Mission Support Specialist

U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington, DC, is seeking a qualified professional at the GS-12 level to support the Mission Support Directorate, Facilities Division.

The role requires identifying objectives, evaluating administrative programs, and preparing executive briefing material for senior leadership. Applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements and residency conditions where applicable. This position emphasizes compliance, program improvement, and coordinating office projects.

Qualifications

• Develop detailed plans, goals, and criteria for evaluating new and existing processes.
• Coordinate group studies and research to support office projects and policy changes.
• Lead special studies and prepare briefing packages for senior leadership with actionable recommendations.
• Design evaluation criteria and metrics to assess administrative program efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Develop detailed plans, goals, and objectives for program implementation and developing criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of current and proposed processes.
• Participate in group studies/research to facilitate and coordinate office projects, policy, and procedural changes.
• Lead special studies and analytical projects and prepare briefing packages and executive summaries for senior leadership with actionable recommendations.
• Design evaluation criteria and metrics to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative programs.

Skills

Plan and evaluate programs

Policy analysis and briefing

Executive communication

Project coordination

Job description

Organizational Location:

This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters, Mission Support Directorate, Facilities Division, located in Washington, D.C.

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

Experience

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:

• Developing detailed plans, goals, and objectives for program implementation and developing criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of current and proposed processes
• Participating in group studies/research to facilitate and coordinate office projects, policy, and procedural changes
• Leading special studies and analytical projects and preparing clear, concise briefing packages and executive summaries for senior leadership with actionable recommendations on proposed programs and policies
• Designing evaluation criteria and metrics to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative programs

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; 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 08/28/2026.

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.

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.

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. 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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests:

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.