Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Acquisition, AGO Directorate, located in Arlington, VA.

Duties

Joining Customs & Border Protection (CBP), Office of Acquisition, Chief Engineer Office will allow you to utilize your expertise in systems engineering to oversee various engineering activities, initiatives, and policies that support the entire Acquisition workforce and all component acquisition programs. This position starts at a salary of $64,957.00 (GS-09, Step 1) to $102,166.00 (GS-11, Step 10) with promotion potential to $122,459 (GS-12 Step 10). Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen the Department's ability to perform homeland security functions. 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. In this System Engineer position you will become a key team member of Homeland Security professionals involved in performing analysis and evaluation of System Engineering activities; supporting the preparation and presentation of authoritative advice and recommendations; and formulating and exploring new theories as well as developing, advising, testing new approaches, providing expertise, and writing policy. Typical Work assignments include: Providing engineering advice and guidance to Custom and Border Protection Agency components, program managers, and the acquisition workforce regarding; Reviewing systems specifications and standards, performing requirements analyses, and identifying functional requirements; Attending meetings, discussions, and conferences to brief program officials on System Engineering initiatives; and Preparing systems engineering reports and related program documentation that address system technical characteristics, requirements and limitations; and ensuring that they are in compliance with Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and Office of Acquisition policies. CONTINUED FROM REQUIRED DOCUMENTS SECTION: Are you a veteran? If you are applying under a veteran appointing authority, you must submit documentation to support eligibility such as a DD 214 listing the character of service and either qualifying medal(s) or service period, a VA Disability Award letter dated 1991 or later, and/or supporting documentation as listed on the Standard Form 15. If you are currently serving on active duty, you must submit a written statement from the armed forces certifying your dates of service, your rank, expected type of discharge and anticipated date of separation. If you apply with a written statement at this stage, your preference will be verified by a DD 214 (Member Copy 4) upon separation from the military. To learn more click here. Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee) Agency Beginning and ending dates of appointment If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here. You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and/or incentive awards. Additionally, if you are a former federal employee, and have been separated from Federal service for over 52 weeks, it is recommended that you submit your most recent rating of record (performance appraisal) when applying.

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you meet the basic requirement below. To meet the Basic Requirement for this position you must meet one of the following: A. Degree in professional engineering (not engineering technology). To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. (Copies of your current registration or transcripts must be submitted at the time of your application.) OR B. A combination of education and experience - college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: (Copies of your current registration or transcripts must be submitted at the time of your application.) Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.) You qualify for this position if you meet the basic requirement listed above and possess one year of specialized experience or substitution of education, if applicable, as described below. Specialized Experience: GS-09: 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: Using general knowledge of System Engineering processes to provide analyses, evaluations and advisory services regarding systems engineering requirements; Assisting with evaluating the design/test process of proposed acquisition programs to determine if they apply the critical elements of System Engineering planning and technology; and Assisting with preparing written evaluations; building written or oral presentation; or providing oral discussions. 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: Demonstrating knowledge in the application of System Engineering processes to provide analyses, evaluations and advisory services regarding systems engineering requirements; Demonstrating the ability to evaluate the design/test process of proposed acquisition programs to determine if they apply the critical elements of System Engineering planning and technology; Analyzing and evaluating engineering change proposals; and Demonstrating ability in identifying and resolving engineering issues, which could have an impact on the program/project, through written proposal and/or communications with others. 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: GS-09: Successful completion of a master's or equivalent degree, or two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree from an accredited college or university, may be substituted for experience at the GS-09 grade level. Such education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate study. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours. GS-11: Successful completion of a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral degree, or three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, from an accredited college or university, may be substituted for experience at the GS-11 grade level. Such education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise three years of graduate study. If that information is not available, use 54 semester or 81 quarter hours. Combining Education and Experience (GS-09/GS-11): 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 in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level, by 18 ((1 year of graduate study = 18 semester hours). 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. The two percentages must total at least 100%. CONTINUED IN EDUCATION SECTION

Education

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

CONTINUED FROM QUALIFICATIONS SECTION:

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 09/19/2023.

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 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.

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.

Contacts

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