Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Grand Forks Sector, Law Enforcement Operational Programs, located in Grand Forks, ND.

Duties

This position allows you to use your expertise in developing communication plans and products to improve engagement across diverse stakeholder communities and provides sector leadership with advise and assistance in writing and developing communication materials to ensure coordination and communication throughout the organization. This position starts at a salary of $69,107.00 (GS-11, Step 1) to $107,680.00 (GS-12, Step 10) with promotion potential to $107,680.00 (GS-12 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. As a Strategic Communications Specialist, your duties and responsibilities may include: Planning, writing, and editing internal and external communication products to keep stakeholders informed of sector operations, programs, priorities, and initiatives. Preparing talking points and anticipated questions and answers for sector leadership to ensure stakeholders' concerns are addressed in a wide variety of external engagement forums. Developing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of sector communication strategies, materials, and programs that support and promote enhanced engagement with USBP stakeholder communities. Identifying and anticipating communication needs and potential reaction from stakeholders, including congressional; media; non- governmental; state, local, and tribal governments; and other USBP stakeholder communities. Serving as a liaison with USBP headquarters who collaborates with the Office of Congressional Affairs, Office of Public Affairs, and Office of Intergovernmental Public Liaison.

Requirements

Qualifications

Experience: 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: Planning, writing, and editing internal and external communication products to keep stakeholders informed of operations, programs, priorities, and initiatives Preparing talking points and anticipated question and answers for leadership to ensure stakeholder concerns are addressed in a wide variety of engagement forums Developing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of communication strategies, materials, and programs that support and promote engagement with stakeholder communities Identifying communication barriers and issues, gathering information, and generating possible solutions for recommendations Identifying and anticipating communication needs and potential reactions form stakeholders including congressional, media, non-governmental, state, local, tribunal governmental and other stakeholder communities; and carrying out communication requirements needed to support leadership regarding novel, complex, and controversial operational, programmatic, and policy related issues Experience: 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: Preparing talking points and anticipated questions and answers for leadership to ensure stakeholders concerns are addressed in a wide variety of external engagement forums Establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with leadership, subject matter experts, and other communication offices responsible for congressional, public, and intergovernmental affairs Recommending ways to communicate changing policies and laws Serving as liaison with and establishing working relationships with internal stakeholders Carrying out communications requirements needed to support leadership regarding novel, complex, and controversial operational, programmatic, and policy related issues 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 10/23/2023. 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, 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 eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the Well-Qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this job announcement.

Education

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

Contacts

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