Summary
Organizational Location:This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade (OT), Regulations and Rulings Directorate (RR), Border Security and Trade Compliance Division, located in Washington, DC.
Learn more about this agency
Overview
- Open & closing dates
04/22/2024 to 05/09/2024 - Salary
$163,964 - $191,900 per year - Pay scale & grade
GS 15 - Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
- Remote job
No - Telework eligible
Yes-as determined by the agency policy. - Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position. - Relocation expenses reimbursed
No - Appointment type
Permanent - - Work schedule
Full-time - - Service
Excepted - Promotion potential
15 - Job family (Series)
0905 Attorney - Supervisory status
Yes - Security clearance
Not Required - Drug test
No - Announcement number
OT-SMP-12375780-TJC - Control number
787714600
This job is open to
- Federal employees - Competitive service
Current or former competitive service federal employees. - Federal employees - Excepted service
Current excepted service federal employees.
Clarification from the agency
Current and Former Federal employees in the Excepted or Competitive Services.
Duties
In this position you will provide Strategic communications, administrative, and policy development support and assist with the facilitation of the execution of planning, reviewing, and managing communication products and program operations at Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade.
CBP Office of Trade is the architect of the most robust customs system in the world and the second largest revenue source for the U.S. Government. We facilitate legitimate trade, enforce U.S. laws, and protect the American economy as well as consumer health and safety. Collaborating with industry and government partners, we create a fair, competitive, and safe trade environment, and we enforce U.S. trade law to protect national economic security. Our expertise in the trade community allows us to lead the development of streamlined and efficient processes that provide certainty for legitimate importers, while combatting transnational crime.
Joining U.S. Customs & Border Protection Office of Trade (OT) will allow you to use your expertise in providing policy and technical legal support to the programs within the Regulations and Rulings Directorate. This position starts at a salary of $163,964.00 (GS-15, Step 1) to $191,900.00 (GS-15, Step 10) with promotion potential to $191,900.00 (GS-15 Step 10).
Typical work assignments include:- Supervising, as a Division Director and as a first-line supervisor, the first-line supervisory attorney-advisor Branch Chiefs within the Division, as well as paralegals, and other support staff of the Border Security and Trade Compliance Division, and supervising, as a second-line supervisor, the attorney-advisors within the Division, as well as support staff.
- Reviewing Enforce and Protect Act administrative review determinations and other higher profile administrative legal determinations, decisions, recommendations, and other written materials prior to their issuance.
- Providing regular reports to RR and OT management regarding Division productivity, and other Division priority issues.
- Providing technical legal/policy advice and guidance on matters covered by the Division (such as fines, penalties, and forfeitures and claims for relief from liquidated damages; intellectual property rights; importation of cultural property; carriers and the navigation laws; restricted merchandise; and/or the Enforce and Protect Act), to other OT Directorates, CBP, other agency representatives, and other government agencies.
Requirements
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
Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you are an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Education Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show your completion of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD); or completion of the second professional law degree (LL.M.) from an accredited institution.
Experience: You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess 3 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:- Drafting and interpreting legal instruments and working on other projects such as litigation, proposed legislation, and training, especially as it relates to the border security and trade missions of CBP.
- Furnishing technical legal, administrative, and programmatic guidance and advice with respect to complex programs and/or Administrative Procedure Act (APA) rulemaking.
- Providing guidance on complex program issues requiring extensive interpretation for various and unrelated program processes and methods.
- Reviewing regulations, proposed rulings and decisions, or other work to ensure legal accuracy and technical adequacy, and analyzing border security and trade policy implications and the decisions' effects on uniformity.
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
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
Education
Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.
Additional information
Trial Period: You will be required to serve a trial period of 2 years.
Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.
Travel: You may be required to travel as needed for any mandatory training, and to provide technical legal support.
Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18 month probationary period upon appointment and complete a supervisory training course within 12 months of assignment.
Supervisory Training: All newly appointed first-time GS-15 Supervisors are required to complete mandatory training. The training will be scheduled by the Office of Training and Development within the first 90 days of appointment. The duration of the training will include CBP Leadership Institute for five (5) weeks in residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed.
Financial Disclosure is required.
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.
DHS 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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- Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination. Applicants will be rated based on their education, experience, demonstrated legal research and writing abilities, and performance during the interview process, which may include personal interview(s) and a writing exercise.
The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:- Ability to assess program operations and make changes and improvements, while managing the flow of work product efficiently and maintaining the quality of the final work product.
- Skill in reviewing binding rulings, recommendations, guidelines, notices and/or other decisions on subjects covered by the Division, including matters related to: fines, penalties, and forfeitures and to claims for relief from liquidated damages; intellectual property rights; importation of cultural property; carriers and the navigation laws; restricted merchandise; and the Enforce and Protect Act.
- Skill in providing subject matter expertise, legal technical guidance, and training to RR internal stakeholders, Office of Trade and other policy directorates, Office of Field Operations (OFO) headquarters and field personnel, partner government agencies, and the trade on subjects covered by the Division.
- Skill in developing and maintaining relationships within the Office of Trade, with other offices in CBP, such as the Office of Chief Counsel, as well as with other government agencies in order to accomplish office and CBP goals.
- Skill in communicating and advising orally and in writing to various organizational levels, including senior leadership and the trade community, while setting goals, establishing plans, managing employee performance, and onboarding new employees.
This position is a designated position in the excepted service and is being filled by an alternate hiring process. Assignment into this position does not confer competitive status. You will remain in the excepted service for as long as you remain in this position.
Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, Office of Trade considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor in the hiring process. Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
- Your resume: 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. A resume in English is required. It must contain your full legal name, address, phone number, complete work history including a detailed description of your duties, the dates you performed those duties (MM/DD/YY), your hours worked per week, job title, as well as series, grade, and salary (if applicable). For additional required items, see the link. *Note- 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.
- Your responses to the job questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12375780
- Are you a current or former federal employee? ALL CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST SUBMIT THE MOST RECENT COPY OF THEIR SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing competitive status: Tenure 1 or 2 in Block 24 and Position Occupied 1 in Block 34. Additionally, applicants should also submit a SF-50 reflecting the highest grade held on a permanent basis in the competitive service or the full performance level of your current position, whichever is higher, AND a SF-50 to support having met the time-in-grade requirement of having served 52 weeks at the grade level (or equivalent) below the grade level(s) for this position. 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 requirements above. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases, and accessions.
- Are you a former federal employee, and have been separated from federal service for over 52 weeks? To be considered non-competitively, a recent rating of record (performance appraisal) from your most recent career or career-conditional position of at least fully successful (or equivalent) is required to be submitted with your application. If you were not issued a rating of record, a letter from your most recent career or career-conditional position Supervisor stating you were fully successful will be accepted. For more information, review the OPM Hiring Information.
- Your transcripts: All applicants are required to submit a copy of your transcript(s) (unofficial is acceptable at this time; however, official conferred copies will be required prior to entrance on duty) from an accredited law school. If you are a current CBP employee within the position series announced, transcripts will not be required at the time of application; however, education will be verified if you are selected and you may be required to submit transcripts at that time. Education must be from an accredited institution. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials. Note: If submitting documentation of an evaluation, transcripts are still required. For a listing of some accrediting agencies, please see www.naces.org. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
- Law License: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you are an active member in good standing of the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory, or possession of the United States.
- 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 relying on your education to meet qualifications requirements:
College education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degree from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all the required information as stated in the vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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