A job with Office of the Secretary of Defense in Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. It pays $169,279–$197,200 per year at grade GS-15. Applications close on Nov 6, 2026 — 5 days left.
- Working pattern
- On site
- Who can apply
- Internal to an agency, Military spouses
- Veterans
- Veterans' preference applies
- Clearance
- Sensitive Compartmented Information
Main duties
- Directs the directorate's analytical and policy programs, establishes priorities, assigns work, evaluates employee performance, and manages resources to accomplish organizational objectives.
- Leads complex studies of Special Operations Forces (SOF) strategies, force design, and policies, developing quantitative and qualitative methods to assess effectiveness and future mission requirements.
- Develops strategic guidance, policy recommendations, and future operational concepts to align SOF capabilities, force structure, and global posture with national defense priorities.
- Evaluates proposals from military commands and interagency stakeholders, identifies policy conflicts and capability gaps, and recommends solutions to support long-term force sustainability and modernization.
Full details
About the role
This position is located in the Secretariat for Special Operations (SSO), within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASW(SO/LIC)). Under the authority of 10 U.S.C. Sections 138 and 167, the ASW (SO/LIC) serves as the principal civilian advisor and assistant to the Secretary of War.
What you will do
- Directs the directorate's analytical and policy programs, establishes priorities, assigns work, evaluates employee performance, and manages resources to accomplish organizational objectives.
- Leads complex studies of Special Operations Forces (SOF) strategies, force design, and policies, developing quantitative and qualitative methods to assess effectiveness and future mission requirements.
- Develops strategic guidance, policy recommendations, and future operational concepts to align SOF capabilities, force structure, and global posture with national defense priorities.
- Evaluates proposals from military commands and interagency stakeholders, identifies policy conflicts and capability gaps, and recommends solutions to support long-term force sustainability and modernization.
- Represents the organization in Department-level and interagency forums, coordinates competing stakeholder positions, and oversees preparation of briefings, issue papers, and decision memoranda for senior leaders.
Education
Education cannot be substituted for experience.
How you will be evaluated
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position may requires an online USA Hire Competency Based Assessment. The USA Hire online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
Your eligibility and qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position (if applicable).
If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Customer Service Decisiveness Flexibility Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Resilience The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies.
You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered.
You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. DOD PPP candidates using Application-Based Procedures: Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, must be selected and placed at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified.
You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD-3145-4) dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference.
Documents you must provide
- YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DOCUMENT IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION CLAIMS.
- You MUST upload the applicable documents with your application package.
- If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
- All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages showing all relevant experience.
- Your resume must address your technical qualifications for the position, hours worked per week and the dates of employment for each position (hours per week and month/year to month/year to present) listed on the resume and it may not exceed two (2) pages.
- Your 2-page (or less) resume must be in PDF format, with no smaller than a 0.5" 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.
- 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.
- If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent version will be reviewed.
- The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent." If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you will not be considered for this vacancy.
- Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade held.
- It is recommended you provide a SF-50 within the last 52 weeks before the closing date of this JOA for current federal employees.
- We will use the employment date and grade on your resume in conjunction with the provided SF-50 to help determine initial eligibility, but may require additional information to confirm at the job offer stage if needed.
- College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
- Official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
- DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities DoD Priority Placement Program applicant supporting documentation - See the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section of this announcement Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) Other Noncompetitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable DOES THIS POSITION REQUIRE A LICENSE OR CERTIFICATE?
- You are strongly encouraged to provide a copy of your license or certificate in your application package.
- It is also acceptable to document your license number and the name of the licensing authority in your resume.
- ARE YOU A VETERAN CLAIMING SOLE SURVIVORSHIP PREFERENCE OR 5-POINT VETERANS' PREFERENCE?
- You must provide legible copy/copies of the following: DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," showing all dates of service, type of discharge as well as character of service (Honorable, General, etc.) or Statement of Service/Proof of Service (in lieu of a DD-214) from your command or local Personnel Support Detachment (PSD).
- The Statement of Service/Proof of Service must provide all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).
- Veterans should upload their DD-214 once they receive it upon separation.
- You should also document your complete military service information in the Veterans Preference and Military Service Section of the assessment questionnaire (type of preference, dates of service, date of VA letter, character of service, disability claim and rank and date of retirement if retired).
- ARE YOU A DISABLED VETERAN or CLAIMING 10-POINT VETERANS' PREFERENCE?
- Disabled veterans, veterans, widows, spouses or the mother of a veteran, who are eligible for 10-point veterans' preference, you must provide legible copies of the following: Applicable supporting documents as noted on Standard Form-15 (SF-15).
- To obtain a copy of SF-15, go to: ***
What to expect next
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.
If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements: including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.
HR will initiate the drug test no later than 2 business days after the Tentative Job Offer is accepted. The selectee must sign a "Drug Test Statement of Understanding." A negative drug test result must be received by HR no later than 30 calendar days after the EOD.
Failure to pass the test or provide results in time may lead to the job offer being withdrawn or removal from Federal service.
Washington Headquarters Services uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.
To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: *** Stay informed of changes to your application status by signing up for automatic email alerts at: *** Washington Headquarters Services is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.
NOTE: "Recruitment, relocation, and retention incentives may be considered".
Additional information
Probationary Periods: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.
Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.
If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.
You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.
To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative. Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.
How to apply
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Details on this page reflect the source posting as of Nov 2, 2026. Closing dates and salary ranges can change without notice — the official listing is always authoritative. How our coverage works.
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