candidates will be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

For more information regarding the SES, please visit: ***

Documents you must provide

• A complete application includes the items specified below.
• If you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible.
• APPLICATION DOCUMENTS: Some documents may not apply to all applicants.
• Please carefully review for applicability.
• Do not combine documents.
• Upload documents in pdf format.
• Resume (Required): PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER.
• Your resume must be 2 pages in length (or less), type written, and formatted using 1-inch margins, no smaller than 10-font, and uploaded as a pdf.
• Do not include borders, photos, or your social security number.
• Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 (As applicable): Current/Former SES Members: Must provide SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) and an SF-50 showing current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility.
• Current Federal Civil Service Employees: Must provide a copy of SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting status as a current Federal Civil Service employee.
• Statement of Service/DD-214 (As applicable): Active Duty/Retired Service Members must submit a DD-214 or statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command.
• The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).
• SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP) Verification (As applicable): Graduates must provide verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification.
• Performance Appraisal (Optional): Applicants are encouraged to provide their most recent performance appraisal or equivalent performance evaluation document.
• College transcript(s) (As applicable): Applicants must provide transcript(s) which demonstrate the acceptable combinations of education and experience as noted by OPM (if applicable).
• License(s) or certification(s) (As applicable): Applicants must provide copies of any licenses, certifications, or professional credentials required by the position (e.g. Bar membership, medical license, CPA certification, DAWIA certification, etc.) with their application. *Applicants are responsible for providing documentation that supports the eligibility and qualification claims made in their resume and/or assessment questionnaire.
• Applicants must submit the applicable documents listed here and those listed with the eligibilities selected in the announcement questionnaire with the application package.
• Applicants who do not provide supporting documentation that fully support their claims will not be referred to the hiring manager.

What to expect next

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility and qualifications. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.

To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select My Applications, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position. If you do not provide an email address, you are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS.

Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you.

Additional information

In addition, DoW requires an Enterprise Perspective. The individual must possess a broad point of view and an awareness and understanding of individual or organizational responsibilities in relation to DoW or government-wide strategic priorities. Executives must demonstrate an ability to work with internal and external partners to support national security objectives.

This perspective is typically gained through a variety of diverse work experiences. This information should be embedded within the resume. Tiering: The Department of the Air Force structures its SES positions into tiers to determine the pay range for each position.

The categories are based on the position scope, breadth, functions, and placement within the structure of organizational levels across the Department. Salary: $151,662.00 - $219,000.00 per annum. (Air Force Tier 2) SES members are eligible for bonuses and/or ranks and stipends in addition to annual salary.

SES members are eligible for Performance-Based Salary increases and/or bonuses. Area of Consideration: Applications will be accepted from all qualified persons. Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders and generally is a key to advancement.

Therefore, mobility is a condition of employment and appointed SES members will be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement. Veterans' Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES. Relocation Authorized: Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is authorized in accordance with the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR).

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: May be offered. Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoW Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit. Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025.

When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit GSA Bulletin FTR 20-04 here for additional information. If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties, click here.