DHS Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement 11:59pm EST. Applicants do not have to be a current supervisor. All qualified individuals within the civil service who have at least 12 months of supervisory experience at the GS-14 level (or equivalent) or above. Supervisory experience includes planning, assigning, and evaluating the work of subordinate employees. The supervisory experience does not have to be consecutive; however, you must account for all 12 months in the resume and or SF50. Federal employees currently serving in Scientific and professional (ST) or Senior level (SL) positions are eligible to apply to the DHS SES CDP. Applicants will be asked to indicate their civil service appointment type when completing the Assessment Questionnaire. Civil service appointment type verification is indicated on the SF-50 in block 24. PLEASE NOTE: To be considered minimally eligible for this program, applicants must meet the supervisory experience requirement above. Additionally, eligible applicants will be assessed through the following assessment phases: Situational Judgment Test Accomplishment Record Structured Telephone Interview Upon conclusion of each phase, applicants who meet the criteria will advance to the next phase, and those who do not will be notified by OPM that they will not be moving on to the next selection phase. See the How You Will be Evaluated and Additional Information sections for more details on each phase. Definitions: Civil Service Appointment Type (Status): Status Applicants are applicants serving under career or career-type appointments in the civil service. Status candidates are not entitled to veterans’ preference. Permanent – Career-Conditional Appointment, or Career Appointments Block 24 on SF-50 lists tenure as “1” or “2” Non-Status Applicants are applicants who occupy other than career or career-type appointments within the civil service Temporary appointments, seasonal, term appointments, etc. Block 24 on SF-50 lists tenure as “3” or “0” The Following Applicants will NOT be considered for the program: Current or former Career SES members or equivalents including members of the Transportation Security Executive Service (TSES) Former SES CDP graduates from any agency. Current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the Executive Branch Employees who have had their Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) certified by OPM’s Qualification Review Board (QRB) Non-Status Applicants: Applicants selected for the program that do not hold federal status must accept a full-time Schedule B appointment in order to participate in the SES CDP. The Schedule B appointment does not confer civil service status. These appointments may be located around the country. If an SES CDP participant serving on a Schedule B appointment discontinues participation in the program for any reason, his/her employment with the federal government will terminate because the employment is authorized only for an executive development position established in connection with the SES CDP. Similarly, if a Schedule B participant graduates from the SES CDP, but does not obtain an SES position before the Schedule B appointment expires, his/her employment with the federal government will terminate because a Schedule B appointment cannot exceed or be extended beyond three years. Occupational Categories Applicants must select only one of the four occupational categories for which they wish to be considered in this program through the Assessment Questionnaire. They must also certify that their answers are truthful and correct, and ensure they meet the technical qualifications for the specific track they are seeking consideration. Core Occupations (CO) – Non-law enforcement positions which require skill in managing complex mission critical programs related to the core mission of the Department. Support Occupations (SO) – Skill in managing complex administrative programs. Provides support to the core mission of the Department. Law Enforcement (LE) – Core mission positions covered for Law Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection. Skill in managing complex criminal investigation or law enforcement programs related to the core mission of the Department. Attorney/Legal (AL)* – Legal positions requiring skill in preparing cases for trial and/or the trial of cases before a court or an administrative body or persons having quasi-judicial power; rendering legal advice and services with respect to questions, regulations, practices, or other matters falling within the purview of the Federal Government. *To be considered for the Attorney/Legal track a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) is required, and applicant must be an active member in good standing of a State bar. Transcripts must be provided with your application.
DHS invites qualified individuals to apply to the prestigious Senior Executive Service (SES) Candidate Development Program (CDP), expected to commence in Fall 2025. The SES CDP is designed to develop individuals with proven leadership potential who wish to serve at the executive levels of government. Qualified individuals are those who have demonstrated through their performance and experience the potential to assume executive-level positions within the Federal Government.