Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Customs Entry Officer

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

Summary

As our nation navigates the COVID-19 pandemic, CBP is committed to delivering our mission to safeguard America's borders and enable legitimate trade and travel. Staffing mission critical positions remains a high priority. Be reassured that CBP is still hiring, despite potential hiring process step delays due to restrictions to in-person activities.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/26/2021 to 07/28/2021
This job will close when we have received 3000 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$43,683 to - $69,462 per year

Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and, if applicable, will be adjusted to meet the locality pay of the duty location upon selection.

Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Phoenix, AZ
Tucson, AZ
Long Beach, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
OFO-DE-11178212-EJH
Control number
608606100

Duties

Help

Organizational Location: This position is located within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Center of Excellence and Expertise. The selection will be made and oversight of this position will be maintained by the Field Office, but the physical location of this position will remain in the duty location chosen.

Field Office Center:

  • Atlanta- Consumer Products & Mass Merchandising (CPMM)
  • Buffalo- Industrial & Manufacturing Materials (IMM)
  • Chicago- Base metals (BM)
  • Detroit- Automotive & Aerospace (AA)
  • Houston- Petroleum, Natural Gas & Minerals (PNGM)
  • Laredo- Machinery (MACH)
  • Los Angeles- Electronics (ELEC)
  • Miami- Agriculture & Prepared Products (APP)
  • New York- Pharmaceuticals, Health & Chemicals (PHC)
  • San Francisco- Apparel, Footwear & Textiles (AFT)

Please note: Due to multiple vacancies per duty location; you may be contacted by selecting officials from different Centers of Excellence and Expertise locations.

This position starts at a salary of $43,683.00 (GS-07, Step 1) to $69,462.00 (GS-09, Step 10) with promotion potential to $100,739 (GS-12 Step 10).

In this Customs Entry position, you will become a key member of a team of Homeland Security professionals responsible for a wide range of admissibility and control requirements. Typical work assignments include:

  • Analyzing and reviewing entry and related documents to build familiarity with requirements.
  • Determining rates of duty, classification of merchandise, and entry requirements.
  • Providing established information on clearly established legal procedural rulings, describing importers' and brokers' rights under law and regulation and answering questions on established procedures for filing protests, claims and requests for reliquidation.
  • Reviewing the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) protest and claims module for accountability, accurate tracking, and proper disposition

Requirements

Help

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.

Qualifications

Experience: 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:

  • Examining assigned entry forms, invoices, entry permits, and other forms
  • Applying conversion tables of foreign weights and measures and verifying the conversion of foreign currency to United States currency as submitted on the assigned entry
  • Searching for and assembling pertinent information from office files and records
  • Responding to routine entry processing systems regarding user problems
Experience: You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent
to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:
  • Drafting responses to correspondence and questions about automated system functions, operations, and related computer interfaces
  • Examining assigned entry forms, invoices, affidavits, etc., and initially classify the entered merchandise; estimating the correctness of the dutiable and non-dutiable charges as entered by the importer or his agent; assuring that the importer or agent has the right to make entry
  • Checking the conversion of foreign weights and measures to United States units and the conversion of foreign currency to United States currency at the prevailing rates of exchange; and recommending the acceptance or rejection of the entry as presented
  • Working with automated systems related to the importation of merchandise including an understanding of various functions associated with the importation of merchandise in order to determine if all requirements have been met.
Education Substitution:

GS-7
Successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education from an accredited college or university may substitute for the experience required at this grade level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work of the position Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise a year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Superior Academic Achievement may also substitute for the experience required, it is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. (1) Class standing. Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. (2) Applicants must have a Grade-point average (G.P.A.) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. (3) Membership in a national scholastic honor society

GS-9: A Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, a J.D. or an LL.B. degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours.

Combining Experience and Education: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.)

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 07/30/2021.

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.

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

Training: You may be required to attend 2½ weeks of paid training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Charleston, SC.

This position is covered under the bargaining unit.

Telework may be available on a regular recurring or situational basis.

Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and, if applicable, will be adjusted to meet the locality pay or cost of living expenses of the duty location upon selection.

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

It is recommended that you apply as soon as possible in order to receive consideration as this announcement will close on 07/30/2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET or on the day we receive 3,000 applicants (whichever comes first.)

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.

Please view the video "Protecting America 24/7" to learn more about CBP's Office of Field Operations.

Follow U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Twitter @CustomsBorder

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use an assessment questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education, and training.

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 SPF's 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.
The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:
  • Knowledge of and ability to apply federal rules, regulations and procedures, including the application in the laws, rules, regulations, etc., to specific situations or problems, and to make determinations on compliance.
  • Knowledge of automated systems, including an understanding of the functions and uses of such systems in order to input data, resolve errors, obtain information, etc.
  • Knowledge of a range of processing functions related to importation of merchandise, including an understanding of various functions associated with the importation of merchandise in order to determine if all requirements have been met.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Preview the job questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11178212

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.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles:
If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the Well-Qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this job announcement.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.