Skip to main content
U.S. flag

Auditor

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Office of Trade
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade, Trade Regulatory Audit (TRA), in one of the following locations:

  • Boston, MA
  • Buffalo, NY
  • Miami, FL
  • Queens, NY
  • San Jose, CA

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/18/2025 to 06/25/2025
Salary
$49,960 to - $64,952 per year

Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and will be adjusted to meet the locality pay of the duty location upon selection.

Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
San Jose, CA
Miami, FL
Boston, MA
Buffalo, NY
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel domestically or internationally 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
No
Announcement number
OT-DE-12746851-KEG
Control number
838541200

Videos

Duties

Help

As an Auditor, you will work as a trainee performing a variety of tasks and demonstrating practical application of accounting principles, audit standards, procedures, and techniques to obtain basic experience toward independently planning and conducting audit assignments. This position starts at a salary of $49,960.00 (GS-07, Step 1) to $64,952.00 (GS-07, Step 10) with promotion potential to $115, 213(GS-12 Step 10).

CBP Office of Trade is the architect of the most robust customs system in the world and the second largest revenue source for the U.S. Government. We facilitate legitimate trade, enforce U.S. laws, and protect the American economy as well as consumer health and safety. Collaborating with industry and government partners, we create a fair, competitive, and safe trade environment, and we enforce U.S. trade law to protect national economic security. Our expertise in the trade community allows us to lead the development of streamlined and efficient processes that provide certainty for legitimate importers, while combatting transnational crime.

Major duties for this position include but are not limited to:

  • Serving as a trainee and team member on audits or other assignments of external entities that are importing/exporting, or facilitating the international flow of merchandise into or out of the United States.
  • Examining records, books, ledgers, purchase vouchers, inventory receipts and other documents with oversight to determine if transactions are properly supported in accordance with DHS/CBP and/or other Partner Government Agencies (PGA) laws and regulations.
  • Documenting work performed, audit conclusions, findings, and recommendations in work papers/audit reports in a clear and concise manner and assisting in communicating findings and recommendations that may impact an auditee's decision to enhance its import/export operating procedures and/or result in penalty or other enforcement actions.
  • Ensuring audit program timelines and budgeted hours are met to ensure timeliness of audit completion.
  • Preparing audit documentation by recording the information, records, conditions and/or findings on a prescribed format or report; referring unusual or questionable transactions or when problems encountered that do not fit instructions or guidelines to a supervisor or higher-level auditor.

Requirements

Help

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)
  • 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 Treasury Employees Unions - NTEU. For local chapter contact information see Chapter Websites - National Treasury Employees Union - NTEU
  • 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

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you meet the basic requirement below:

A. Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in accounting, auditing, or a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration that included or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accounting. The 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law. Transcript must include date degree was awarded or conferred.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience - at least 4 years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge. The applicant's background must also include one of the following:

1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law (provide transcripts)

OR

2. A certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination (provide certification)

OR

3. Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in accounting or auditing, e.g., 15 semester hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement of paragraph A (provide transcripts), provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering or financial institution examining; (b) a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors has determined that the applicant has demonstrated a good knowledge of accounting and of related and underlying fields that equals in breadth, depth, currency, and level of advancement that which is normally associated with successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in paragraph A; and (c) except for literal non-conformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

OR

C. Pending Graduates: I will be completing the education requirements above, within 9 months of the closing of this announcement. Applicants that will meet the educational requirements outlined in the education section of this announcement within 9 months of the closing date of this announcement may be found provisionally qualified. Applicants qualifying under this provision must complete the required educational requirements within 9 months. If selected, I understand that I am required to submit proof of ALL my education claims (Transcript(s) required).

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

Experience: You qualify for the GS-07 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

  • Working as a trainee auditor applying a practical application of accounting principles, audit standards, procedures and technology
  • Verifying that accounting systems are set up and maintained according to accepted accounting principles
  • Examining program documents as well as previous audit report to determine compliance with governing regulations
  • Consolidating audit findings and prepares draft reports for management review, including recommendations on compliance issues
  • Assisting in communicating the audit objectives to the auditee and internal stakeholders

GS-07 Education Substitution:

  • Successful completion of one year (or more) of full-time graduate education from an accredited college or university may substitute for the experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise a year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours.

    OR

  • Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) may also substitute for the experience required. It is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average (i.e., GPA 3.0 or higher of a possible 4.0, excluding pass/fail credits. Pass/fail credits cannot be more than 10% of total credits), or (3) honor society membership. Review Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) to see if you qualify under this provision. Please see http://www.opm.gov/ for additional information.
OR

Pending Graduates: I will be completing the education requirements above, within 9 months of the closing of this announcement. Applicants that will meet the educational requirements outlined in the education section of this announcement within 9 months of the closing date of this announcement may be found provisionally qualified. Applicants qualifying under this provision must complete the required educational requirements within 9 months. If selected, I understand that I am required to submit proof of ALL my education claims (Transcript(s) required)

Combining Education and Experience: When combining education with experience, first determine the applicant's total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine the applicant's experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. For example, an applicant for a GS-184, Sociology, position has successfully completed 60 undergraduate semester hours, including 24 semester hours in sociology, and, in addition, has 2 full-time years of appropriate experience that demonstrates that the applicant possesses the necessary analytical and communication skills. The applicant would qualify for GS-5, since the 60 semester hours (the equivalent of 2 years of undergraduate education, or 50 percent of the total requirement) were supplemented by 2 additional years of appropriate experience that provided the remaining 50 percent of the total required education and experience.

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 06/25/2025.

*Applicants who selected pending graduation within 9-months status must fulfill all educational and qualification requirements by March 25, 2026, as outlined in the job announcement.

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.

Education

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

Additional information

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.

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
Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied.

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

Training: This position has a training requirement. Selectees are required to attend up to 4 weeks of paid training. The location will be determined at the time of training. You are required to successfully complete (passing score of 70% or higher) the training requirement as a condition of employment. Failure to successfully complete the required course(s) of training in accordance with CBP standards and policies will result in placement into either a former or different position, demotion, or separation as determined by management and appropriate procedures.

Telework Eligible: No - exemptions related to telework may be available in very limited/episodic cases

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.

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 an assessment questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education, and training.

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 self-assessment will be used to assess the following competencies or KSAs:
  • Ability to interpret and apply Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), concepts and practices and a good knowledge of federal regulations, requirements, and practices sufficient to perform auditing assignments engaged in importing and exporting activities.
  • Ability to interpret federal laws and regulations to assess the business organization level of compliance.
  • Ability to prepare and fully document in a clear, concise and cogent manner assigned sections of audit reports.
  • Ability to use a variety of audit procedures, statistical techniques, and data analyses to assemble information and develop findings.
  • Ability to be proficient in professional software applications including spreadsheet and database applications.
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/12746851

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.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.