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Operational Psychologist

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Immediate Office of the Executive Assistant Commissioner

Summary

Recruitment Incentive: Newly appointed Operational Psychologists may be offered recruitment incentives based on qualifications

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Enterprise Services, Immediate Office of the Executive Assistant Commissioner, Workforce Care Directorate, location negotiable*.

*List of locations can be found under the Duties section.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/17/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 17, 2026
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Salary
$125,776 - $163,514 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
EAC-DE-12952785-SR
Control number
870672000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, Career Transition Assistance Plan DHS employees, Reemployment Priority List, Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Federal Employees.

Duties

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In this position you will provide regional support to the workforce and leadership through behavioral health prevention and other various incident responses, consultations, and training. Topics may include leadership development, organizational behavior management, employee engagement and resilience. In this role, you will fortify CBP's workforce and leadership by collaborating with all CBP offices, CBP employees, supervisors, and other partners by addressing challenges, opportunities, and programs for the CBP workforce.

This position starts at a salary of $125,776.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $163,514.00 (GS-14, Step 10).

In this Clinical Psychologist (Operational Psychologist) position you will provide strategic oversight and support. Typical work assignments include:

  • Planning, designing, developing, and conducting indirect assessment and other analyses to assess individual employee, manager and system variables pertaining to employee engagement, resilience, and wellness. Analyses are used to make recommendations to leaders and Program Offices using evidence-based solutions.
  • Developing and implementing agency programs and procedures through the application of behavioral and social science theories, methods, and techniques.
  • Advising, coordinating, and supporting others' implementation of multiple programs including but not limited to Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention; Domestic Violence, Substance Misuse, and Suicide.
  • Researching the interaction amongst groups concerning motivation, morale, group problem solving, and the effects of social stress and similar matters. Facilitating focus groups, interviews, strategic action planning with CBP's Workforce Care, CBP Program Offices and Resilience Program Leadership, internal and external key stakeholders in the assessment and improvement of CBP programs.
  • Supporting proactive risk management initiatives such as insider threat, behavioral risk assessments, recidivism and similar analyses and predictions to increase the safety of CBP and its workforce.
The following are possible locations that this position can be filled. Examples are not all-inclusive.
  • Caribbean Region: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
  • East Central Region: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Western Pennsylvania
  • Gulf Region: Houston/Galveston, TX; Alabama; Louisiana; Jacksonville/Tallahassee, FL (FL panhandle)
  • Headquarters Region: Washington, DC; West Virginia; Maryland; Virginia
  • Lowcountry Region: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
  • Mid-Atlantic Region: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
  • New England Region: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
  • South Florida Region: Miami, FL; Tampa, FL
  • West Central Region: Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri
  • Arizona Region: Tucson, AZ; Phoenix, AZ
  • Central Cali / Rocky Mountains Region: San Francisco, CA; Sacramento, CA; Utah; Colorado; Montana; Wyoming
  • Eastern Plains Region: Minneapolis, MN; North Dakota; South Dakota; Nebraska
  • Laredo / Del Rio Region: Laredo, TX; Del Rio, TX; Eagle Pass, TX
  • Los Angeles / Las Vegas Region: Los Angeles, CA; Long Beach, CA; Las Vegas, NV
  • Pacific Northwest Region: Seattle, WA; Blaine, WA; Spokane, WA; Alaska
  • Rio Grande Valley Region: McAllen, TX; Corpus Christ, TX
  • San Diego / Hawaii Region: San Diego, CA; Hawaii
Salary: Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and, if applicable, will be adjusted to meet the locality pay or cost of living expenses of the duty location upon selection.

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 position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Satisfactory completion of all the requirements for the doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology is required.

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts showing coursework completion at the time of your application.

You qualify for this position if you meet the basic requirement listed above AND possess one year of specialized experience as described below.

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:

  • Applying behavioral, clinical, and organizational psychology to develop and implement programs, tools, and resources that are relevant and practical for employees and management to use in response to organizational needs;
  • Consulting with leaders to advise on strategic, operational, and tactical approaches to organizational problems using evidence-based design to devise workable solutions and action plans;
  • Managing projects in the areas of programs, training, practices, and metrics that boost organizational health and cohesion, leaders' capabilities, and employee engagement, resilience, and wellness via best-practices; and
  • Conducting training and teaching skills to leaders and employees in the areas of behavioral health and wellness/resilience and organizational behavior management.
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 06/17/2026.

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

The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. To preview the questionnaire please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12952785

Security Clearance: You must be required to obtain a Top Secret or higher-level clearance for this position.

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.

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.
Your resume and supporting documentation will be reviewed to ensure you meet the minimum qualification(s). Your resume must support that you meet both specialized experience requirements described in the qualifications section and are proficient in the skills/competencies. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education, and training will be rated using a Structured Resume Review process.
Your final rating will be based on a Structured Resume Review conducted by Subject Matter Experts (SME). This Structured Resume Review requires that candidates resume must demonstrate the competencies noted below:
  • Technical Competence
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
Failure to demonstrate sufficient detail in the body of your resume may impact your final rating. Please note you are not required to provide specific narrative responses to the skills and competencies described in this section. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be contacted for an interview.

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 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/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the Well-Qualified category for this position, as described within this announcement. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this job announcement.

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
Immediate Office of the Executive Assistant Commissioner
Please read entire announcement
Please apply online
Washington, DC 20229
US

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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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