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Intelligence Research Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Office of Intelligence
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is located within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Intelligence (OI), National Border Security Intelligence Center Directorate, Southern Border Security Intelligence Center, in various locations.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
03/19/2024 to 03/25/2024
Salary
$103,409 to - $134,435 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
4 vacancies in the following locations:
Tucson, AZ
San Diego, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
OI-SMP-12331071-SKA
Control number
782182800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees with competitive status; Current and former Federal employees covered by an OPM Interchange Agreement; Current and former Land Management employees who meet the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act; Current and former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Veterans eligible under VEOA; Individuals eligible under a noncompetitive special hiring authority.

Duties

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As a member of The Collection Division, you will manage CBP's strategic activities, develop sound and robust intelligence collection policies, establish collection processes, and provide multi-disciplined Signals Intelligence collection and analysis to CBP operational components.

This position starts at a salary of $103,409.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $134,435.00 (GS-13, Step 10) with promotion potential to $134,435 (GS-13 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. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position.Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts.

Major duties of the position include:

  • Providing CBP offices and other US Government agencies with intelligence products derived from signals intelligence and other technical means that inform and enhance their ability to make strategic, operational or tactical decisions in support of CBP operations directed at threats to border security. This position may advise, administer, or perform analysis, evaluation, interpretation and dissemination of information and intelligence.
  • Maintaining a current understanding of CBP local, regional, and national intelligence collection requirements with emphasis on SIGINT requirements related to transnational organized crime (TOC), global terrorism, counter narcotics, illicit trade, and illicit migration to research and review CBP operational and all-source reporting to identify and report information to satisfy applicable requirements.
  • Effectively reports and actions timely all-source intelligence information with emphasis on SIGINT to drive analysis, production, and dissemination in support of CBP decision makers and to drive lead developments through engagement with Intelligence Community (IC) partners. Candidate drafts cables, notes, assessments, and other finished intelligence products while ensuring intelligence reliability, validity, and relevance for the broader CBP intelligence enterprise, other federal agencies and the IC.\
  • Working with all-source collectors and analysts to analyze SIGINT collection gaps and opportunities to integrate and refine SIGINT collection plans. Identifies, captures, and evaluates raw and finished SIGINT intelligence reporting to be integrated into the common intelligence picture with emphasis on TOC, narcotics, terrorism, illicit finance, espionage, and human trafficking.

Requirements

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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
  • CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures
  • As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link.

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:

  • Leveraging IC databases, systems, and tools to identify, validate, evaluate relevant SIGINT data to develop and enhance collection and analytic efforts against priority threats.
  • Serving as a senior reviewer of an intelligence organization's SIGINT information and operations reporting to evaluate, discuss, test, and validate intelligence research reports, and intelligence collection programs, plans.
  • Conducting liaison with other federal agencies to collaborate on intelligence sharing, drafting, and dissemination of intelligence reporting derived from SIGINT sources.
  • Recognizing intelligence requirements based on the common intelligence picture, threat templates, and threat organizational and functional structures to provide evaluations on current information to improve future SIGINT collection or reporting.
  • Extrapolating, compiling, and processing information from raw intelligence, open source, law enforcement and intelligence community systems and databases.
  • Developing methods of evaluating the validity, accuracy, and reliability of a broad array and high volume of information.
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 03/25/2024.

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, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process.

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.

Education

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

Additional information

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

Security Clearance: The incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) national security clearance.

Drug Testing: This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.

Training: This position has a training requirement. Selectee(s) are required to attend and successfully complete paid mandatory training. Courses currently include (but are not limited to) the Intelligence Foundations Course, Systems Exploitation Training, and the CBP Intelligence Support Operations Course. The location will be determined at the time of training.

Travel: Incumbent may be required to travel stateside and internationally 25% or more of the time.

Additional Hiring and Special Appointing Authorities: See "THIS JOB IS OPEN TO" section above for what additional Appointing Authorities may apply. Veterans, military spouses, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and people 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 and to understand what documentation would be required with your application, please click on the appropriate link below. You must provide documentation supporting your eligibility prior to the closing date of this announcement. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact the CBP Hiring Center via the contact information listed at the end of this job opportunity announcement.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You 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/12331071

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education, and training will be rated using an assessment questionnaire.

This self-assessment will be used to assess the following competencies or KSAs:

  • Knowledge, experience, processing, and application of signals intelligence and technical means for the development of intelligence products.
  • Knowledge of IC systems, databases and message traffic at all levels of security classification used to gather and develop content for analytic products and briefings to provide situational awareness for decision makers and operators.
  • Ability to use research tools, techniques and procedures used to support analysis and production of intelligence products, and establish the trends, patterns and estimates that enhance situational awareness of decision makers and operators.
  • Knowledge of Intersection of the CBP mission and authorities with those of other federal agencies, state/ local/ territorial/ and tribal governments; and multi-agency collaboration for mission accomplishment.
  • Knowledge of CBP Intelligence Cycle; the key activities, processes, inputs and outputs of each phase of the cycle and how they support CBP mission and operations.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be contacted for an interview. As a part of the interview process, additional selection criteria may be administered by the hiring manager. Preview the job questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12331071

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 eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. 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.

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.

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