Patrick F. Kennedy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Under Secretary for Management on November 6, 2007 and served in that position until January 27, 2017.  Prior to assuming that position, he was Director of the State Department’s Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation from May, 2007; Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Management from April, 2005 to May, 2007; and from February, 2005 to April, 2005 he headed the Transition Team that set up the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.  From September, 2001 to May, 2005, he was U.S. Representative to the United Nations for Management and Reform with the Rank of Ambassador.  During that period he also served from May, 2003 to the end of November 2003 as Chief of Staff of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, and from May, 2004 to late August, 2004 as Chief of Staff of the Transition Unit in Iraq. 

In 1993 he became Assistant Secretary of State for Administration and served in that post until 2001.  Concurrently, from August, 1996 to August, 1997 he served as the Acting Under Secretary for Management; from February to August, 1998, as Acting Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security; and from 1997 to 2001 as the Coordinator for the Reorganization of the Foreign Affairs Agencies. From 1973 to 1993, he served in a number of positions in Washington and overseas, including as Management Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and as Executive Director and Deputy Executive Secretary in the Executive Secretariat.

Mr. Kennedy is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy, a Sage at the Partnership for Public Service, and Treasurer of the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide. Since retiring Mr. Kennedy has served on the Boards of the American College of National Security Leaders and the American Academy of Diplomacy.  He has also done consulting on management issues.

From April to the end of December, 2021, he returned to the State Department as the Senior Advisor for United Nations Management and Reform at the U.S. Mission to the UN in New York City, during a period when the nominee for U.S. Representative was awaiting confirmation.