Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Information and Technology, Cargo Systems Program Directorate, located in Ashburn, VA. Additional selections may be made for other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.
Basic Requirement: Individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Along with the four competencies listed above you must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience described below to qualify based on experience. 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: Providing oversight, setting direction, goals and objectives for an information technology project team. Working with customers and stakeholders on changes to the systems, new features and the prioritization of work. Assisting in formulating long-range organizational programs and strategies tied to budget development and multiyear fiscal planning. Assisting with managing schedules for projects, coordinating all engineering, development and deployment activities and maintaining all deployed equipment for a major information technology program. Proposing and presenting IT solutions to internal and external stakeholders. 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. Please upload your resume under the "Resume" document type. Any other relevant supporting documents should be uploaded under their appropriate document types as mentioned above. Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Do not submit documents as a PDF Portfolios. 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 11/21/2025. 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. Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18-month probationary period upon appointment. Leadership Training: All newly appointed GS-15's are required to complete mandatory training. The training will be scheduled by the Office of Training and Development within the first 90 days of appointment. The duration of the training will include CBP LI five (5) weeks) of in residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed. Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the 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 eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.
Joining Customs and Border Protection, Office Information and Technology will allow you to use your expertise in supervising persons responsible for the design, documentation, development, modification, testing, installation, and implementation of new and/or existing application software solutions. This position starts at a salary of $167,603.00 (GS-15, Step 1) to $195,200.00 (GS-15, Step 10). GS Salary: Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position. Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts. In this Supervisory Information Technology Specialist (Applications Software) position, you will become a key team member of Homeland Security professionals. Typical work assignments include: Managing teams involved in the design, development, testing, implementation; as well as ongoing maintenance and support of enforcement applications for OIT along with other agency operations support entities. Serving as the reviewing official for performance evaluations of non-supervisory employees rated by subordinate supervisors, as well as evaluates the performance of subordinate supervisors and/or subordinates. Reviewing and interprets current departmental IT policies, procedures, standards, guidelines, and strategies governing the planning, delivery, and implementation of applications software designs agency wide. Supervising the design, developing, testing, and maintenance of large, complex, mission critical programs and applications that CBP, DHS, and stakeholder enforcement agencies use to enhance screening and traveler vetting at U.S. ports of entry and checkpoints. Evaluating and advocates for the adoption of new or enhanced approaches to deliver agency-wide software and IT services and ensures the preparation and update of agency-wide documentation, training manuals, escalation instructions, and standard operating procedures.