Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Congressional Affairs, located in Washington, District of Columbia.

Duties

This position starts at a salary of $78,592.00 (GS-11, Step 1) to $122,459.00 (GS-12, Step 10) with promotion potential to $145,617 (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. While serving as a Congressional Liaison Specialist, your duties will include: Maintaining a comprehensive knowledge of all CBP and DHS programs and activities and the related policies of the Assistant Commissioner, Office of Congressional Affairs; Developing and maintaining an effective working relationship with other key program officials to remain thoroughly conversant with operational needs of the programs; Maintaining awareness of potential problems of a politically sensitive nature, areas of special or urgent congressional interest, and any developments of unusual magnitude; and Conducting special briefings for Congressional leaders, Congressional committees and their staffs, and individual Congressional representatives concerning matters in order to promote favorable consideration of legislative needs, as necessary. This includes: oral briefings; statistical and narrative information; specific responses to inquiries; reports based on studies; and various guidelines.

Requirements

Qualifications

Experience: GS-11: 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: Participating in meetings and conferences and providing advice and recommendations on congressional issues; Preparing reports, statistical backup and other information, which provide solid and logical justification to Congress in the advocacy of CBP and DHS goals and views; Presenting factual information but also motivating concerned parties to understand and subscribe to limitations placed on the agency, all actions and options; Conducting special briefings for Congressional leaders, Congressional committees and their staffs, and individual Congressional representatives concerning matters in order to promote favorable consideration of legislative needs, as necessary. This includes: oral briefings; statistical and narrative information; specific responses to inquiries; reports based on studies; and various guidelines. GS-12: 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: Keeping informed of Congressional hearing agendas and informed of matters requiring special attention and personally attends hearings considered to be of paramount importance to CBP and DHS; Preparing or coordinating the preparation of reports, statistical backup, and other information which will provide solid and logical justification to Congress in the advocacy of CBP and DHS goals and view; Making recommendations as to the desirability of making organizational and operational changes in light of congressional interest; and Appraising program progress and the conduct of external relationships as they relate to congressional relations and works constantly to develop new congressional relations to insure strong congressional support for CBP. 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. GS-11: Education Substitution: Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in an accredited college or university, or LL.M. degree, may be substituted for experience at the GS-11 grade level. Such education must demonstrate the skills needed to do the work. One year of fulltime 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, 54 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 3 years of full-time study requirement. GS-11: Combining Education and Experience: Appropriate combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience also may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-11 grade level. 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. 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 08/15/2023. 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 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 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) 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.

Education

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

Contacts

• Address Office of Congressional Affairs Please read entire announcement Please apply online Washington, DC 20229 US
• Name: CBP Hiring Center
• Phone: 952-857-2932
• Email: [email protected]