Chief Information Officer

Summary

This Senior Executive Service (SES) position is in the Office of Finance and Administration, Office of the Chief Information Officer. About OFA.

This is an office-centered positionyou must physically report to one of the duty stations stated in this announcement on a regular basis (location TBD after candidate selected).

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Duties

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This position is located within the Office of Finance and Administration, leading the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). The Chief Information Officer (CIO) serves as the highest-ranking official in the agency for information technology/information management (IT/IM), strategic technological infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI) implementation. These agency-wide initiatives are vital to EPA's ability to execute statutory responsibilities to protect public health and the environment.

As the Chief Information Officer, the incumbent provides executive leadership to ensure a high level of organizational performance. The CIO will inspire a multidisciplinary team to move OCIO into the future by fostering innovation, sustaining a highly secure operating environment and pushing appropriate boundaries to help EPA meet its mission of protecting human health and the environment. The CIO is responsible for creating a unified IT/IM and AI vision and mission, and for leading OCIO strategic planning and performance accountability functions, including those associated with annual performance reports, strategic reviews, quarterly performance reports, organizational assessments, and continuous improvement work.

Specific duties of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Serving as the EPA's Chief Information Officer, the incumbent will represent and advocate for the agency in high-level Federal government-wide forums, including White House functions. This includes providing guidance to senior leadership that fundamentally shapes agency-wide policies and practices, and networking with key officials from Congress, other Federal agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector, along with preparing and delivering speeches to further stakeholder understanding of and support for EPA's information programs.
• Planning, developing, influencing, directing, and implementing major, agency-wide programs. This includes evaluating the technical status of existing systems, analyzing trends in modern infrastructure, recommending efficiency initiatives based on long-term organizational goals, and directing office actions on emerging challenges with national impact.
• Assessing technical needs, defining agency-wide goals, developing program plans, establishing OCIO's organizational structure, and establishing overall IT/IM operating policies, priorities, and procedures. This includes designing long- and short-range projects, strategically allocating financial and human capital resources within budgetary limits, determining the optimum balance between intramural and extramural (contract and grant effort), and maintaining accountability for progress and performance of all IT/IM conducted or directed activities.
• Serving as EPA's Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO), with executive responsibility over governance, risk management, and strategic deployment of artificial intelligence across all agency systems, software architecture, and IT initiatives so that they securely advance the agency's mission.
• Coordinating OCIO activities and data-sharing with internal and external stakeholders, including representatives of foreign, State and municipal governments, other Federal agencies, industry, academia, and private organizations.
• Supervising a multidisciplinary team of about 300 federal employees and over 400 contractors. The incumbent will supervise career senior executives, managers, and supervisors in support of a geographically dispersed agency of more than 12,000 employees.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen.

If you are selected, you must complete a 1-year SES probationary period, if not previously completed.

The Ethics in Government Act, P.L. 95-521, requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278, prior to assuming the SES position, annually, and upon termination of employment.

REAL ID requirements became effective on 05/07/25. If you are selected for this position and plan to use your driver's license or identification card during the onboarding process (i.e., for employment eligibility verification or to obtain your EPA identification card), the document must be a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver's license or identification card that includes the REAL ID-compliant star marking, or must be an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL). You will receive information about alternative acceptable documents (e.g., passport) prior to onboarding. For more information about REAL ID, see Dept. of Homeland Security and REAL ID FAQs.

This position is designated as High Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.

You will be required to obtain and maintain a top-secret/sensitive compartmented information security clearance.

Pre-employment drug testing is required and random testing thereafter.

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Qualifications

The work of this position is classified in the Information Technology Management, 2210 series. Applicants must have experience managing, supervising, leading, administering, developing, delivering, and/or supporting information technology systems and services.

All applicants must have one year of specialized experience at a level close to the work of this job that demonstrates the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform in this role. Typically this experience can be found in work within this field or a field that is closely related.

As a basic requirement for entry into the Senior Executive Service, applicants must also provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below.

A. Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) - Mandatory for competitive applicants - Failure to address these factors within the required 2-page resume will result in your application being disqualified, unless you are a noncompetitive eligible applicant.

ECQ 1 - COMMITMENT TO THE RULE OF LAW AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE AMERICAN FOUNDING. Involves demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.

ECQ 2 - DRIVING EFFICIENCY. Involves demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.

ECQ 3 - MERIT AND COMPETENCE. Involves demonstrated knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.

ECQ 4 - LEADING PEOPLE. Involves demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and hold individuals accountable.

ECQ 5 - ACHIEVING RESULTS. Involves demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Your responses should be clear and concise and show a level of accomplishment and a degree of responsibility. Leadership competencies for each ECQ can be found in OPM's Guide to SES Qualifications.

B. Technical Qualifications (TQs) - Mandatory for all applicants - Failure to address these factors within the required 2-page resume will result in your application being disqualified.

TQ 1 - Demonstrated experience leading complex enterprise-wide technology initiatives resulting in enhanced mission performance, such as directing the modernization and integration of complex systems, lifecycle and acquisition planning, or enhanced customer experience.

TQ 2 - Demonstrated experience advising senior leadership on emerging business trends and/or issues, and overseeing programmatic response, including developing an innovative approach, ensuring ease of customer integration, and implementation of programmatic response.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Veterans' preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service.

EPA participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information: E-Verify.

This position is designated as SES General. The PLUM Act of 2022 requires the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to host a public-facing website with information on "policy and supporting positions" for the sitting Administration and each subsequent Administration. Consistent with historical reporting in the Plum Book, information on this position will be reported on the PLUM reporting website, including agency, component, location of the position, employee name, title, appointment type, pay plan, grade or level of pay (if applicable), and tenure and expiration date (if applicable). It is not possible to decline being listed on the website if appointed to this position.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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 windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Join EPA in protecting human health and the environment and enjoy many work life quality options! Working for the EPA offers you a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, 26 days of paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. To learn more about us, visit Life and Careers at EPA.

If you are selected for this position, situational telework may be approved by your supervisor if you meet eligibility requirements, as allowable by agency policy.

A recruitment incentive may be offered to the selected candidate if applicable criteria are met. If you are selected and accept a recruitment incentive, you must sign/date a written service agreement in which you commit to complete a specified period of employment with the agency.

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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.