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MISSION SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Border Patrol
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Laredo Sector, Hebbronville Station, located in Hebbronville, TX.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
03/10/2025 to 03/14/2025
Salary
$46,699 to - $67,465 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6 - 7
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Hebbronville, TX
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
7
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
USBP-DE(RG)-12696939-ASA
Control number
831837500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution; Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation, but are within six years from the date on which the requirements for their degree/academic course of study were completed.

Duties

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This is a Recent Graduate appointment in the Pathways Program. Selected individuals are placed in a dynamic one year development program in the excepted service designed to lead to a competitive civil service career in the Federal government. At the successful conclusion of this program, the agency may non-competitively convert individuals to a term (position lasting 1-4 years with an extension up to 120 days) or permanent position within the competitive service. Conversion to a Federal competitive service position will be at the discretion of the agency and is neither guaranteed nor implied.

This position starts at a salary of $46,699.00 (GS-06, Step 1) to $67,465.00 (GS-07, Step 10) with promotion potential to $67,465.00 (GS-7 Step 10).

GS Salary : Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table.

In this Mission Support Assistant role, you will perform office support tasks providing assistance to other mission support personnel. Duties and responsibilities include:

  • Performing office support tasks, including greeting visitors, processing mail, answering phones and directing calls to appropriate staff.
  • Assisting higher graded staff and managers in providing direct advice and guidance to USBP sector employees and managers on various policy and procedural aspects of personnel/payroll processing, budget, travel, worker's compensation, logistics, and administrative programs.
  • Developing, evaluating, and advising on the methods related to administrative or records management systems' directives management, mail management, or forms management.
  • Reviewing training requests, confirming funding approval and proper distribution are included.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service.
  • Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below).
  • You may be required to pass a background investigation.
  • CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures.
  • As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link.
  • Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit covered position, represented under the National Border Patrol Council - NBPC. For local chapter contact information see https://bpunion.org/#.
  • DHS uses E-Verify, an internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.

Qualifications

Experience GS-06: You qualify for the GS-06 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

  • Preparing purchase orders, assisting in identifying potential suppliers and coordinating as needed.
  • Monitoring, receiving, prioritizing, and routing service requests.
  • Providing customer service by answering routine questions, directing callers to appropriate staff and maintaining a calendar to include major events for planning purposes.
  • Generating various management reports.
Experience GS-07: You qualify for the GS-07 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:
  • Analyzing, evaluating, and improving the efficiency of internal administrative processes, workflow, and reporting/tracking systems.
  • Preparing workload and productivity reports, evaluating areas for process improvements, and determining root causes for problems and processing errors.
  • Developing, evaluating, and advising on the methods related to administrative or records management systems' directives management, mail management, or forms management.
  • Participating in the annual physical inventory of nonexpendable property and equipment, reconciling discrepancies, and maintaining documentation, reports, and files.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 03/14/2025.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

You are eligible for this appointing authority if you are an individual who: Completed, within the previous two years by 03/14/2025, a qualifying associates, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. If you are a veteran who was unable to apply within two years of receiving your degree due to military service obligation, you have as long as six years after degree completion to apply. You must submit a copy of your transcripts showing type of degree received and date degree was received. In addition, if you are a veteran who was unable to apply within two years of receiving your degree due to military service obligation, please provide a copy of your DD-214 or a written statement from the armed forces certifying your dates of service and your rank, expected type of discharge and anticipated date of separation.

To be eligible for conversion, Recent Graduates must:
  • Successfully complete at least year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the program;
  • Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted;
  • Meet agency-specific requirements and expectations as specified in the Participant's Agreement; and
  • Perform their job successfully.
EXPECTED TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT:
  • Orientation program for Recent Graduates hired for the program;
  • Mentorship throughout the program;
  • Individual Development Plan to create and track Recent Graduates' career planning, professional development, and training activities;
  • At least 40 hours of formal, interactive training each year of the program;
  • Positions offer opportunity for career advancement.
Recent Grad Promotions: Per CBP Policy, Recent Graduates are not eligible for promotions while in the one (1) year program.A Recent Graduate may be eligible for a promotion upon successful completion of the program if he/she meets the OPM qualification requirements for the position for which the Recent Graduate is being considered. Advancement to the next level upon successful program completion is approved by the Recent Graduate's supervisor and certified by HRM.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances.

For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers

Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions:
  • Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military.
  • A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government.
  • Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university.
  • Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government.

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information.

Additional information

Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 03/14/2025.

It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application and you must again upload it by the closing date.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics).

This self-assessment will be used to assess the following technical competencies or KSAs:

  • Computer Skills
  • Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
  • Problem Solving
  • Written Communication
The USA Hire Assessment will be used to assess the following general competencies:
  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
  1. Best Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
  2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10 point preference eligibles and veterans with 5 point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be contacted for an interview. As a part of the interview process, additional selection criteria may be administered by the hiring manager. Preview the job questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12696939

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