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Special Agent in Charge

Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Homeland Security Investigations

Summary

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill Senior Executive Service Special Agent in Charge positions in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations at any location in the field. Management retains the authority to make selection decisions that serve the needs of the agency based on location priority and available talent.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/14/2026 to 04/28/2026
Salary
$151,661 - $228,000 per year
Pay scale & grade
ES 00
Locations
29 vacancies in the following locations:
Phoenix, AZ
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - 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.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Senior Executive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
ICESES/26-12873443
Control number
865035700

Duties

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Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is the principal investigative component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is responsible for investigating, disrupting, and dismantling transnational criminal organizations and terrorist networks that threaten or seek to exploit the customs and immigration laws of the United States.

The Special Agent in Charge (SAC) manages all investigative activities throughout an area of responsibility that focuses on the enforcement of HSI's broad array of investigative authorities. The SAC's primary jurisdiction includes the protection of the United States and its citizens by deterring, interdicting, and investigating threats arising from the movement of people and goods into and out of the U.S. This includes oversight of investigations related to national security, financial crimes, immigration, and smuggling violations, such as illegal arms exports, human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, cybercrime, child exploitation, and fraud, among other investigative areas within HSI's authority. The SAC represents HSI in public forums and in high-level meetings with other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and other stakeholders.

Additionally, the SAC:

  • Exercises broad delegated authority in managing, directing, and implementing all aspects of an HSI field office-including criminal law enforcement, intelligence, immigration enforcement, and administrative operations-across a large geographic area, ensuring alignment with HSI's strategic goals and mission.
  • Provides day-to-day leadership and direction through subordinate managers and staff, overseeing a large, geographically dispersed, multidisciplinary workforce. Determines and justifies program and project priorities, initiations, and resource allocations in support of HSI and other directorate objectives, reporting to the Assistant Director, Domestic Operations Division.
  • Determines and develops the field office's strategic goals and objectives in alignment with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and HSI priorities, ensuring successful implementation and management of programs that directly impact HSI's mission and DHS objectives; develops strategies and policies to mitigate threats and uphold data integrity.
  • Designs and develops the field office organizational structure to support mission accomplishment in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Establishes and maintains performance metrics through subordinate managers to monitor work status, assess organizational effectiveness and productivity, and identify and resolve program deficiencies to ensure continued alignment with the organization's mission, goals, and objectives.
  • Ensures consistent understanding, implementation, and compliance with all relevant criminal, intelligence, and civil immigration laws, regulations, policies, and procedures in support of DHS, ICE, and HSI missions. Develops, plans, and implements policies and guidelines affecting broad, emerging, and/or critical field office programs.
  • Interprets and translates new legislation into program goals, actions, and policies, assessing the impact on field office and HSI programs. Serves as an HSI authority in formulating new criminal law enforcement policies and objectives with broad or long-range impact, and provides management and consulting services to top agency executives on HSI functions and ongoing operations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Subject to a 1-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed).
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • May be subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
  • File a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278e) within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
  • You may be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • Experience in a primary law enforcement position or equivalent experience outside the federal government is a prerequisite.
  • This position requires the incumbent to carry a firearm. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime or domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9)).

Qualifications

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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

To meet the minimum qualifications requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the ECQs or TQs.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the TQs.

  • TQ 1: Demonstrated expert knowledge of federal laws, regulations, and policies governing law enforcement and regulatory operations to plan, direct, implement, and evaluate comprehensive law enforcement and regulatory programs, or high-risk tactical operations and critical incidents in a field environment, with particular emphasis on programs related to the enforcement of federal customs and immigration laws and regulations.
  • TQ 2: Demonstrated expert knowledge of, and experience in, leading multiple investigative teams engaged in complex federal law enforcement investigative programs, with a focus on customs and immigration violations-including illegal arms exports, financial crimes, fraud, human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, cyber-crimes, and child exploitation.
  • TQ 3: Broad management experience in planning, developing, administering, and directing organizational operations, with overall responsibility for both short- and long-term program planning, developing operational guidelines and policies, and creating new methods and procedures to solve complex management challenges.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the TQs listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.
  • ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
  • ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
  • ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
  • ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
  • ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in a U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)-approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50 or certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Law Enforcement Retirement: This position carries secondary law enforcement coverage as provided by 5 U.S.C. § 8336(c) and § 8412(d) for eligible law enforcement employees, which does not carry mandatory retirement. However, some employees may be subject to mandatory separation depending on their individual status.

Veterans' Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES.

Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm

Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to

Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).

OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:

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.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your application package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the ECQs and TQs listed above. The ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your 2-page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual(s) selected must have their executive qualifications certified by the OPM SES QRB before appointment. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, QRB-certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible).

Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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. To carry out that mission, ICE focuses on smart immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism, and combating transnational criminal threats.

ICE was created in 2003 through a merger of the investigative and interior enforcement elements of the former U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, to more effectively enforce our immigration and customs laws and to protect the United States against terrorist attacks. ICE now has more than 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel in more than 400 offices in the United States and around the world.

ICE has an annual budget of approximately $8 billion, primarily devoted to three operational directives - Homeland Security Investigations, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor. A fourth directorate - Management and Administration - supports the three operational branches to advance the ICE mission.

For more information, please visit https://www.ice.gov/.

Agency contact information

Justin Sams-Terrazas
Email
Justin.Sams-Terrazas@ice.dhs.gov
Address
OHC EXECUTIVE SERVICES UNIT
500 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20536
US

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