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Mission Support Specialist (Generalist)

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Border Patrol
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego Sector, Targeting & Intelligence Division, Sector Intelligence Unit, located in Santee, CA.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/06/2025 to 05/12/2025
Salary
$57,070 to - $90,749 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
Santee, CA
1 vacancy
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
9
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
USBP-IMP-12730237-SNM
Control number
836433800

Duties

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This position allows you to use your knowledge and experience planning and carrying out a wide variety and administrative, management, and program planning activities.

This position starts at a salary of $57,070.00 (GS-07, Step 1) to $90,749.00 (GS-09, Step 10).

As a Mission Support Specialist (Generalist), you will become a key team member of Homeland Security professionals involved in developing new or modified administrative program work methods, approaches, or procedures for delivering effective customer service. Typical work assignments will include:

  • Assisting higher graded specialists and supervisors with managing base pay, premium pay, overtime, and leave entitlements and administration.
  • Applying knowledge of the laws, regulations, and policies of Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB), BENEFEDS, Federal Long-Term Care, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and Thrift Savings Plans (TSP) to provide guidance to employees on basic coverage options.
  • Applying methods, principles and practices commonly used in staffing and placement processes to initiate or enter actions into internal Human Resources (HR) systems and other position management tools.
  • Participating in special studies and analytical projects related to current and proposed organization and program initiatives.

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 Border Patrol Council - NBPC. For local chapter contact information see https://bpunion.org/#.

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:

  • Assisting with inventories, records management, and property reports.
  • Reviewing travel vouchers to ensure they are complete and accurate.
  • Coordinating with supervisors and staff to ensure documents and actions are completed in a timely manner.
  • Assisting higher graded specialists with management and understanding of pay and leave, policies and regulations, as well as retirement and benefits.

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:
  • Conducting inventories, assisting with records management, and preparing and/or processing of various property reports.
  • Developing and maintaining various electronic files, creating staffing reports, PowerPoint presentations, and spreadsheets.
  • Participating in special studies and analytical projects related to current and proposed organization and program initiatives.
  • Gathering information to prepare briefing materials for the supervisor or other senior management officials with data from internal data sources as well as one-time information needs.

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:
  • GS-07: Successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education from an accredited college or university may substitute for the experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do this job. 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 -
  • GS-07: Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) may also substitute for the experience required at this level. SAA is defined as a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, having a class standing in the upper third of a graduating class or major subdivision, or membership in a national scholastic honor society.
  • GS-09: A Master's degree, two full years of graduate education, a J.D. or an LL.B. degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for experience required at this level. 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: To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage, and then add the percentages. The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%. More information on this qualification standard is located here

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 05/12/2025.

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

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

Upon selection, you may be eligible for Creditable Service for Annual Leave accrual. This incentive may allow the agency to give credit for qualifying non-federal or active-duty military service to set annual leave accrual rates above the minimum level.

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/12730237

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 fleet, property, and facilities management to accurately administer the mission support duties.
  • Knowledge of standard computer tools (i.e. Microsoft Office Suite) to develop and maintain various electronic files and create staffing reports, word processing documents, PowerPoint presentations, and spreadsheets.
  • Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with all levels of management and employees.
  • Ability to analyze and evaluate information to determine accuracy and make recommendations to improve operations.

The USA Hire Assessment will be used to assess the following general competencies:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service (*GS-9 only)
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning (*GS-9 only)
  • Reading
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork (*GS-9 only)

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/12730237

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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