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Supervisory CBP Agriculture Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Office of Field 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, Office of Field Operations, Agriculture Programs and Trade Liaison, located in Washington, D.C.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/16/2025 to 07/22/2025
Salary
$142,488 to - $185,234 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy. Relocation expenses will be paid in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation limits and agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OFO-IMP-12764193-MJG
Control number
840716100

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; Career Transition Assistance Plan DHS employees.

Duties

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Joining the Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations will allow you to use your expertise to detect and prevent terrorists and instruments of terror from entering the U.S. Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen Homeland Security by performing law enforcement activities that enforce the laws and regulations related to the import and export of agriculture, commodities and baggage entering and/or exiting the United States. This position starts at a salary of $142,488.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $185,234.00 (GS-14, Step 10).

Typical duties include;

  • Overseeing the overall planning, direction, and timely execution of a program or several program segments which is managed through separate lower level organizational units
  • Directing the determination of levels of risk for possible violations of laws and threats to national security, economic and agricultural interest
  • Determining goals and objectives that need additional emphasis, developing measures that evaluate performance, and making recommendations for program improvement
  • Performing liaison with high-ranking officials in other Federal agencies, top-level managers in CBP, and various governing boards and committees
  • Planning, scheduling, and assigning work to subordinate employees based upon priorities, as well as taking into consideration the difficulty of the work and each individual employee's capabilities

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-14 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

  • Directing the review and analysis of carriers, importers, and exporters manifests, permits, certificates, entries, invoices, and associated documents to establish the validity, authenticity, admissibility, and extent of inspection of passenger baggage, commodities, merchandise, cargo and/or conveyances
  • Directing the gathering and analysis of information from all available sources including USDA
  • Disseminating information for targeting high-risk shipments, conveyances for examination, and passenger and flight risk analysis
  • Providing input, developing and planning a systematic series of tactical operations
  • Performing liaison with high-ranking officials
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/Experience Requirement: You must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences (including botany, entomology, and plant pathology), agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines (e.g., ecology). If you have not completed the above described education, you must have completed at least 24 semester hours in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry or a related discipline at an accredited college or university plus appropriate experience or additional education. Examples of qualifying experience may include working in such areas as pest management, environmental monitoring, farm management, agricultural commodity importation and/or exportation, or other related experience in pest/pathogen detection, regulation, eradication, and control.

Transcripts: If you have never held a position in the GS-0401 series with Customs and Border Protection, you are required to submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.

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 07/22/2025.
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

Polygraph Examination: CBP has the authority to conduct a polygraph for the Supervisory CBP Agriculture Specialist position, however, at this time a polygraph is not a pre-employment requirement. If CBP decides to implement the polygraph as a pre-employment requirement while you are in the hiring process, CBP will notify you and provide additional information.

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.

Medical Requirements: The Agriculture Specialist position has medical qualification standards. A pre-placement medical examination is required to ensure those tasked with the position's responsibilities are medically and physically capable of performing the essential tasks and job functions in an efficient and safe manner without endangering the health and safety of co-workers, the public, or oneself. Persons in this position must demonstrate they are physically and mentally capable of performing the essential functions of the position. The medical qualification standards cover any disease or condition that may potentially interfere with the safe and efficient performance of the job duties or training may constitute grounds for medical disqualification. The medical standards also include specific vision and hearing requirements as noted below.

Vision:

  • Distant Visual Acuity: Must be at least 20/30 or better in the best eye with or without correction. Individuals who have undergone refractive eye surgeries/procedures (e.g., photorefractive laser surgery, keratoplast, LASIK) may be qualified provided they have no post-operative adverse complications and they meet the vision requirements.
  • Near Vision: Must be 20/30 or better Snellen with or without corrective lenses.
  • Color Vision: Must be able to distinguish colors (i.e., red, green, yellow, blue, orange, purple, pink, brown, black, white, gray). Use of an X-chrome lens is not acceptable.
  • Visual Fields: a minimum of 140 degrees in the horizontal meridian.
Hearing:
  • Hearing level in each ear must not exceed 40 decibels (dB) for the average of the following frequencies: 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hertz (Hz).
  • The difference in hearing level between the better ear thresholds and worse ear thresholds may not exceed 15dB for the average of 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz.
  • The difference in hearing level between the better ear and worse ear may not exceed 30dB at 4000 or 6000 Hz.
  • The use of hearing aids to meet the standards is acceptable

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

Additional information

Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18 month probationary period upon appointment.

Leadership Training: All newly appointed first-time CBP Supervisors are required to complete mandatory training. The training will be scheduled by the Office of Training and Development within the first 90 days of appointment. The duration of the training will include 3 weeks of in residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed.

Training: This position has a training requirement. Selectee(s) are required to attend and successfully complete a total of 10 weeks of paid training by the US Department of Agriculture and CBP Field Operations Academy in a combination of virtual and residential formats. This is followed by 10 weeks of post-academy training at the selectee(s) assigned duty station. 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.

Security Clearance: You may be required to obtain a Secret level clearance for this position.

Motor Vehicle Operation: You must possess the ability to operate a Government Owned Vehicle. A valid, non-restricted driver's license is required.

Physical and Environmental Conditions: The work environment includes offices, aircraft operation areas, airline passenger and cargo areas, and marine docks. Periods of outdoor work may be required in snow, rain, or extreme heat. Occasional periods of outdoor work may be required in remote areas with no modern comfort facilities. The work may involve the use of toxic chemicals, pesticides and fumigants. Protective clothing may be required such as hard hats, gloves, goggles, hearing protection, and respirators.

Data Systems: You will be required to maintain access to all data systems necessary for duty execution.Uniform: You will be required to wear an officially approved uniform while in a duty status.

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/12764193

You will be ranked on the basis of the scores received on your Promotional Assessment. You must have a current, valid score by 7/16/2025 if you have not held the GS-14 on a permanent basis, or if you have been demoted due to performance or conduct reasons. You do not need to have a current, valid test score if you have permanently held a position at the GS-14 or higher. Your application record will remain in a pending status until after the announcement closes, at which time we will upload test scores.
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:

  • Ability to guide CBP employees, researchers, brokers, industry, travelers, Federal/state/local agencies, and others on the interpretative techniques and regulatory requirements pertaining to the processing of all agriculture-related passenger baggage, merchandise, commodities, cargo and all types of conveyances
  • Knowledge of gathering and analysis of information from all available sources including USDA, conducting a wide range of record checks using a variety of databases, systems, and tactical intelligence to identify associated risks, and providing guidance on the use of databases
  • Knowledge of Identifying and resolving unique issues where no policy exists, taking innovative actions to address new needs and issues.
  • Ability to exercise significant responsibilities in dealing with officials of other units or organizations and in advising management officials of higher rank
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/12764193

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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