In a LinkedIn post announcing his appointment, Ariga said he will oversee the work of OPM's Human Capital Data Management and Modernization Directorate.

He said he will help bring together data governance, artificial intelligence and data science to support OPM's role in providing human capital services for more than 2 million federal employees.

Prior to OPM, Ariga spent five years at the Government Accountability Office, where he served as the first chief data scientist and director of the Innovation Lab. As head of the Innovation Lab, he was responsible for driving the adoption of AI, blockchains and other emerging technologies.

According to his profile on the professional networking site, the OPM official's industry career included data science and analytics leadership roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, EY and Deloitte Financial Advisory Services.

In mid-August, OPM and the Office of Management and Budget issued a joint memorandum to provide federal agencies with guidance to address government workforce challenges.

According to OPM, the memo identified key steps to strengthen workforce-related data analytics and design and build an improved applicant and hiring manager experience with tools and training.