The Senior Executive Service (SES) was established by Title IV of the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 [Pub. L. 95-454, October 13, 1978] and became effective on July 13, 1979. The SES covers positions in the executive branch that are classified above GS-15 or are in level IV or V of the Executive Schedule, or equivalent positions, which are not required to be filled by Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation, and are responsible for executive, managerial, supervisory, and/or policy functions characteristic of the SES.
In May 2025 OPM issued the Hiring and Talent Development for the Senior Executive Service memorandum to implement the President’s directives and ensure “that the Executive Branch will work together in service of the Nation,” which implements five key objectives: New Executive Core Qualifications, Improved SES Application Method, Enhanced SES Candidate Training and Development, Strengthened Executive Resources Boards, and Implementation Timeline and Required Reporting.
Agencies may hire, develop, and assign work to manage performance of, pay, and remove their executives. Agencies are accountable for managing their SES resources in compliance with law and regulation.
Some agencies may have executive authorities or other positions above GS-15, such as SL (senior- level) and ST (scientific and professional), for specially qualified scientific and professional personnel primarily engaged in research and development, the Senior Foreign Service, or a military or other uniformed service. Heads of such agencies should, as much as possible, integrate all special authorities and systems into a comprehensive approach for meeting their executive resources needs.