Clarification from the agency

Current U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who are currently working in a permanent competitive service position.

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of International Affairs, International Operations Division, North America Division, located in Mexico City, Mexico.

The incumbent serves as a CBP in-country advisor, consultant and expert to the U.S. Ambassador or Department of State's Chief of Mission regarding CBP programs and operations (Container Security Initiative (CSI), Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), Immigration Advisory Program (IAP), etc.) May handle issues regarding trade, industry and the traveling public such as intellectual property rights, boarding (transportation) letters, malafide intercepts, and fraudulent documents. Works with foreign law enforcement and immigration personnel to identify fugitives or malafide travelers.
This position starts at a salary of $92,977.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $120,868.00 (GS-14, Step 10) with promotion potential to $120,868.00 (GS-14 Step 10).

The duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborating with federal inter-agency partners to assess the economic potential, diplomatic capabilities, and border security of the host nation to develop plans for international trade and travel, enhanced border security for the U.S. and host nation;
• Promoting outreach activities, international engagements and programs with foreign government officials and U.S. government representatives, leaders, and congressional members to strengthen diplomatic ties and establish and strengthen;
• Promoting CBP goals and objectives through the expansion and implementation of international agreements and participate in evaluating the capabilities, threats, vulnerabilities of the host nation to determine potential impact to CBP;
• Proposing the expansion and implementation of international agreements and participating in evaluating the capabilities, threats, vulnerabilities, or needs of the foreign country to determine potential impact to CBP operations; and
• Participating n strategy development with foreign government representatives to facilitate and enhance international trade, diplomacy, and border security between host nation and the U.S.

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

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: participating in planning and organizing CBP activities such as the development and correlation of information pertaining to the detection and prevention of smuggling contraband merchandise, narcotics, terrorists, and illegal aliens; detecting and preventing fraud in the invoicing and documenting of all types of merchandise imported into the U.S.; providing assistance in alleged or suspected criminal offenses against the laws of the United States that are enforced by CBP; and conducting inquiries made on behalf of other departments and agencies of the nation.

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 08/19/2020.

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 more information visit this link.

Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement Requirement: The criterion is that knowledge, skill and ability in a position deemed to meet primary CBPO special retirement coverage is a mandatory prerequisite to satisfactorily perform the major duties and responsibilities of the job. In order to meet the requirements of this secondary CBP Officer position you must have permanently served in a primary CBP Officer Special Enhanced Retirement covered position, i.e. Customs Inspector , GS-1890, Immigration Inspector, GS-1816, Canine Enforcement Officer, GS-1801, or CBP Officer, GS-1895

Note: If you currently serve in a permanent Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement covered position, you are exempt from this mandatory prerequisite.

If going from a LEO Covered Position to a Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement Covered Position: Please be advised that when you enter on duty in this Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement covered position you will no longer be covered under the Special Retirement System for Law Enforcement Officers, but will only be covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). For further information on the Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement Coverage, please see the section on Retirement Coverage.

Probationary Period: Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the Federal Government, you are not CTAP eligible. Information about CTAP eligibility can be found here. You must submit the supporting documents listed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. In addition, to be considered well qualified under CTAP, you must possess the knowledge, skills and abilities and/or competencies clearly exceeding the minimum requirements of the position. This will be measured by a score of 85 or higher.

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/10870163

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using an online self-assessment questionnaire based on the competencies and/or knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below. You will receive a score ranging from 70-100 based on your responses. Your entire application package will then be reviewed. The final determination will be based on all the information provided in your application package.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. To preview the job questionnaire, see https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10870163

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics (KSAOs):Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements are required to possess certain Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, or Other Characteristics (KSAOs) to successfully perform the functions of this position. Candidates will be asked to demonstrate their attainment of these KSAOs in their resume. The KSAOs are:

• Knowledge of law enforcement methods
• Skill in analyzing disparate facts, events, and other types of intelligence material
• Skill in using a variety of automated information systems to gather information for intelligence, enforcement, prosecutions, and to facilitate decision making