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Intelligence Research Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Office of Field Operations, National Targeting Center - National Security Threat Analysis Division
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 Field Operations, National Targeting Center - National Security Threat Analysis Division located in New York, NY.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
04/07/2025 to 04/11/2025
Salary
$124,189 to - $161,448 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
New York, NY
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OFO-IMP-12717545-PKL
Control number
834436200

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

Duties

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The work carried out by this position engages in developing sources of information for intelligence the collection, evaluation, and analysis of intelligence information used for projecting data and/or estimates of future situations, developing trends and patterns, and producing studies and tactical data. This position starts at a salary of $124,189.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $161,448.00 (GS-13, Step 10) with promotion potential to $161,448.00 (GS-13 Step 10).

The incumbent of this position will serve as a targeting analyst supporting CBP's Threshold Targeting Program. NSTA's primary mission seeks to fully identify previously unknown or partially identified threat actors presenting a nexus to Homeland and recommending tactical decisions in support of CBP operations directed at identifying threats to border security.

  • Conducting all-source, multi-disciplined research based on limited derogatory information or other threat indicators to generate intelligence of potential threat identities, associations, and travel/movements to develop targets in support of a counter-terrorism mission.
  • Leveraging both unclassified and classified tools and datasets to create analytical assessments on previously unknown threat actors, with a specific focus on travel pattern analysis and rule development
  • Conducting follow-on analysis of selected targets based on interview notes as well as document and media exploitation and working with New York Field Office and New York/New Jersey port leadership on Threshold Targeting rule recommendations
  • Writing, editing, and publishing analytical findings and summary of actions into a standardized cable format for dissemination to partners and the wider community.
  • Establishing working relationships with unit personnel through training and instruction to facilitate sharing and transfer of intelligence knowledge, techniques, expertise, and best practices to further CBP's targeting mission.

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 position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

  • Supporting the Intelligence Community/Intelligence Enterprise, to include but not limited to targeting experience, specifically in counter-terrorism mission sets.
  • Using network analysis techniques and specialized analytical tools identifying and detailing key figures and organizations who may pose a threat to US interests.
  • Leveraging and manipulating data from multi-intelligence and technical collection analysis and tools (i.e. HUMINT, SIGINT, OSINT, FINCEN).
  • Reading, writing, and extracting data from Intelligence Community/Intelligence Enterprise serialized reporting.
  • Briefing leadership on analytic findings and assisting with recommendations for further action, with an emphasis Threshold Targeting rules.

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 04/11/2025.
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

Security Clearance: If selected for this position, you will be required to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Information security clearance.

Training: This position has a training requirement. Selectee(s) are required to attend and successfully complete 11 weeks of paid training. The location will be determined at the time of training. You may be required to successfully complete the training requirement as a condition of employment. Failure to successfully complete the required course(s) of training in accordance with CBP standards and policies will result in placement into either a former or different position, demotion, or separation as determined by management and appropriate procedures.

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

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/12717545

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

  • Ability to lead collection and research projects and ability to apply facts and estimates derived from numerous sources to a variety of problems having different technical aspects.
  • Skills utilizing IC systems, databases and message traffic at all levels of security classification used to gather and develop content for analytic products.
  • Ability to extrapolate information from CBP, DHS and federal law enforcement systems and databases, and their content and application for intelligence production; knowledge of unclassified open source information systems and databases.
  • Skills in research tools, techniques and procedures used to support analysis and production of intelligence products, and establish the trends, patterns and estimates that enhance situational awareness of decision makers and operators.


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/12717545

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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