Policy Analyst

Summary

The OLES is responsible for establishing Departmental policy and providing leadership and guidance in support of all Departmental and Bureau law enforcement, security, personnel vetting, drug testing, intelligence, counterintelligence, and law enforcement technology programs.

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Duties

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Serves as the principal advisor to the Assistant Director on complex, high-visibility lawenforcement policy matters affecting over 2,000+ DOI law enforcement personnel acrossmultiple bureaus.

• Leads development, revision, and implementation of Department-wide law enforcement policies, standards, and procedures.
• Drafts and coordinates revisions to DOI Law Enforcement Policy Manualchapters and related directives.
• Ensures compliance with Executive Orders, DOJ guidance, Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) standards, constitutional policing requirements, and evolving Federal law enforcement best practices.
• Conducts legal and operational policy analysis to ensure defensibility, clarity, and enforceability.
• Coordinates policy review with the Office of the Solicitor, DOJ, and other Federal partners as required.
• Develops implementation frameworks, transition plans, and bureau compliance guidance.

Provides enterprise-level policy integration across law enforcement, detention operations, internal affairs, emergency management, and investigative programs.

• Identifies policy gaps, conflicting directives, and operational risk areas.
• Conducts risk assessments related to use of force, detention operations, credentialing, investigative authorities, and interagency operations.
• Develops mitigation strategies to reduce legal, operational, reputational, and compliance risk.
• Advises senior leadership on implications of Government Accountability Office(GAO), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Congressional, and external oversight findings.
• Develops briefing materials and policy options for senior executives, including SES and political leadership. Evaluates bureau-level implementation of DOI law enforcement policies and standards.
• Designs policy compliance metrics and performance indicators.
• Reviews bureau operating procedures for alignment with DOI standards.
• Leads or supports policy-focused reviews, audits, and corrective action initiatives.
• Develops Law Enforcement & Security Bulletins and interpretive guidance toclarify policy application.
• Recommends revisions based on trends, incidents, litigation, or emerging threats. Represents OLES on law enforcement policy matters with internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinates with DOJ, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureauof Investigation (FBI), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC),FLETA, Tribal governments, and other Federal agencies.
• Participates in interagency working groups on accountable policing, use of force,detention standards, investigative procedures, and national security matters.

Analyzes proposed legislation, Executive Orders, regulatory changes, and Administrationinitiatives impacting DOI law enforcement programs.

• Prepares impact assessments and implementation strategies.
• Drafts policy responses and recommended courses of action.
• Ensures DOI law enforcement policies align with statutory authority and Administration priorities. Leads high-priority or sensitive assignments on behalf of the Assistant Director. Examples include:
• Body-worn camera implementation standards
• Use-of-force reform initiatives
• Detention facility standards integration
• Missing & Murdered Indigenous Persons/Women (MMIP/MMIW) policyinitiatives
• Internal Affairs oversight frameworks
• Credentialing and training standard modernization

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. 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.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/03/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience . For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

Experience: To qualify for this position at the GS-14 grade level, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

1. Law Enforcement Policy Research and Development: Demonstrated experience independently researching, drafting, revising, and developing formal Federal law enforcement policies, directives, standards, and procedures for agency-wide or organizational implementation, including evaluating operational requirements, legal authorities, and established law enforcement practices.
2. Departmental Policy Development and Integration: Experience serving as a principal author or lead contributor in developing comprehensive law enforcement policy documents, including coordinating substantive reviews, incorporating stakeholder comments, resolving conflicting requirements, and preparing final policy recommendations or directives for senior leadership approval.
3. Legal and Regulatory Policy Analysis: Experience researching and analyzing Federal statutes, constitutional requirements, judicial decisions, Executive Orders, Department of Justice guidance, and applicable regulations to identify legal implications, operational risks, and necessary revisions to existing or proposed law enforcement policies.
4. Policy Evaluation and Compliance: Experience evaluating existing law enforcement policies and programs to identify deficiencies, assess compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and develop written policy revisions, corrective recommendations, or implementation guidance to improve organizational consistency, accountability, and effectiveness.
5. Senior-Level Policy Coordination and Advisory Support: Experience coordinating the development and review of complex law enforcement policies with legal counsel, agency leadership, operational personnel, and interagency stakeholders; preparing policy analyses, decision memoranda, and executive briefings; and presenting recommendations on sensitive or high-visibility law enforcement matters.

Applicants must meet all specialized experience statement described above.

You must include hours per week worked.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

EXPLORE Act Veteran Hiring Pilot Program

The Department of the Interior has created a two-year Veteran Hiring Pilot as established by the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act that aims to expand employment opportunities for Veterans (and eligible transitioning Service Members). This position has been identified as EXPLORE Act Veteran Hiring Pilot eligible. The pilot supports DOI's conservation and resource management mission by connecting qualified Veterans with career opportunities across the Department. To learn more, visit

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. (

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive.

All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.

Physical Demands/Work Environment: Work is primarily sedentary. Occasional travel may be required for policy reviews, interagency meetings, field evaluations, and training coordination. Work is performed in an office setting. Occasional exposure to field environments may occur during policy review visits or operational assessments.

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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.

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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.