With 26,000 workers, the United States federal government is one of the largest employers in Indiana. Thirteen thousand of those employees are located in Indianapolis. And with a recent $4 billion infrastructure investment in the state, the federal government is looking to fill an additional 2,000 positions.   

Kiran Ahuja is the Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management, and it is her job to help the government find the people who will take those jobs. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sets policies and overseas merit-based hiring practices that all agencies in the federal government must follow. With the job of creating the civil service workforce, Ahuja says you can look at the OPM essentially as America’s HR department.   

With an infrastructure investment of $4 billion into Indiana by the federal government, employment opportunities are abundant. The money is being spread out across over 200 projects with multiple vendors and agencies. It falls on the OPM to help find staff for those projects and to provide agencies with tools to ensure a successful federal workforce.    

To compete with the private sector for workers, the OPM is focusing more on creating an inclusive and diverse workforce for the federal government. This includes remote work jobs, flexibility in the workplace, and creating a supportive work environment. “We want to make sure our workforce reflects the diversity that we see around us,” Ahuja says.  

She also points to Gen Z and their growing presence in the workforce and the demands they bring with them. With increased emphasis on representation and gender pay equity, Ahuja says the federal government is making great strides in attracting younger workers. 

The federal workforce gender pay gap is less than 6% between men and women. Compare that to an almost 17% pay gap women experience in the private sector. Ahuja also says senior executives in the federal government have achieved gender pay equity.  

The list of available jobs in the federal government is also as diverse as its growing workforce. From marketing to accounting, Ahuja says there is something for everyone. “We say that you can find a federal version of every dream job in the federal government.”  

To learn more about the Office of Personnel Management, visit https://www.opm.gov.  

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