Guidance Regarding Redesignating CHCO Positions

The Office of Personnel Management issued a memorandum declaring that all Senior Executive Service (SES) Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) positions should be designated “general” SES positions. CHCOs are the lead HR professional for each agency, and as the memorandum acknowledges, "many" have historically been career-reserve positions. This reclassification would permit political appointees to fill the jobs. The applicable statute on the SES, 5 U.S.C. § 3132, establishes two kinds of SES positions, career-reserved and general. Only career government employees can fill career-reserved SES positions, while both career government employees and political appointees can fill general SES positions.