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Operations Research Analyst

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Office of Trade
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade, Mission Readiness Directorate, Strategic Programs Division, located in Washington, DC.

This announcement has been amended on 6/17/2025 to extend the closing date to 6/26/2025.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/12/2025 to 06/26/2025
Salary
$101,401 to - $131,826 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
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
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
OT-IMP-12741214-TTL
Control number
838605700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who are currently working in a permanent competitive service position within the local commuting area; Career Transition Assistance Plan CBP employees.

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Duties

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CBP Office of Trade is the architect of the most robust customs system in the world and the second largest revenue source for the U.S. Government. We facilitate legitimate trade, enforce U.S. laws, and protect the American economy as well as consumer health and safety. Collaborating with industry and government partners, we create a fair, competitive, and safe trade environment, and we enforce U.S. trade law to protect national economic security. Our expertise in the trade community allows us to lead the development of streamlined and efficient processes that provide certainty for legitimate importers, while combatting transnational crime.

This position starts at a salary of $101,401.00 (GS-12, Step 1) to $131,826.00 (GS-12, Step 10).

In this position you will perform a wide range of operations research and analytical activities in support of the Office of Trade.

Major duties may include, but are not limited to:

  • Conducting analyses and developing reports that allow for the assessment of trends and workforce issues that affect Office of Trade and CBP. Including analysis of database, systems, policy changes, and trends that affect Office of Trade Operations and Programs.
  • Applying innovative scientific and mathematical approaches to the analysis of Office of Trade Operations and programs and systems problems which have traditionally been evaluated utilizing less rigorous analytical methods.
  • Preparing and presenting technical briefings, white papers, executive summaries, and other communications necessary to help Office of Trade leadership make data-driven decisions about resource/staffing needs and identify shortages across the organization.
  • Working closely with stakeholder organizations to ensure relevant and appropriate solutions resolve the identified challenges.

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.
  • 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.
  • Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit covered position, represented under the National Treasury Employees Unions - NTEU. For local chapter contact information see Chapter Websites - National Treasury Employees Union - NTEU.
This vacancy has a local commuting area requirement, as defined below:
  • The area surrounding the duty station by which people reasonably travel back and forth from home to work; Or
  • The employee's permanent duty station is located within the reasonable travel area surrounding the duty station of this vacancy; Or if applicable
  • For employees who are detailed or temporarily promoted for more than 1 year to another duty location, the detailed or temporary duty location is considered to be the duty location of record for commuting area purposes. For employees detailed or temporarily promoted for less than one year, the permanent duty location is considered the duty location of record for commuting area purposes.

Qualifications

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement: Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements.

  • Degree in operations research.

OR
  • At least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus.
You qualify for this position if you meet the basic requirement listed above and possess the experience or substitution of education, if applicable, as described below:

Experience: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:
  • Applying advanced concepts of operations research, statistics, and scientific methods and techniques in identifying and solving a variety of complex challenges.
  • Advising and developing strategies on measurement of the design, development, deployment, maintenance, and enhancement of large-scale advanced projects.
  • Managing operations research studies of manpower allocation efforts.
  • Reviewing, analyzing, and recommending actions for major organization concept plans, changes, reorganizations, and reallocation of positions.
  • Formulating and developing plans and objectives pertinent to effective and efficient workforce management to include manpower programming, organization mission review, and manpower requirements determinations.
NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.

Education Substitution: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess a PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

Combining Experience and Education: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.

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; and
  • Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 06/26/2025.
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
Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

Additional information

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will only be considered for the Eligibilities for which they claim in the job questionnaire AND must provide the supporting documentation. Applicants will not be considered for Eligibilities for which they did not claim, regardless of the documentation submitted with the application. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12741214

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education, and training will be rated using an assessment questionnaire.

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

  • Knowledge of one or more specialized areas of operation research to include but not limited to (top level strategizing, planning, forecasting, resource allocation, performance measures, scheduling system design, gap analysis, workforce management analysis, budget analysis, work distribution, and database analysis).
  • Knowledge of theory and techniques of applied operations research methods at a comprehensive, professional level.
  • Ability to develop and utilize appropriate data collection techniques and design, build, and use models and simulation techniques.
  • Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; negotiate complex issues; maintain good working relations; and present briefings.
  • Skill in preparing comprehensive technical reports embodying the result of significant aspects of studies conducted or reviewed.
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/12741214

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP eligible. View information about CTAP eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement. To be considered well qualified under CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position.

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