Senior Executive Service

The Senior Executive Service (SES) members, are leaders who possess well-honed executive skills and share a broad perspective on government and a public service commitment that is grounded in the Constitution. Members of the SES serve in the key positions just below the top Presidential appointees. SES members are the major link between these appointees and the rest of the Federal workforce. They operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 Federal agencies. (see OPM reference)

There are currently four types of SES appointments: 

1. Career, 
2. Non-Career, 
3. Limited Term, and 
4. Limited Emergency. 

Agency heads are authorized to make various types of SES appointments under regulations and procedures established by OPM and within the agency’s numerical space allocation. 

Career Appointments

Career appointments are made without time limitations and provide certain job protections and benefits not conferred by the other types of SES appointments. Career appointments may be made to either Career Reserved or General positions.

Tenure and benefits are the same no matter the type of position to which appointed. Initial career appointments must meet the competitive SES merit staffing provisions in 5 U.S.C. 3393, at the time of selection, or for an SES candidate development program. The individual’s executive qualifications must be certified by an OPM-administered QRB before appointment. 

Career appointments may also be made under noncompetitive procedures to reassign or transfer a current career SES appointee or reinstate a former career SES appointee who completed an SES probationary period. These actions do not require QRB approval. 

Non-Career Appointments

Non-Career appointments are made without time limitation, but the appointee serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority. The agency must have a Non-Career appointment authority from OPM. The appointment can be made only to a General position in accordance with the staffing procedures for noncareer appointments. 

Limited Term

Limited Term appointments are defined under 5 U.S.C. 3132 (a)(5):
- limited term appointee means an individual appointed under a nonrenewable appointment for a term of 3 years or less to a Senior Executive Service position the duties of which will expire at the end of such term. 

Limited Emergency Appointments

Limited Emergency appointments are defined under 5 U.S.C. 3132 (a)(6):
- limited emergency appointee means an individual appointed under a nonrenewable appointment, not to exceed 18 months, to a Senior Executive Service position established to meet a bona fide, unanticipated, urgent need. 

Limited appointments are made only to General positions. The agency must have a limited appointment authority from OPM or use an authority from its limited appointment pool (three percent of the agency SES allocation). Appointments must be made in accordance with the staffing procedures for limited appointments.

The NLRB provides Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) workshops, to assist potential SES appointees with developing their narratives.