Principal Director, Housing

About the role

This position is located in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Residential Quality of Life (DASW(RQL)), Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment (ASW(EI&E)).

The Principal Director for Housing serves in a senior technical and managerial capacity, functioning as the Department's foremost functional expert responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation, and effective execution of the full spectrum of DoW housing programs.

What you will do

• Serves as the principal technical expert and senior advisor to the DASW(RQL), ASW(EI&E), and the USW(A&S) on all matters related to military housing, whether government-owned, leased, or privatized.
• Develops authoritative recommendations, proposals, and complex financial analyses that provide the foundational rationale for final DoW executive decisions concerning the implementation, restructuring, and continuation of specific Departmental housing actions.
• Policy Formulation & Program Execution: Drives the formulation, negotiation, and implementation of complex, Department-wide policies and systems governing government-controlled housing, privatized family and unaccompanied housing, privatized lodging, and the Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP).
• Ensures policies are rapidly translated into actionable, enterprise-wide standards.
• Executive Representation & Interagency Liaison: Represents the DASW(RQL) in high stakes engagements with executive-level representatives of the Military Departments, Joint Staff, and War Agencies.
• Frequently engages as the key functional representative for the Department on complex housing matters with various White House offices, including the National Economic Council, the National Security Council, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as well as congressional staff and top-tier private sector housing partners in absence of the DASW(RQL).
• Resource Management & PPBES Leadership: Exercises a primary executive role in the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution System (PPBES) for the DoW housing portfolio.
• Conducts vital coordination and liaison with the Comptroller, other Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) staffs, and the DoW Component staffs on all matters related to programming, budgeting, executing, and accounting for multi-billion dollar housing resources.
• Legislative & Congressional Interface: Orchestrates the evaluation of legislative provisions, coordinates Departmental comments on legislative changes, and develops proactive legislative proposals.
• Drafts written congressional testimony on controversial, highly visible issues of high public interest, often under strict deadlines, and prepares comprehensive posture reports for the Department and Congress.
• Internal Management Controls: Maintains and enforces rigorous internal management controls (IMC) to meet the requirements of OMB Circular No. A-123 and the Federal Manager's Financial Integrity Act, establishing systems to ensure effective performance, prompt correction of material weaknesses, and the prevention of waste, fraud, and mismanagement.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.
• All newly appointed Career SES leaders must sign the Reassignment Rights Obligations Agreement as a condition of appointment into the SES.
• You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test before you can be appointed into this position.
• Designated and/or Random Drug Testing required.
• In order to qualify for this position, you must be able to obtain a Top Secret security clearance and access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI).
• Submit resume and all other required documents online by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on 09/28/2026 The individual selected will be required to file an 'Executive Branch Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
• You will serve a one-year probationary period unless you have previously completed the probationary period in the SES.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see ***).

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 minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (MTQ) listed above.

ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position.

The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB through a Structured Interview process, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible).

Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to ***

Documents you must provide

• A complete application includes items described below.
• Please note that 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).
• Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit.
• Some documents may not apply to all applicants.
• RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages showing all relevant experience.
• Your resume must address your technical and executive core qualifications for the position, and it may not exceed two (2) pages.
• Your 2-page (or less) resume must be in PDF format, with no smaller than a 1" margin and no smaller than a 10-point font.
• If you submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit and/or does not meet the margin or font limitations stated herein, you will immediately be deemed ineligible for this position and will receive no further consideration.
• ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEMBERS: Must provide your SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), and an SF-50 showing current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility.
• SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification.
• CURRENT FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE: Must provide a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting you are a current Federal Civil Service employee.
• DO NOT SUBMIT ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Extraneous materials such as award certificates will not be considered.

What to expect next

To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (***), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: ***

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Additional information

DoW Joint Enterprise-Wide Experience Statement: In addition, DoW requires an Enterprise Perspective. This individual must have the ability to apply a broad point of view and an awareness and understanding of individual or organizational responsibilities in relation to DoW or government-wide strategic priorities is required.

Executives must demonstrate 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.

Veterans preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service. Applications MUST be submitted through USAJobs. Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders.

Individuals selected for SES positions members may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement. Tiering: The Office of the Secretary of War 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: *** Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: *** OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch.

If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Submit resume and all other required documents online by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on 09/28/2026