How to apply for U.S. Digital Service

About US Government, Executive Office of the President

The U.S. Digital Service (USDS) is a elite technology unit within the Executive Office of the President, often described as the 'SWAT team' of federal IT. It attracts mission-driven technologists who want to fix broken government services that millions of Americans rely on, from veterans' benefits to immigration systems. Working here means tackling some of the most complex, high-stakes problems in the world with a small, agile team that has direct impact on policy and people's lives.

About the role

This role is not a typical government IT job—it's a call to serve as a digital first responder, embedded in agencies to untangle legacy systems and deliver better services. You'll collaborate with career civil servants, agency leadership, and other USDSers to ship products that work for real people, especially underserved communities. Your work will directly influence how the federal government designs and delivers services, making it a once-in-a-career opportunity to create systemic change.

A typical day

A typical day might involve a stand-up with your agency partners, a user research session with a community affected by a federal service, and a design sprint to prototype a new feature. You'll spend time navigating bureaucratic processes to get approvals, but also have the satisfaction of seeing your work directly improve how people interact with their government. Expect a mix of strategic meetings, hands-on design work, and constant collaboration with a diverse team of engineers, product managers, and civil servants.

Who US Government, Executive Office of the President is looking for

• A U.S. citizen who is passionate about public service and has a track record of shipping digital products in complex, ambiguous environments.
• A designer who can demonstrate a portfolio of user-centered design work that shows impact, especially in constrained or regulated contexts.
• Someone who thrives in cross-functional teams, can communicate with both engineers and policymakers, and is comfortable navigating bureaucratic hurdles.
• An individual who values diversity and inclusion, and can bring lived experience or a deep understanding of underserved communities to the design process.

Tips for this application

• Tailor your resume to highlight impact on public-facing services or work in highly regulated industries—USDS values experience that translates to government contexts.
• For designer roles, your portfolio is crucial: include case studies that show how you identified user needs, iterated on solutions, and measured outcomes, not just pretty visuals.
• Emphasize any experience working with or within government, nonprofits, or civic tech; USDS wants to see that you understand the unique constraints of the public sector.
• In your application, explicitly state your U.S. citizenship and willingness to undergo a background check and drug test—this is non-negotiable and shows you've read the requirements.
• Use the USAJOBS resume format (if applying through that portal) and include months and years for each position, as federal HR systems often require this level of detail.

What to cover in your cover letter

Your cover letter should focus on: (1) your motivation for serving the public and why USDS specifically, not just any tech job; (2) a concrete example of a time you improved a service for an underserved community; (3) how you've navigated complex stakeholder environments to ship a product; and (4) your understanding of the unique challenges of federal IT and how you'd approach them.

Research before applying

• Read the USDS Playbook and the Digital Services Playbook to understand the principles and methodologies they use.
• Explore recent USDS projects and impact reports (e.g., on VA.gov, COVID-19 response, immigration) to see the breadth of their work.
• Research the Executive Office of the President and the current administration's priorities to align your answers with their goals.
• Look up the backgrounds of current USDS team members on LinkedIn to understand the types of experience they value.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you approach redesigning a government service that has been criticized for being inaccessible to non-English speakers or people with disabilities?
• Describe a time you had to push back on a stakeholder's requirements because they didn't align with user needs—how did you handle it?
• Walk us through a project where you had to balance speed of delivery with the need for rigorous user research and testing.
• How do you ensure your design process is inclusive and accounts for the diverse lived experiences of users?
• Tell us about a time you worked with engineers to implement a solution—how did you collaborate to overcome technical constraints?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on technical skills without demonstrating a commitment to public service or understanding of government context.
• Submitting a generic portfolio that doesn't show how you've solved problems for real users, especially in constrained environments.
• Neglecting to mention U.S. citizenship or willingness to undergo background checks, which are hard requirements.