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PROGRAM MANAGER (DEPUTY DIRECTOR)

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 Headquarters, Program Management Operations Directorate in Washington, D.C.

This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 100 applications have been received, whichever happens first.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/18/2026 to 05/22/2026
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$169,279 - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
Washington, DC
3 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be required to travel to meet mission requirements.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
USBP-DE-12947800-JRB
Control number
868737000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) DHS employees, Reemployment Priority List (RPL), Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Federal Employees.

Duties

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In this position, you will lead and oversee complex Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP) acquisition programs, manage costs, schedule, performance, and staff to plan, execute, and evaluate major investments. This role directly enables CBP's mission by ensuring mission-critical capabilities are acquired, integrated, and sustained effectively to support frontline operations and agency-wide strategic objectives.

This position starts at a salary of $169,279.00 (GS-15, Step 1) to $197,200.00 (GS-15, Step 10).

As a Program Manager (Deputy Director), you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day planning and execution of an acquisition program or portfolio of programs. Typical duties will include:

  • Providing guidance, mentoring, and leadership to staff in carrying out acquisition program strategies and plans.
  • Serving as the acquisitions program advocate by preparing and delivering program status reports and briefings and supporting program planning and budgeting activities.
  • Overseeing and managing acquisition programs and projects to ensure delivery of required capabilities while managing the triple constraints of cost, schedule, and performance within approved funding.
  • Advocating for the resourcing of acquisition programs and projects within the portfolio by securing appropriate funds, preparing and justifying program budgets, and using cost-benefit analyses to support CBP and DHS mission needs effectively and efficiently.
  • Planning, organizing, and directing team efforts across organizational lines and monitoring progress to ensure that realistic objectives and milestones are established and mission requirements are accomplished in a timely manner.

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.
  • Financial Disclosure is required.
  • Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

  • Managing large, complex acquisition programs or portfolios, including developing integrated master schedules, tracking performance against cost/schedule baselines, and resolving variances to meet defined program objectives.
  • Leading development, justification, and execution of acquisition program budgets, including conducting cost-benefit analyses, defending resource requests to senior leadership, and monitoring obligations and expenditures.
  • Directing cross-functional program teams (e.g., engineering, logistics, contracting, finance) to translate operational requirements into technical solutions, oversee testing, and ensure interoperability and life-cycle supportability of systems.
  • Preparing and delivering high-impact briefings, decision papers, and status reports on acquisition program cost, schedule, and performance to senior officials and other high-level stakeholders.
  • Setting priorities, assigning work, assessing performance, addressing conduct and performance issues, and identifying training and development 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.

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 by 05/22/2026.

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.

Education

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

Additional information

Certification: This is a DHS acquisition certification-covered position. An applicant must possess a Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) Senior-Level Program Management certification with DHS P/PM Specialization, or the ability to obtain this certification within 18 months of placement. NOTE: This position may also require DHS IT Specialization if assigned to an IT or Mixed Program.

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

Leadership Training: All newly appointed first-time GS-15s are required to complete mandatory training. The training will be scheduled by the Office of Training and Development (OTD) within the first 90 days of appointment. The duration of the training will include 5 weeks of in residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed.

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.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10 point preference eligibles and veterans with 5 point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) 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.

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.

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 to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Failure to demonstrate sufficient detail in the body of your resume may impact your final rating.

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 SPF's 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.

This position requires a 90-minute timed General Supervisor Test Battery consisting of two parts: 1) Managerial Writing Skills; 2) Critical Thinking Skills. The assessments are administered un-proctored and online. Questions are multiple-choice; candidates select the best answer and can mark items for review.

The General Supervisor Test Battery will be used to assess the following Supervisory competencies:
  • Written Communication
  • Decision Making
  • Problem Solving
  • Reasoning

Your final rating will be determined by your cumulative score on the Supervisory exam. All applicants will be contacted via email to complete the General Supervisor Test Battery. Applicants who do not complete the entire exam will be removed from consideration. To be considered for the position, you must demonstrate minimum proficiency and achieve a passing score on the exam. A passing score does not guarantee selection.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990, as amended, that would interfere with completing assessment, you are able to request a Reasonable Accommodation prior to the online questionnaire and Logical Reasoning Test. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.

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/12947800

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 facilitate 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 X 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 HR Contact
Phone
855-500-3722
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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