Realty Specialist

U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Aliso Viejo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seeks a Real Property Program Manager within the Office of Facilities and Asset Management in Aliso Viejo, CA; Euless, TX; and Washington, DC.

The role requires 1 year of specialized experience at the GS-14 level and involves acquisition planning, negotiations, and instrument review for federal real property actions. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable, and consent to a thorough background investigation.

Qualifications

• 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13) in real property actions and project management.
• Technical expertise to customers and external partners on real property actions including fee acquisitions, leases, permits, and full acquisition cycles.
• Negotiating, resolving, and implementing guidance from legal, environmental, construction, and technical sources.
• Obtaining, reviewing, and approving real property instruments such as surveys, title reports, appraisals, and title transfer documentation.
• Lease administration capabilities including enforcement of lease provisions, rent adjustments, and day-to-day lease issue resolution.
• Developing project management strategies, schedules, requirements, cost estimates, and coordination of IT, security, furniture acquisition, etc.
• Resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise to customers and external partners on real property actions—from requirements development through instrument drafting and execution.
• Negotiate, resolve, and implement guidance from legal, environmental, construction, and technical sources.
• Review and approve instruments such as surveys, title reports, appraisals, and title transfer documentation.
• Perform lease administration activities including enforcement of lease provisions, rent adjustments, and day-to-day lease issue resolution.
• Develop project management strategies, schedules, and cost estimates; coordinate IT, security, and furniture-related actions.

Job description

Organizational Location:

This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Integrated Services Division, Real Property Program Management Office in Aliso Viejo, CA; Euless, TX; and Washington, DC.

The open period for this job opportunity announcement may be extended to allow for a sufficient applicant pool.

Experience:

You qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Providing technical expertise to customers and external partners on a variety of real property actions to include fee acquisitions, leases, permits, and more covering the entire acquisition process from requirements development, market survey, instrument drafting and execution.
• Negotiating, resolving, and implementing advice and technical guidance from a variety of sources to include legal, environmental, construction, and technical sources.
• Obtaining, reviewing, and approving real property instruments such as surveys, title reports, appraisals, and title transfer documentation.
• Performing lease administration capabilities including enforcement of lease provisions, requests for rent adjustments, and resolution of day-to-day lease issues and negotiations.
• Developing project management strategies, schedules, requirements development, cost estimates, and coordination of various supporting activities (IT, security, furniture acquisition, etc.) to demonstrate project planning and management capabilities.

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 by 10/06/2026.

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.

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. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the Well-Qualified category for this position, as described within this announcement. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this job announcement.