The Senior Executive Service (SES) is an elite group of men and women meeting the highest professional standards who administer public programs at the top levels of the Federal government.  SES employees’ salaries are linked directly to individual performance.  The U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) SES web page  contains a host of information that may be benefical to you.

To apply for current SES positions within the Federal Government, including the Department of Energy please visit the Office of Personnel Management’s USAJOBS site. From this site, you may view, download and apply for vacancies of interest to you.

DOE does not accept unsolicited resumes. You must apply to a specific  open job announcement in order to submit a resume and all of the resume’s  supporting documentation must be submited via USAJOBS.

Applicants for Senior Executive Service (SES) positions are required to respond to specific questions regarding their qualifications. These questions fall into two groups:

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs)

ECQs address five critical managerial competencies (see below), required by all SES positions across the Federal government. They are designed to determine whether or not you possess the managerial and leadership skills necessary to be effective in an SES position. You must address all five items below in order to receive consideration for a SES position; you will be given an opportunity to address each ECQ when you apply for an SES position on line.

  1. Leading Change: Involves the ability to bring about strategic change, within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
  2. Leading People: Involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
  3. Results Driven: Involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
  4. Business Acume:  Involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
  5. Building Coalitions: Involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

The Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualifications provides detailed information about executive qualifications and tips for writing effective qualification statements.

Exceptions to the Requirement to Complete ECQ's

If you are a current career member of the SES, Qualification Review Board (QRB) certified graduated of an SES Candidate Development Program or have reinstatement eligibility based on prior service under a career SES appointment, you do not need to address the ECQs. This is because the ECQs are designed to evaluate your possession of skills essential for initial entry in the SES. As a current, former career SES member or QRB certified graduated; you have already demonstrated that you meet this requirement.


Technical Qualifications

The Technical Qualifications are specific to the position for which you are applying. They ask you to provide information about your possession of subject matter knowledge and competencies as they relate directly to the field in which the position is located.

Responses to these questions are considered part of your application package, and you will not receive consideration for an SES position unless you address these items. You must provide a work example for each of the technical qualifications. The number of questions will vary, depending upon the job for which you are applying.