OPM launches Tech Force to recruit technologists to government

The Trump administration launched a new governmentwide hiring program Monday aimed at filling technology hiring gaps in federal agencies with workers who will serve in two-year stints. 

That program, dubbed the U.S. Tech Force, is being spearheaded by the Office of Personnel Management and has buy-in from private-sector tech companies that will serve as partners in the hiring initiative. 

The first cohort of recruits will be roughly 1,000 individuals who will range from early-career data scientists and engineers to engineering managers from the private sector. According to a release from OPM, their mission will be to accelerate AI adoption in government and fulfill a priority of the Trump administration. 

On a call with reporters Monday, OPM Director Scott Kupor said the goal of the program isn’t to get workers to commit to “a 40-year career in federal government.” 

While that’s welcome, he said, the aim is to “get the benefit of really smart people working on some of the world’s most complex and difficult problems” and provide them with an opportunity, if they so choose, to then go work in the private sector.

More than two dozen technology companies have already agreed to Tech Force partnerships, including Amazon Web Services, Meta, Microsoft, xAI, Anduril, Nvidia, Oracle, Adobe and ServiceNow. 

Those companies have not made firm agreements to hire program alumni but can do so in line with their needs, Kupor said. The commitment that OPM has made to those partners, he said, is “to do a great job of recruiting fantastic people.”

The hiring initiative comes after President Donald Trump has made significant cuts to the federal workforce and upended existing tech workforce programs. According to recent figures shared by Kupor in a blog, the government has brought in about 68,000 people and lost roughly 317,000 under Trump. The DOGE also took over the existing U.S. Digital Service, which provided technology assistance throughout government, and disbanded 18F, which helped improve federal digital services.

Despite the cuts, however, Trump officials have pointed to tech hiring as a priority. Federal CIO Greg Barbaccia told FedScoop recently that tech hiring is a goal for the coming year, hinting at the launch of an initiative with OPM. 

Tech Force will be carried out in coordination with the General Services Administration, the Office of Management and Budget, the White House Office of Science, Technology, and Policy, and agency leaders across the government, according to the human capital agency. 

OPM also announced Tech Force will partner with NobleReach Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit that brings together tech talent across government, industry and academia through different programs. 

Kupor said his goal is to get the first cohort on board by the end of March. 

Talent recruitment

The recruiting process for the program involves an application, technical assessment, potential interviews with leadership and a background check, according to the FAQ section of the new Tech Force website. 

That initial outreach and recruitment process will be run by OPM in partnership with the tech company partners. Then, agencies will select from a prequalified set of candidates, Kupor said.

The technologists will work across government in civilian and defense agencies, including the departments of State, Defense, Treasury, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Energy, the General Services Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and more

Positions will be filled on a rolling basis, with annual salaries expected to range up to about $200,000. According to Kupor, roles will predominantly be at the GS-13 and GS-14 levels, which are at the higher end of the federal government’s General Schedule classifications.

Traditionally, the federal government has had a difficult time competing with the private sector on pay when it comes to tech roles. While Kupor said the administration believes the salaries are competitive for early career individuals, those wanting to “maximize their earnings” are likely still better off in the private sector.

“Part of what we want to do is be competitive on compensation, but also help people understand that in doing this, they’re going to learn a bunch — they’re going to tackle really complex problems,” he said.

The roles will not require a traditional degree, according to OPM, with a priority being placed on “strong technical skills” in software engineering, AI, data analytics, cybersecurity or technical project management. 

“We’re less worried about where they’re coming from,” Kupor said. “We’re more concerned about … do they have the appropriate merit to be able to do the job, and are they excited about the prospect of working on these programs for the next two years?”

Managers wanted

In addition to contributor technologists, the initial cohort will include a small number of managers coming from companies. Those managers are the “main thing” OPM is looking for from the private sector, Kupor said.

During their time in government, those workers will serve as full-time employees and be subject to ethics rules, Kupor said. It will then be up to each of those individual companies whether or not they bring those people back.

“We certainly expect, based on all the conversations we’ve had, that the idea is they view this as a career development opportunity for those individuals,” Kupor said of the companies, adding that they want to make it easy for an employee to take a leave of absence and then return to their roles.

Referencing conversations with both private sector and government lawyers, Kupor also said that the arrangements do not require the workers to divest of their stock. 

“We feel like we’ve kind of run down all the various conflict issues, and don’t believe that that’s actually going to be … an impediment to getting people here,” he said.

The White House has framed government use of AI and other emerging technologies as a matter of national security and competition. The Office of Personnel Management said in a release that the Tech Force initiative will “solidify” the U.S. as the “global leader in government AI adoption.” 

In a video promotion posted by the Tech Force X account Monday, the project was likened to the U.S.-led Manhattan Project. The narrator said Tech Force will “fix” the “outdated” code that programs the government’s services and systems.

“You don’t patch old code, you dismantle, rebuild,” the narrator read, calling it, “America’s coding renaissance.” 

This story was updated Dec. 15 with additional information throughout.