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U.S. Department of State

Office Director

Washington, DC

Summary

The Office Director for Refugee Admissions position is located in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) within the U.S. Department of State. As the humanitarian bureau of the Department, PRM promotes U.S. interests by providing protection, easing suffering, and resolving the plight of persecuted and forcibly displaced people around the world.

Duties

The Office Director (PRM/A) serves as an authoritative resource to the bureau Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretaries, and other senior leaders in the Department on shaping refugee resettlement policies and approaches to meet foreign policy objectives, engages diplomatically with resettlement countries to advance refugee resettlement globally, and manages and directs the distribution of over $1 billion in funds to implement the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Specifically, the incumbent will execute the following:

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  • Formulates policy and engages in diplomacy to advance refugee resettlement and complementary pathways as a global durable solution, including directing development and implementation of U.S. policies on international refugee protection through resettlement to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives and holistic humanitarian outcomes in displacement contexts.
  • Oversees operational management of the worldwide system of refugee admissions to the United States through the USRAP, including overseas processing, and the initial resettlement of up to 125,000 refugees per year or the maximum number of refugees authorized by the President.
  • Directs provision of policy advice and technical guidance to U.S. agencies, international organization partners, and non-governmental agencies on best practices and innovations in refugee resettlement and complementary pathways policies; Engages in sustained outreach through domestic travel, media and other engagements to help state/local governments and the American public understand refugee resettlement and build support for the USRAP.
  • Oversees and provides guidance and direction to the directorate through subordinate program managers. Supervisory staff of PRM/A includes three GS-15 unit chiefs and six GS-14 team leads; Manages, reviews, and directs a Washington-based staff of over 50 full-time direct hire officers, 10 personal service contractors, detailees, and part time personnel, as well as 28 Foreign Service Refugee Coordinators and staff across the world. Directs and supervises the work of the Refugee Processing Center (RPC) with its 140 contractors who manage the refugee admissions case management system and critical refugee processing functions.


Requirements

Conditions of Employment
  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Requires a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278.
  • One year probationary period, unless excepted by regulation.
  • Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
This position is a drug-testing designated position subject to random testing for illegal drug use. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's completion and favorable adjudication of a background security investigation. The Ethics in Government Act, PL 95-521 requires the applicant selected for this position submit a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278, prior to assuming the SES position, annually, and upon termination of employment.

Qualifications

Unless you are currently serving under a career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program approved by OPM, you must submit a narrative statement covering each of the Executive Core Qualifications (last five questions). All applicants must submit a narrative statement covering each of the Mandatory Technical Qualification questions in order to receive consideration for the position. To view additional information on the proper preparation of Executive Core Qualification statements available on the Office of Personnel Management's website please click here. When responding to the Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications, you must clearly show that you possess the experience, knowledge, skills and ability to perform the duties of this position by submitting narrative responses in which you detail your experience in each of the Technical Qualifications and the Executive Core Qualifications. Your examples should be clear and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives and level of contacts. You should limit your narrative to two pages per Mandatory Technical Qualification and Executive Core Qualification. Applicants who use "see resume" as a response will not receive consideration for the position.

Your experience and resume should explicitly demonstrate the following:
  • MTQ 1: Demonstrated experience in formulating policies and providing policy leadership on refugee resettlement and complementary migration pathways that provide protection globally.
  • MTQ 2: Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with a broad range of international and domestic stakeholders and communicate complex refugee and humanitarian policy issues clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
If you do not possess the mandatory technical qualifications described above, you may be considered ineligible for these positions.

Additional information

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER - Your Social Security Number is requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your records from those other applicants who may have the same name. As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your Social Security Number is used to seek information about you from employers, schools, banks, and others who may know you. Failure to provide your Social Security Number on your application materials will result in your application no being processed.

SELECTIVE SERVICE - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify at the time of appointment that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION - This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Employee Relations, Disability/Reasonable Accommodations Division, at (202) 261-8180. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

TELEWORK - If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. This position is not eligible for remote work.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) - U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee's information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

  • Benefits

    A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.

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    Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants will be evaluated by a Qualifications Review Panel of senior officials. The Panel will rate applicants on the basis of the quality and extent of total accomplishments, experience and education. The Panel will determine the degree to which candidates possess the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the mandatory technical requirements of the position and the Mandatory Executive Core Qualification requirements. Among the factors the evaluation panel will consider in determining the applicant's relative capacity and fitness for the position are education, training, experience and demonstrated executive level qualifications. The Panel will rate your application against each of the Mandatory Executive Core Qualifications and Mandatory Technical Qualifications to determine the best qualified candidates. Candidates determined to be best qualified candidates will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration for the position.

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Client-provided location(s): Washington, DC, USA
Job ID: USDep-CSTM-2025-0002
Employment Type: Full Time

Perks and Benefits

  • Health and Wellness

    • Health Insurance
    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Long-Term Disability
  • Parental Benefits

    • Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
    • Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
  • Vacation and Time Off

    • Paid Vacation
    • Paid Holidays
    • Personal/Sick Days
    • Leave of Absence
  • Financial and Retirement

    • 401(K) With Company Matching
    • Pension
    • Relocation Assistance
  • Professional Development

    • Access to Online Courses
    • Tuition Reimbursement
    • Mentor Program

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