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Mission Support Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Office of Congressional Relations

Summary

View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Organizational Location: This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Congressional Relations, in Washington, District of Columbia.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/03/2026 to 04/13/2026
Salary
$85,447 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Episodic/situational telework may be available, based on the needs of the agency.
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
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OCR-12919156-DHA-CLG
Control number
863598900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority for the occupation and is open to all U.S. citizens.

Duties

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As a Mission Support Specialist, at the full performance level, you will perform the following duties:

  • Serves as a lead or senior specialist in program operations, providing expert guidance and troubleshooting complex issues with innovative solutions that may require deviation from established methods.
  • Independently manages highly complex projects and issues, developing and implementing recommendations characterized by their breadth, complexity, and impact on both ICE and U.S. Congressional requirements.
  • Develops and recommends modifications to procedures and processes to accommodate evolving program needs, legislative mandates, and organizational growth.
  • Provides technical guidance and mentorship to lower-grade specialists, analysts, and assistants, ensuring consistent application of agency policies and procedures.
  • Oversees OCR budget formulation and execution, analyzes contracting and procurement issues, coordinates acquisition timelines, and ensures effective management control over program operations.
  • Coordinates the acquisition timeline on assigned project(s) to include anticipated contract award date.
  • Oversee activities and provide guidance to P-Card holders and approving officials.
  • Responsible for role(s), project(s), or requirement(s) relating to Office of Congressional Relations (OCR) budget formulation and budget execution program areas.
  • Plans, organizes, conducts, participates, and maintains business processes that contribute to effective management control over program operations.
  • Conducts high-level analysis of information, precedent cases, statutes, and regulations to identify issues, recommend actions, and reengineer business processes for improved efficiency.
  • Exercises sound judgment in resolving logistical matters related to OCR space acquisition, renovation, or redesign, and prepares project papers and briefings for management.
  • Prepares project papers and staff reports and organizes and delivers briefings to managers to encourage understanding and acceptance of findings and recommendations.
  • Knowledge of a wide range of security concepts, principles, and practices to review independently, analyze, and resolve difficult and complex security problems.
  • Provides instruction and facilitates the operation of process improvement teams.
  • Utilizes human resources principles/concepts, relative to recruitment and placement of competitive and excepted service positions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • You must successfully pass a drug screen.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
  • Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
  • Probationary Period: This is a full-time permanent position (Career/Career-Conditional appointment). Upon appointment to this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess one of the following:

Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as:

  • Maintaining records and data related to the administrative functions of an organization;
  • Preparing routine correspondence, reports, and documentation for management review; AND
  • Assisting with scheduling and coordinating meetings, travel arrangements, and training activities for staff.
OR
  1. Successfully completed a Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as public administration, political science, business administration, management, public policy, or a closely related field. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
  2. Specialized experience as described in A, but less than one year; and I have at least two years of graduate education as described in B, but less than the required three years. I have computed the percentage of the requirements that I meet, and the total is at least 100% (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.). (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
  3. Experience as described in A AND the education described in B. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed education and experience. This will be calculated using your resume and unofficial transcripts or a list of courses/course hours submitted with your application.

You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as:
  • Executing a variety of mission support activities, including travel, training, logistics, budget, payroll, and contracting functions;
  • Analyzing data to identify patterns or trends and preparing management reports to inform decision-making; AND
  • Coordinating and overseeing the implementation of new administrative procedures and process improvements.

You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as:
  • Leading or supporting administrative projects related to workforce management and program evaluation, with an emphasis on accuracy and process improvement;
  • Preparing comprehensive status reports, summaries, and briefings for multiple administrative support programs; AND
  • Advising senior leadership on complex administrative issues and recommending solutions to enhance organizational effectiveness.
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience):
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.

Current or Former Political Appointees: 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.

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.

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. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Additional information

Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

E-Verify: 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.

Suitability: If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

Benefits: DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564, and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions (testing designated positions) are subject to random drug testing. Moreover, other drug testing of employees (e.g., reasonable suspicion drug test) may be conducted in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All applicants tentatively selected for employment at ICE are subject to pre-employment drug testing and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use the online assessments to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education and training. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

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

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
  1. Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
  2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis
  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. The "Rule of Three", Category Rating and Veterans Preference will not apply to this vacancy. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.

Veterans: Although the Direct Hire Authority permits hiring without regard to Veterans Preference, applicants who are eligible for Veterans Preference are still encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). Staffing Policy View information on veterans' preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be placed in the well qualified category for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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 dynamic workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

The mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is to protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety. ICE focuses on smart immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism, and combating the illegal movement of people and goods. ICE is the principal investigative arm of DHS and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government. Created in 2003, through a merger of the investigative and interior enforcement elements of the U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, ICE has more than 20,000 employees in more than 400 offices in the United States and around the world. ICE is a key component of the DHS layered approach to protecting our nation from a wide range of threats. For additional information about ICE and career opportunities, please visit www.ice.gov.

Agency contact information

Christine Lee-Green

Visit our careers page

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

http://www.ice.gov

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