The executive branch
acting official
Someone temporarily filling a Senate-confirmed job that is vacant. The Federal Vacancies Reform Act limits who may serve, and for how long.
In full
When a confirmed office empties, the first assistant usually steps up automatically, or the President may designate another confirmed official or a senior agency employee. The Vacancies Act caps the time an acting official may serve, generally 210 days plus extensions while a nomination is pending, and voids actions taken by someone serving unlawfully. Prolonged acting service is a standing complaint about executive accountability.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.