Mission Support Specialist

Description:

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of the Commissioner, Office of Trade Relations, for 1 vacancy located in Washington, DC.

Additional selections may be made to include other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

Requirements:

Experience GS-11: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Generating and applying new hypotheses and concepts to improve effectiveness and efficiency of operations, resolving complex policy questions, and providing a basis for major decisions that affect activities and operations of CBP service wide as well as operations of private trade partners and other governments.
• Providing a comprehensive knowledge of management issues and programs for the development and/or implementation of laws, policies and regulations, resolving broad, complex, or unprecedented planning, evaluation, control, and resource allocation problems, and providing authoritative advice to parties dealing with various management levels throughout the agency.
• Interpreting, adapting and-or deviating from existing procedures and guides, in developing new or improved approaches for analyzing, developing and presenting authoritative information or analyses on complicated matters of national or international importance to persons with conflicting views.
• Planning, directing, and organizing team-task force efforts across organizational lines, including the ability to monitor progress to ensure that realistic objectives and milestones are established, to clearly assign responsibilities, and to get mission requirements accomplished in a timely manner.
• Presenting information and resulting analyses to policy makers, other CBP staff and officials; influencing these individuals to accept the analysis and findings for implementation; participating in conferences, meetings and presentations involving policy issues that have local, national and-or international consequences.

Experience GS-12: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Generating and applying new hypotheses and concepts to improve effectiveness and efficiency of operations, resolving complex policy questions, and providing a basis for major decisions that affect activities and operations of CBP service wide as well as operations of private trade partners and other governments.
• Providing comprehensive knowledge of management issues and programs for the development and/or implementation of CBP laws, policies and regulations, resolving broad, complex, or unprecedented planning, evaluation, control, and resource allocation problems, and providing authoritative advice to parties dealing with various management levels throughout the agency.
• Interpreting, adapting and-or deviating from existing procedures and guides, in developing new or improved approaches for analyzing, developing and presenting authoritative information or analyses on complicated matters of national or international importance to persons with conflicting views.
• Planning, organizing and directing team-task force efforts across organizational lines, monitoring progress to ensure that realistic objectives and milestones are established, to clearly assign responsibilities, and to get mission requirements accomplished in a timely manner.

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.

Education Substitution GS-11: You may substitute a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. for experience at the GS-11. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise three years of graduate study. If that information is not available, use 54 semester or 81 quarter hours.

Combining Education and Experience GS-11: You may substitute using a combination of successfully completed education and experience that is at least 100% as described in the Combining Experience and Education statement in the announcement posting. You will be required to submit proof of your educational claim.

There is no Education Substitution for the GS-12 grade level.

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; and
• Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 01/29/2026.

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.

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.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP eligible. View information about CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement..