Deborah Leben started her career in the federal government at the United States Secret Service as a Fingerprint Specialist. She advanced to senior leadership positions, including Director of the Secret Service Crime Laboratory, Office of Investigations, and Strategic Program Advisor, Office of Human Resources. In 2017, she achieved the Senior Executive Service certification. 

During her career, Deborah led programs focused on advancing forensic science globally. She partnered with government, industry, and university forensic programs bringing together students and industry experts to collaborate and design novel techniques to expedite casework and forensic results to resolve cases faster and reduce crime on the streets.