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WRITER EDITOR

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Air and Marine Operations
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations (AMO), Immediate Office of the Executive Assistant Commissioner, Strategy, Policy, and Communications Division located in Washington, DC.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
12/13/2022 to 12/20/2022
Salary
$74,950 to - $116,788 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - 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
Announcement number
AMO-SMP-11756897-LSF
Control number
693582200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees with competitive status; Current and former Federal employees who meet the established criteria in an Office of Personnel Management Interchange Agreement; Current and former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Individuals who are eligible under Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA); Individuals who are eligible under a noncompetitive special hiring authority

Duties

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The incumbent performs a variety of editing, writing, correspondence processing, and research assignments to support the Executive Assistant Commissioner, AMO. The incumbent is comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, interacting with all levels of leadership, giving and receiving constructive criticism, and balancing many competing deadlines with process, protocol, and timetable requirements. The incumbent demonstrates diplomacy, attention to detail, strong analytical skills, robust adaptability, sound judgment, and discretion in the performance of duties.

This position starts at a salary of $74,950.00 (GS-11, Step 1) to $116,788.00 (GS-12, Step 10) with promotion potential to $116,788 (GS-12 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.

  • Reviews, marks, and revises a variety of complex, high-level written products -- examples include, but are not limited to, substantive editing and proofreading of memorandums and letters sent from, or received by, the Executive Assistant Commissioner, AMO, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, AMO, and members of senior leadership; technical documents for operational requirements, acquisition lifecycles, and aircraft or vessel incident reports; policies and standard operating procedures for critical missions; and messaging for strategy, internal communications, and congressional and public affairs
  • Thoroughly identifies and analyzes content and presentation problems, develops and proposes corrective solutions, and verifies products appropriately convey intended messages to the levels, interests, and sensitivities of readership; material may be controversial and require tact and diplomacy in rewriting
  • Implements formatting and style conformance to AMO, CBP, and DHS writing and editing policies and procedures and government-wide best practices and use of logical organization and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
  • Communicates, orally and in writing, with program officials at Headquarters and field locations to provide guidance on drafting clear, concise, consistent, and accurate written products, including, but not limited to, instructing on the use of relevant software applications; enforcing formatting, style, and general readability standards; and verifying follow-through of accepted edits
  • Self-initiates research, fact-checking, compilation, and incorporation of information to correct and amplify full subject coverage when editing and writing products and processing correspondence -- gathers information from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, public and internal sources; the Internet; written material; and interviews with subject matter experts and stakeholders
  • Authors a variety of simple written products
  • Implements suspense management procedures for Headquarters controlled correspondence using a variety of database systems, or equivalents, to facilitate proper and timely workflow
  • Collaborates with fellow writer-editors and division staff for continual standardization and knowledge management

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.

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

  • Editing and proofreading of memorandums and letters sent from, or received by, members of the Senior Executive Service and other senior leadership
  • Identifying and analyzing content and presentation problems, develops and proposes corrective solutions, and verifies products appropriately convey intended messages to the levels, interests, and sensitivities of readership
  • Implementing formatting and style conformance to the organization's writing and editing policies and procedures and using logical organization and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
  • Communicating, orally and in writing, with program officials at Headquarters and field locations to provide guidance on drafting clear, concise, consistent, and accurate written products, including, but not limited to, instructing on the use of relevant software applications
  • Researching, fact-checking, compiling, and incorporation information to correct and amplify full subject coverage when editing and writing products and processing correspondence
  • Implementing suspense management procedures for Headquarters controlled correspondence using a variety of database systems, or equivalents, to facilitate proper and timely workflow
OR

Education Substitution: GS-11:A PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three full years of graduate education in a qualifying progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a LL.M., in a qualifying field.; OR

Combining Experience and Education: A combination of successfully completed post-bachelors education(above) and experience. This will be calculated using your resume and unofficial transcripts submitted with your application. If education is used for your qualification, official transcript will be required upon selection.A PH.D. or equivalent degree or three years of graduate level education leading to such a degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university; LL.M if related OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree;

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:
  • Revising a variety of complex, high-level written products
  • Coordinating proposed edits directly with document points of contact throughout multiple drafting stages
  • Collaborating with fellow writer-editors and division staff for continual standardization and knowledge management related to incumbent's editing assignments
  • Gathering information from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, public and internal sources
  • Implementing suspense management procedures for Headquarters controlled correspondence using a variety of database systems, or equivalents, to facilitate proper and timely workflow
There is no education substitution for the GS-12 grade level.

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.

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 12/20/2022.
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, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process.

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.

Bargaining Unit: This position is covered under the bargaining unit.

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

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

Additional information

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. 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.

Special Appointing Authority: See "THIS JOB IS OPEN TO" section for what Special Appointing Authorities may apply. Veterans, military spouses, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and people 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 and to understand what documentation would be required with your application, please click on the appropriate link below. You must provide documentation supporting your eligibility prior to the closing date of this announcement. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact the CBP Hiring Center via the contact information listed at the end of this job opportunity announcement.

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.

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.

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/11756897

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), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online 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:

  • Knowledge of grammar, language structure, writing techniques, editing practices, and style requirements as applicable to a wide variety of formats to write and edit material tailored to specific media and audiences
  • Analyzing complex policy issues, scientific/statistical data, and other technical information
  • Knowledge of design, layout, colors, graphics, and illustration techniques to showcase material in an integrated and readable manner to facilitate the comprehension and understanding of the intended audience
  • Knowledge of related information previously released by the organization to avoid contradictions and unnecessary repetition
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 Assessment will be used to assess the following general competencies:

Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwok

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 https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11756897

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the 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 well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.

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.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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