SummaryAs our nation navigates the COVID-19 pandemic, CBP is committed to delivering our mission to safeguard America's borders and enable legitimate trade and travel. Staffing mission critical positions remains a high priority. Be reassured that CBP is still hiring, despite potential hiring process step delays due to restrictions to in-person activities.Learn more about this agencyHelpOverviewAccepting applicationsOpen & closing dates07/26/2022 to 08/08/2022Salary$61,947 - $97,430 per yearPay scale & gradeGS 9 - 11HelpLocation1 vacancy in the following location:Washington, DCRemote jobNoTelework eligibleYes-as determined by the agency policy.Travel RequiredOccasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.Relocation expenses reimbursedNoAppointment typePermanent -Work scheduleFull-time -ServiceCompetitivePromotion potential11Job family (Series)0301 Miscellaneous Administration And ProgramSupervisory statusNoDrug testNoAnnouncement numberOT-IMP-11581746-TMControl number667239800HelpThis job is open toInternal to an agencyCurrent federal employees of this agency.Clarification from the agencyCurrent US Customs and Border Protection employees who are currently working in a permanent competitive service position within the local commuting areaHelpDutiesOrganizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within US Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade, Trade Policy and Programs, located in Washington, DC. 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. As a Staff Assistant you will serve as the principal administrative point of contact and advisor for the program office.This position starts at a salary of $61,947.00 (GS-9, Step 1) to $97,430.00 (GS-11, Step 10) with promotion potential to $97,430 (GS-11 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. Typical duties include:Performing a full range of administrative research and analytical duties, a variety of liaison activities, and staff assignments and meeting deadlines related to the mission and functions of the office.Overseeing the management and administrative operations of the office and manages the administrative needs of the executive director, including processing time and attendance and travel coordination.Serving as personal liaison officer for the executive director, meeting with individuals to determine the nature of their requests, providing information, or serving as a source of referral to the proper official of the agency, and speaking authoritatively based on in-depth knowledge of the manager's policies, commitments, and interests. Arranging for the preparation of briefing materials, talking points, and executive summaries and reviewing and analyzing presented materials or works to ensure clarity and conciseness, while taking into account current management and political trends. Maintaining overall control of the manager's schedules, exercising good judgment in scheduling interviews, meetings, and conferences to be attended by the manager, and participating in staff conferences conducted for managers or executives in attendance. HelpRequirementsConditions of EmploymentYou must be a US Citizen to apply for this positionMales born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective ServicePrimary US 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 proceduresCOVID-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. This vacancy has a local commuting area requirement, as defined below:The area surrounding the duty station by which people reasonably travel back and forth from home to work; OrThe employee's permanent duty station is located within the reasonable travel area surrounding the duty station of this vacancy; Or if applicableFor employees who are detailed or temporarily promoted for more than 1 year to another duty location, the detailed or temporary duty location is considered to be the duty location of record for commuting area purposes. For employees detailed or temporarily promoted for less than one year, the permanent duty location is considered the duty location of record for commuting area purposes. QualificationsExperience: You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Ensuring that the procedures and administrative control of the office operates smoothly and that details are not overlooked. Gathering data, identifying, and analyzing issues, and recommending solutions to procedural problemsMaking decisions concerning what needs to be done and how it should be accomplished are based on an understanding of the interrelationships between the organization, people, and issues involvedResolving most questions or situations that arise, dealing with emergency situations, and resolving problems where initiative is required in determining appropriate method to use. Education Substitution for GS-9: Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in an accredited college or university, or a JD or LL.B. degree may be substituted for experience at the GS-9 grade level. Such education must demonstrate the skills needed to do the work. A course of study in business administration, public administration, or related fields is qualifying. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 36 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 2 years of full-time study requirement Experience: 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:Serving as personal liaison officer and meeting with individuals to determine the nature of their requests, providing information, or serving as a source of referral to the proper official of the agencyOverseeing the management and administrative operations of the office and manages the administrative needs, including processing time and attendance and travel coordination.Maintaining control of the manager's schedules, scheduling interviews, meetings, and conferences to be attended by the manager, and participating in staff conferences.Developing administrative training and resource materials, operating manuals, standard operating procedures (SOPs), etc. to staff and maintaining contact with other federal, state and local agencies. 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 for GS-11: You may substitute a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral degree, or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a qualifying field or an LL.M. for experience at the GS-11 grade level. 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 Education: To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage, and then add the percentages. The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (eg, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (eg, 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; andMeet 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 08/08/2022. 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: US 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 (eg, 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. 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 US Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the militaryA dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the US governmentParticipation in a study abroad program sponsored by a US affiliated college or universityWorking as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the US 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.EducationPlease see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.Additional informationProbationary 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. This position is not covered under the bargaining unit. Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (ie, physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here. Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied. Telework may be available on a regular recurring or situational basis. 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.Read moreHelpA career with the US government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.Review our benefitsEligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.How You Will Be EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.Applicants will only be considered for the Eligibilities for which they claim in the job questionnaire AND must provide the supporting documentation. Applicants will not be considered for Eligibilities for which they did not claim, regardless of the documentation submitted with the application. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11581746 You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (eg, resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): This self-assessment will be used to assess the following technical competencies or KSAs: Knowledge of principles of management and organization, including administrative practices and procedures of organizations, such as those pertaining to areas of responsibility, changes of communication, delegations of authority, routing of correspondenceKnowledge of and skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to analyze and assess programs and projectsKnowledge and skill in operating personal computers, application software such as word processing, graphics, spreadsheet, electronic mail, and various office equipmentAbility to communicate effectively orally and in writing; ability to train and instruct staff in administrative proceduresAbility to plan and organize work; ability to interpret and apply rules and regulations. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. The USA Hire Assessment will be used to assess the following general competencies: Attention to DetailCustomer ServiceDecision MakingFlexibilityIntegrity/HonestyInterpersonal SkillsLearning 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 eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement. To be considered well qualified under CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.HelpA career with the US government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.Review our benefitsEligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.Your resume: A resume describing your job-related qualifications is required and will be used for the purpose of reviewing your qualifications and determining what training, if any, would be required when placed. A resume in English is required. It must contain your full legal name, address, phone number, complete work history including a detailed description of your duties, the dates you performed those duties (MM/DD/YY), your hours worked per week, job title, as well as series, grade, and salary (if applicable). For additional required items, see the link. *Note- It is recommended that you upload your resume as a PDF instead of a Word document to ensure document quality.Your responses to the job questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11581746Your responses to the USA Hire Competency Based AssessmentAre you a current or former federal employee? ALL CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST SUBMIT THE MOST RECENT COPY OF THEIR SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing competitive status: Tenure 1 or 2 in Block 24 and Position Occupied 1 in Block 34. Additionally, applicants should also submit a SF-50 reflecting the highest grade held on a permanent basis in the competitive service or the full performance level of your current position, whichever is higher, AND an SF-50 to support having met the time-in-grade requirement of having served 52 weeks at the grade level (or equivalent) below the grade level(s) for this position. Current CBP Employees are encouraged, but not required, to submit an SF-50(s) for CBP experience; however, additional SF-50(s) are required when using federal experience outside of CBP to receive credit towards the requirements above. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases, and accessions. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable at this time; however, official copies will be required prior to entrance on duty) or a list of coursework with hours completed provided from the institution. Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials. For a listing of some accrediting agencies see www.naces.org. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)? You must submit a separation notice; your most recent SF-50 (noting your current position, grade level and duty location); a copy of your most recent performance rating; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; or a Military Department of National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 USC 8337(h) or 8456.Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:Position titleType of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee)AgencyBeginning and ending dates of appointmentIf you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and/or incentive awards. If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the US Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees fromschools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the US Department of Education.Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.