Border Patrol Agent (Assistant Chief)

About the role

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters, Strategic Planning and Analysis Directorate, located in Washington, D.C. Additional selections may be made beyond the total number of vacancies specified using this vacancy announcement.

Further selections may also be made for additional organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

What you will do

• This position will allow you to use your expertise to prevent illegal entry of aliens into the United States by land, water, or air; enforce criminal provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Laws; and seek out and apprehend smugglers or aliens who are in the United States illegally.
• Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen the Department's ability to protect the homeland.
• This position starts at a salary of $129,258.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $168,040.00 (GS-14, Step 10).
• As a Border Patrol Agent (Assistant Chief), you will serve as a secondary law enforcement officer (under 5 U.S.C.
• Your duties will include: Directing compliance management for national programs and oversee the coordination of internal audits, reviews, investigations; and formulating reports, plans/actions or the development of new policies in support of organizational framework.
• Leading the diverse team that institutionalizes the principles and policies that guide USBP operations while providing tools to the field that support them to enforce policy and drive accountability.
• Possessing in-depth knowledge of DHS, CBP, and USBP organizational structures and related agencies to support policy development and review, while analyzing potential risk and translating program goals into measurable deliverables, milestones, and schedules.
• Providing technical advice and guidance on implementation of policy and effective management of USBP programs and providing senior level advisory services to the Chief, Deputy Chief and Senior Executives across USBP regarding, policy, critical mission initiatives, and nationwide USBP programs and services.
• Assisting with development of resourcing plans, configuration management, knowledge management and integration services for all field activities supported by the program.
• Salary: Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and, if applicable, will be adjusted to meet the locality pay or cost of living expenses of the duty location upon selection.

Requirements

• 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) All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English You may be required to pass a background investigation and/or polygraph CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures You must be able to meet job-related medical and/or fitness standards Temporary/Rotational Assignment: To meet agency needs, this position will be filled on a temporary basis not-to-exceed (NTE) 3 year(s), with a possible 2 year extension.
• You may be returned, at any time, to the position from which temporarily promoted, to the last permanent official station and position held prior to this NTE assignment, and the return is not subject to the procedures found in 5 C.F.R. §§ 351, 432, 752, and 771.
• If you are currently at the grade level of the position announced, this action will result in a reassignment, and you may be returned at any time to a same or similar position held prior to this temporary assignment at your previous duty location.
• If you currently hold a grade level higher than the grade being announced, this action will result in a change to lower grade, and you may be returned at any time to the position and grade level held prior to this temporary assignment or to a similar position at your previous duty location.
• At management's discretion, you may be permanently placed to this position without further competition.
• See the USBP Rotation Process Internal Operating Procedures (IOP) by visiting here (this is only viewable from a CBP computer).
• The USBP Rotation Program IOP dictates the terms of rotating out of the NTE assignment once the assignment has concluded.
• Mobility Agreement: This position is subject to a Mobility Agreement.
• Applicants are required to acknowledge the Mobility Agreement within the application questionnaire; however, only those selected for the position will be subject to the terms of the Mobility Agreement.
• You can preview the mobility agreement here: ***

How you will be evaluated

You will be ranked on the basis of the scores received on your U.S. Border Patrol Promotional Assessment.

You must have a current, valid score by 09/14/2026 if you have not held the GS-14 on a permanent basis, or if you have been demoted due to performance or conduct reasons.

You do not need to have a current, valid test score if you have permanently held a position at the GS-14 or higher. Your application record will remain in a pending status until after the announcement closes, at which time we will upload test scores.

The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are: Ability to deal with stress effectively and to display high standards of ethical conduct. Skill in providing briefings to a variety of groups. Skill in excellent communication and writing skills.

Ability to create written documents that are accurate, succinct, and organized Preview the job questionnaire *** 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 eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

You must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.

To be considered well qualified under CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. 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

Documents you must provide

• A resume describing your job-related qualifications is required and will be used for the purpose of reviewing your qualifications and determining what training, if any, would be required when placed.
• Your resume must be in English and must include your job titles and a detailed description of your duties and the dates you performed them (MM/DD/YY), as well as your hours per week for each position listed.
• Your resume should also contain your full name, phone number, email address, and salary.
• To ensure all your experience is considered, the U.S. Border Patrol strongly suggests resumes should describe your experiences and accomplishments, assignment dates, duty locations, your current supervisor's contact information and specify whether you have performed duties in investigations, intelligence, or have worked in sector-level or national programs (e.g., horse patrol, BORSTAR, BORTAC, peer support, chaplaincy, canine, etc.), or been assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, and/or Sector or USBP Headquarters.
• Include leadership or specialized training and college level courses completed.
• Resumes should also specify each supervisory position held (clearly listing SBPA, FOS, SOS, WC, DPAIC, PAIC, ACPA, XO, DC, DCPA or CPA).
• Additionally, include all temporary promotions listing the grade, position, location, and period of time held; temporary details or special assignments held 30 days or more (assignment, location, and period of time); and any prior military or other specialized experience outside of USBP that is relevant to law enforcement work.
• It is recommended that you upload your resume as a PDF instead of a Word document to ensure document quality.
• Ensure that your uploaded resume is not a password protected document, to include Office 365 passwords.
• Limit your resume to no more than two pages.
• The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• See the following link for USBP's optional resume format and additional resume tips: USBP Resume Guidance.
• Your responses to the job questionnaire: *** SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action): Current CBP Employees are encouraged, but not required, to submit an SF-50(s) for CBP experience; however, additional SF-50(s) are required when using federal experience outside of CBP to receive credit towards the following requirements.
• Your SF-50(s) should reflect the highest grade or full performance level held on a permanent basis in the competitive service and having met the time-in-grade requirement of having served 52 weeks at the grade level below (or equivalent) the grade level for this position.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.
• Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)?
• You must submit a separation notice; your most recent SF-50 (noting your current position, grade level and duty location); a copy of your most recent performance rating, an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; or a Military Department of National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C.
• Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee?
• Submit a copy of your initial and termination SF-50s.
• You may be asked to provide a copy of your performance appraisal and/or incentive awards.

What to expect next

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. The open period for this job opportunity announcement may be extended to allow for a sufficient applicant pool.

Once the job opportunity announcement has closed, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. You will be notified by email after each of these steps has been completed.

Stay informed of changes to your application status by signing up for automatic email alerts with your USAJOBS account. If you are referred, you will receive a final notification of the disposition of the announcement. We expect to make a tentative job offer within 60 days after the close of the announcement.

If you are selected, we may conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring.

These authorities are subject to change.

Additional information

This is a Non-Bargaining Unit status position. Motor Vehicle Operation: You must possess the ability to operate a Government Owned Vehicle. A valid, non-restricted driver's license is required.

Shift Work/Overtime: This position requires regular and recurring shift work.

You must be willing and available to work rotating shifts.

You may also be rotated between assignments and duty locations. You could be required to work overtime on a daily basis and will be compensated up to an additional 25% of your base pay in accordance with the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014. Travel: Overnight travel may be required on a regular and recurring basis.

Uniform/Grooming Standards: This position requires wearing an officially approved uniform and complying with established grooming standards found here, as established by the Border Patrol's Uniform and Grooming Standards Policy #IOP-5320-02A-UGSBPA. Please note that in accordance with these standards, tattoos and/or brandings on the head and face are not permitted.

Obscene, racially/ethnically derogatory and/or gang tattoos or brandings shall not be visible.

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.