Barsa most recently served as the Acting Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest development agency in the world with over 10,000 employees and a budget exceeding $24 billion. He assumed this role in April 2020 at the appointment of President Trump and served as a permanent member of the Deputies Committee of the National Security Council.

Prior to this appointment, Barsa was nominated and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the USAID Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, where he spearheaded policies and initiatives to promote democracy in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, while advancing economic development across the Western Hemisphere.

In 2016, Barsa served on the winning Trump campaign leadership team in Virginia and played a key role in the DHS transition. He was appointed Acting Assistant Secretary within the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Partnership and Engagement, where his efforts were instrumental in expanding work to combat human trafficking and in leading DHS operations.

Earlier in his career, Barsa was tasked with establishing the DHS Office of Public Liaison, a pivotal office for response and recovery during Hurricane Katrina. He also served in an appointment to lead private sector coordination and legislative affairs at NASA, and honed his policy development skills as an advisor in the U.S. Congress. His entry into public service began in the United States Army Reserves, where he served in both special forces and civil affairs units.