Staff Assistant

U.S. Customs and Border Protection; San Juan (PR); On-site; USD 52,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is seeking a GS-09 level administrative support specialist.

The role emphasizes managing schedules, communications, travel, and briefing materials while ensuring compliance with qualification requirements. Applicants must meet the education and experience criteria, and undergo a background investigation and residency verification as part of the process.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education in any field, or an LL.B. or J.D. per the announcement. Educational substitution must be proven.
• Combining Education and Experience: total must equal at least 100%.Graduate education beyond the required amount may be used for higher grades.
• Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, and is creditable for qualification.

Responsibilities

• Providing administrative support to senior management: managing schedules, screening calls and visitors, coordinating meetings and travel, prioritizing requests, tracking deadlines, and independently determining which matters require the manager’s attention.
• Preparing, reviewing, and editing correspondence and briefing materials for management related to administrative projects and programs.
• Analyzing current internal administrative policies, procedures and processes to recommend changes that improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Education

Master's degree or 2 years grad education

Job description

Organizational Location

This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, San Juan Field Office, San Juan, PR.

CBP employees demonstrate the highest level of commitment to protect and serve the United States of America and to exemplify the CBP Core Values of Vigilance, Service to Country and Integrity. Learn more about CBP's mission, core values and careers at https://www.cbp.gov/about

Experience

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:

• Providing administrative support to senior management performing tasks such as managing schedules, screening calls and visitors, coordinating meetings and travel, prioritizing requests, tracking deadlines, and independently determining which matters require the manager’s attention.
• Preparing, reviewing, and editing correspondence and briefing materials for management related to administrative projects and programs.
• Analyzing current internal administrative policies, procedures and processes to recommend changes that will improve efficiency and effectiveness.

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

• ?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 any field, or a L.L.B. or J.D. for the experience required at the GS-9 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 two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours. You are required to submit proof of your claim.

Combining Education and Experience

• Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant’s total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant’s education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. More information on this qualification standard is located here.

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.