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TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Border Patrol

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Spokane Sector, Targeting & Intelligence Division in Spokane, WA.

Additional selections may be made to include other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/25/2026 to 03/31/2026
Salary
$89,974 - $116,969 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Spokane, WA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
75% or less - You will 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
Yes
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
USBP-IMP-12913340-JRB
Control number
861813700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees who are currently working in a permanent competitive service position; Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) CBP employees.

Duties

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In this position, you will manage, design, and maintain mission critical telecommunications and network systems-including radio, video surveillance, sensor, and WAN/LAN infrastructure for a U.S. Border Patrol sector. Reliable, secure communications provided by this role directly enable frontline agents and partner agencies to execute border security and law enforcement operations effectively and safely in support of DHS and CBP missions.

This position starts at a salary of $89,974.00 (GS-12, Step 1) to $116,969.00 (GS-12, Step 10).

As a Telecommunications Specialist, you will perform advanced technical work to plan, implement, maintain, and improve complex telecommunications and network systems that support law enforcement operations across the sector. Typical duties will include:

  • Monitoring, configuring, troubleshooting, and repairing radio, network, video surveillance, sensor, and related telecommunications systems to ensure reliable, mission-ready service.
  • Planning, designing, and evaluating telecommunications infrastructure and technologies, conducting feasibility studies and technical analyses to meet evolving operational requirements.
  • Coordinating and overseeing vendor and contractor activities, including site preparation and installation of towers, antennas, transmission lines, generators, and electronic equipment.
  • Developing and delivering user training, technical guidance, and assessments on telecommunications systems, including radio, video, access control, and network services.
  • Conducting technical studies and analyses (e.g., propagation, path, and frequency allocation) to optimize system performance and support sector-wide communications planning.

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. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position.Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts.

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)
  • All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English
  • 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-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

  • Managing and maintaining complex land mobile radio, network, and video surveillance systems across multiple remote sites, resolving at least 90% of trouble tickets within established service-level timeframes;
  • Designing and implementing telecommunications infrastructure upgrades (e.g., new repeaters, microwave links, or fiber paths) based on feasibility studies and path/propagation analyses, resulting in quantifiable improvements in coverage, reliability, or throughput;
  • Leading or overseeing contractor and vendor work for installation of towers, antennas, generators, and communications shelters, ensuring all work meets technical specifications, safety standards, and project schedules;
  • Providing formal and informal training and technical support to law enforcement or mission support personnel on radios, networked systems, and surveillance technologies, increasing user proficiency and reducing recurring user-related issues;
  • Conducting advanced diagnostics and root-cause analysis on recurring or complex telecommunications failures, developing and implementing corrective actions that reduce similar outages or performance degradations by a measurable margin.

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 03/31/2026.

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.

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.

Education

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

Additional information

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

Physical Demands: The work requires extensive physical exertion including hiking over rough, steep, and uneven terrain to reach telecommunications equipment sites. The incumbent is required to climb telecommunication towers and stand on the towers for hours at a time and lift moderately heavy equipment.

Shift Work/Overtime: The incumbent may be required to work long and irregular hours beyond their normal scheduled shift to include weekends and nights.

Travel: Assignments may require frequent travel from the sector to remote job sites which can result in over twelve-hour workdays or overnight stays.

Work Environment: The incumbent will complete CBP training to be able to safely operate utility task vehicles (UTVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles in order to access jobsites where four-wheel drive vehicles cannot be driven. Frequently visited jobsites include locations where the closest medical assistance is over an hour away through miles of mountainous terrain.

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, based on your adjudication decision. 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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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/12913340

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), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics).

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:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Decision Making
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning

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 https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12913340

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.

Customs and Border Protection

Customs & Border Protection (CBP): Securing America's Borders
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

Discover a challenging and rewarding career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the sole organization responsible for securing the nation's borders. At CBP, we:

  • Secure and enforce trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. regulations, including immigration and drug laws
  • Screen passengers, vehicles, and shipments entering our country
  • Seize illegal narcotics, vehicles, and agricultural products and prohibited goods
  • Prevent unauthorized entry into the country
  • Rescue individuals who fall into dangerous conditions traversing our border

Find us on Twitter at @CBP and @CBPJobs
Find us on LinkedIn at U.S. Customs and Border Protection
CBP employees demonstrate the highest level of commitment to protect and serve the United States of America and to exemplify the CBP Core Values of Vigilance, Service to Country and Integrity. Learn more about CBP's mission, core values and careers at https://www.cbp.gov/about

Agency contact information

CBP Hiring Center
Phone
952-857-2932
Email
CBPhiring-applicantinquiry@cbp.dhs.gov
Address
United States Border Patrol
Please read entire announcement
Please apply online
Washington, DC 20229
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Customs and Border Protection, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://www.cbp.gov

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