Deputy Director

The United States Department of Justice; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 169,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Department of Justice seeks a Deputy Director for the Office of Adjudication, Recruitment, and Management (OARM) in Washington, DC. You will lead strategic planning, oversee DOJ’s attorney recruitment programs, and advise senior hiring officials on policy and practice.

Applicants should have a J.D. and 6+ years of relevant experience, with strong leadership, writing, and public speaking skills.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and active bar membership with at least 6 years post-J.D. experience in legal recruitment, career development or supervisory roles.
• Experience guiding strategic changes in large organizations and building consensus among stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Plans and manages DOJ legal recruitment programs for entry-, mid-, and senior-level attorneys.
• Oversees lateral and entry-level attorney recruitment including Honors and Summer programs.
• Develops outreach to law schools, bar associations, and public-interest groups.
• Supervises attorneys and recruitment staff; supports policy and personnel management.
• Executes special projects and represents the Director in their absence.

Skills

Legal recruitment

Strategic planning

Supervisory leadership

Judgment & diplomacy

Writing & editing

Web technology

Public speaking

Presentations & trainings

Interpersonal skills

Education

J.D. degree

Tools

Video conferencing

Job description

Office of Adjudication, Recruitment, and Management (OARM)

Attorney Appointment Type

Attorney Permanent

Location: Washington, DC - United States

Location: Washington, DC - United States Application Deadline: Friday, September 25, 2026

About the Office

The Office of Adjudication, Recruitment, and Management (OARM) is the primary resource on all issues relating to law student and attorney employment, including recruitment, outreach, retention, and separation at the Department of Justice. OARM is responsible for administering and promoting law student and attorney employment opportunities at the Department, including the Attorney General’s Honors Program, Summer Law Intern Program, volunteer legal interns, and lateral attorney recruitment.

Job Description

The Deputy Director reports to the Director of OARM and provides strategic direction with respect to OARM’s mission and is responsible for the overall coordination and management, including planning, conducting, and evaluation of Department-wide legal recruitment, hiring, and retention programs and policies. The Deputy Director advises Department hiring officials, including those at the highest level, on issues affecting legal recruitment and hiring.

This position offers a unique opportunity for an individual committed to recruiting highly qualified applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences for the largest legal employer in the country. We seek candidates who share a passion for our mission and have a unique combination of personal qualities and professional experience. A good match for this position will be someone with an entrepreneurial mindset, who thrives in an environment that puts a premium on consensus building, who can be both collaborative and independent, who is mission-oriented, self-motivated, has high energy, articulate, flexible, has a sense of humor, and who demonstrates the highest degree of professionalism. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Plans, develops, and maintains recruitment programs and policies to meet the Department's requirements for legal recruitment and retention of entry-level and experienced attorneys, as well as law students.
• Analyzes and evaluates existing Departmental practices, models, and systems, with a goal of developing best practices within DOJ based on a proven track record in similar settings, phasing out what is not working, and experimenting with new ways to strengthen and improve the Department’s legal recruitment and retention programs.
• Manages lateral attorney recruitment, entry-level attorney hiring, including the Attorney General's Honors Program, the Department's compensated Summer Law Intern Program, and volunteer legal intern recruitment.
• Oversees key programs under OARM’s purview, including but not limited to, the Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program and Attorney Mentor Program.
• Actively promotes the Department to law schools, bar associations, other government agencies, public interest organizations, and the public; proactively builds relationships with the same communities.
• Oversees and directs recruitment outreach strategy, programming, and training and provides advice and guidance regarding legal recruitment and hiring policies and practices.
• Responsible for the administration of web-based and print recruitment for attorney and law student positions within the Department.
• Works with the Director and component leadership on hiring and employment policy matters in the Department and answers questions from both internal and external stakeholders.
• Supervises and manages a team of attorneys and legal recruitment support professionals.
• Provides assistance and support with policy and personnel management oversight for the Department’s career attorney personnel.
• Handles various administrative functions associated with a small office.
• Assumes managerial duties and responsibilities of the Director in the Director's absence and develops, coordinates, executes special projects or studies assigned by the Director, and performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent), be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least 6 years of post-J.D. (or equivalent) experience, including demonstrable legal recruitment, career development, and/or supervisory experience. In addition, ideal candidates for this position will have:

• Practical experience and in-depth knowledge of the legal community, hiring trends, and the principles and practices of effective attorney recruitment and management;
• Experience in formulating and implementing strategic and long-range plans to facilitate change in large, complex organizations;
• Strong supervisory, management, employee engagement, and team-building experience, including responsibility for developing and coordinating complex program initiatives that involve consensus building among multiple stakeholders with competing interests;
• Proven ability to exercise sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy in resolving difficult, sensitive, and controversial issues;
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with experience writing reports and marketing materials and media;
• Extensive use of web technology to meet recruitment objectives, including video conferencing platforms;
• Outstanding public speaking skills with the ability to adjust style and content to a variety of audiences;
• Experience creating presentations and trainings; and
• Strong interpersonal skills with a particular emphasis on relationship building and public relations.

Additional Qualifications

Additional Qualifications: Other experience which is highly desirable includes prior experience with the U.S. Department of Justice or other federal agencies, knowledge of employment law-related issues, experience with developing and implementing marketing strategies. This is an in-person position in the Washington, D.C. office.

Current salary and years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level within the GS-15 grade, $169,279 - $197,200, which includes locality pay.

Number of Positions

1

Travel

Some travel may be required.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.