Duties

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Training and Development, Canine Center Front Royal located in Front Royal, VA.

Temporary/Rotational Assignment: To meet agency needs, this position will be filled on a temporary basis not-to-exceed (NTE) 3 years, with possible extensions for an additional 2 years in 1 year increments. You may be returned, at any time, to the position from which temporarily promoted, or to a different position of equivalent grade and pay, and the return is not subject to the procedures found in 5 C.F.R. §§ 351, 432, 752, and 771. If you are currently at the grade level of the position announced, this action will result in a reassignment, and you may be returned at any time to a same or similar position held prior to this temporary assignment. If you currently hold a grade level higher than the grade being announced, this action will result in a change to lower grade, and you may be returned at any time to the position held prior to this temporary assignment or to the same or similar position at the lower grade level.

Applicants are encouraged to apply to this vacancy announcement as early as possible in order to maximize their employment opportunity.

Law enforcement positions are expected to report to their duty station on a daily basis. However, due to COVID-19, some positions in CBP are currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, and you are given an entrance on duty date you will be provided additional information on the reporting requirements of your position.

WHEN IS THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OPEN AND WHAT IS THE LAST DATE TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION? We are currently accepting applications from 04/29/2022 to 07/28/2022. You must apply on-line by 11:59 p.m. ET, on 07/28/2022 to receive consideration under this announcement. Please refer to the "How to Apply" section for further guidance. You must meet the qualifications and eligibility by 07/28/2022 to be considered eligible under this announcement. Eligible applicants may be referred and selected at any time prior to and after the closing date. However, if selected, you will be promoted/reassigned only after you have met all job requirements such as qualifications and time-in-grade requirements.
Joining the Customs and Border Protection Office of Training and Development will allow you to use your expertise to research and coordinate courses, workshops, seminars and provide classroom instruction. This position starts at a salary of $106,823.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to$138,868.00 (GS-13, Step 10) with promotion potential to $138,868.00 (GS-13Step 10).

In this Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer (CDI) position you will become a key member of a team of homeland security professionals responsible for planning and teaching assigned courses, Typical work assignments include:

• Overseeing the certification process of multi-disciplined CBP canine teams;
• Scheduling and assigning training, special projects, and curriculum development activities;
• Developing training courses using instructional system design techniques and preparing lessons plans and course material;
• Supervising and conducting the instruction, counseling, and evaluation of canine handlers and instructor candidates: and,
• Maintaining student and instructor records.

Applicants are encouraged to apply to this vacancy announcement as early as possible in order to maximize their employment opportunity.

If going from a LEO Covered Position to a Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement Covered Position: Please be advised that when you enter on duty in this Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement covered position you will no longer be covered under the Special Retirement System for Law Enforcement Officers, but will only be covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). For further information on the Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement Coverage, please see the Qualifications section

If going from a Primary CBPO Enhanced Covered Position to a Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement Covered Position and you have less than 3 years in a Primary CBPO Enhanced Covered Position: Please be advised that when you enter on duty in this Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement covered position you will no longer be covered under the Special Retirement System forCBP Officers, but will only be covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or covered under your applicable non-special retirement system depending upon previous service. For further information on the Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement Coverage, please see the Qualifications section.

Requirements

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 and/or polygraph
• CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures
• You must have taken the CBP Officer Promotional Assessment and have a passing Total Score
• You must possess a valid driver's license
• Firearm Requirement-This position requires that the incumbent meet initial and continuing qualifications in the use of firearms as outlined in the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by the Lautenberg Amendment of 1996. An applicant whose background includes any of the following will be ineligible for consideration: 1) convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year; 2) has any outstanding warrants or is a fugitive from justice; 3) unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance; 4) adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution; 5) illegally or unlawfully in the United States; 6) renounced U. S. citizenship; 7) subject to a court-ordered restraining (protection) order from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner (spouse, former spouse, parent of applicant's child, individual who cohabitates or has cohabitated with the applicant), or child; or 8) convicted under Federal, State, or Tribal Court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence against an intimate partner or child.

• COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement Safer Federal Workforce Task Force 2 pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Applying U.S. Customs and Border Protection laws, regulations, instructions, and procedures pertaining to border security and law enforcement procedures
• Coaching and or training in the selection and application of appropriate problem- solving methods and techniques along with providing advice on work methods, practices, and procedures
• Conducting daily training of a canine to maintain a high level of proficiency
• Conducting inspections or search with the use of a detector canine

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.

Canine Instructor Requirement: You must have successfully completed the CBP Canine Handler and/or Instructor Course.

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.

Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement Requirement: The criterion is that knowledge, skill and ability in a position deemed to meet primary CBPO special retirement coverage is a mandatory prerequisite to satisfactorily perform the major duties and responsibilities of the job. In order to meet the requirements of this secondary CBP Officer position you must have permanently served in a primary CBP Officer Special Enhanced Retirement covered position, i.e. Customs Inspector , GS-1890, Immigration Inspector, GS-1816, Canine Enforcement Officer, GS-1801, or CBP Officer, GS-1895.
Note: If you currently serve in a permanent Secondary CBPO Enhanced Retirement covered position, you are exempt from this mandatory prerequisite.

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 07/28/2022.

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 more information visit this link .

Polygraph Examination: The Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer (Course Developer/ Instructor) position is a polygraph-required position. If you are not a current CBP employee in a law enforcement position, you may be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment process. Please see Polygraph Examination .

Polygraph Reciprocity: CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of a CBP polygraph exam. You will receive information to request reciprocity in your Background Investigation Package.

Polygraph Waiver: Certain veterans may be eligible to obtain a polygraph waiver. You will receive information to request a waiver in your Background Investigation Package.

Probationary Period: Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

If you are not a current GS-1895, and you are selected, you will have to meet the following medical/physical standards:

Physical and Medical Requirements: Because the duties of the position are of a strenuous nature and require a high degree of interaction and responsibility to the public, you must undergo and successfully pass our medical screening process. We will schedule, provide and pay for the required basic medical examination. For more information, go to https://www.cbp.gov/careers/frontline-careers/cbpo/app-proc.

Physical Fitness Requirement: You will be required to successfully pass the Pre-employment Fitness Test-1. Please see the Pre-employment Fitness Test-1 Readiness Program for additional information. This is a 6 week program designed to assist you in achieving a level of physical fitness that will help you successfully pass the CBP fitness tests.

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

Education

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

Additional information

Bargaining unit status: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Training Disciplines: You may be required to support multiple training disciplines and are subject to temporary or permanent departmental reassignment while assigned at the Academy.

Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18 month probationary period upon appointment and complete a supervisory training course within 12 months of assignment.

Supervisory Training: All newly appointed, first-time permanent CBP supervisors 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 three weeks of in residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed.

Uniform: This position requires you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in a duty status.

Shift work: You may be required to perform work on a shift and rotational basis.

Motor Vehicle Operation: You must possess a current valid State driver's license at the time of appointment.

Overtime: You must be readily available to work overtime on a scheduled or unscheduled basis in excess of the 40-hour work week.

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.

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.