Military Spouse Connection Jobs

Summary Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Preclearance, in Abu Dhabi, United Emirates. Responsibilities Salary above excludes COLA. Please see here for specific COLA Rates. Joining the Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations will allow you to use your expertise to detect and prevent terrorists and instruments of terror from entering the U.S. This position starts at a salary of $88,520.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $115,079.00 (GS-13, Step 10) with promotion potential to $99,691 ( Step 10). In this first-line supervisory position you will become a key member of a team of Homeland Security professionals detecting and preventing terrorists and instruments of terror from entering the U.S. Typical work assignments include: Ensuring current selectivity techniques are used to distinguish and concentrate on potential violations while facilitating legitimate arrivals and proper trade activity. Providing guidance and training, communicating intelligence and enforcement information, disseminating new procedures and policy changes to direct reports, assuring work is performed so that legitimate traveling and importing public will experience as little delay as possible. Resolving conflicts between CBP Agriculture Specialists, travelers or importing public. Considering requirements of laws, regulations and procedures, facts surrounding a particular situation, intent of rules discussed, and local and national priorities in determining a course of action. For information regarding Preclearance Operations and location specific details, please see the Preclearance SharePoint page: https://cbpgov.sharepoint.com/sites/OFO/FO/pre/SitePages/Home.aspx The following link provides an overview of Preclearance overseas locations, the benefits of working in Preclearance and the pre-deployment process. https://cbpgov.sharepoint.com/sites/OFO/FO/pre/HR/PreDeprt/Pages/default.aspx 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. 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 You may be required to pass a background investigation and/or polygraph Upon appointment, you may be required to undergo random drug testing You and your dependents must pass a State Department medical examination You and your dependents must obtain a valid passport You must possess the ability to operate a Government Owned Vehicle. A valid, non-restricted driver's license is required. 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. You must be able to obtain and maintain a CBP Travel Card You must attend a one to two week FACT course in VA or WV prior to deployment This position is not covered under the bargaining unit. You and your dependent(s) must be able to obtain a valid UAE Visa. Promotional Assessment Qualifications You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Analyzing a variety of agriculture-related material, pests or diseases including the very difficult, complex and unusual finds submitted by other agriculture inspection personnel. Providing technical advice on import and export of cargo and merchandise. Serving as a consultant identifying a range of insects and related pests associated with the inspection of conveyances/ passengers. Resolving conflicts between CBP Agriculture Specialists, travelers or importing public and handling the most unusual agriculture commodity or pest problems. 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. You qualify for this position if you possess one year of specialized experience as described above and meet the basic requirement listed below. Basic Education/Experience Requirement: You must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences (including botany, entomology, and plant pathology), agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines (e.g., ecology). If you have not completed the above described education, you must have completed at least 24 semester hours in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry or a related discipline at an accredited college or university plus appropriate experience or additional education. Examples of qualifying experience may include working in such areas as pest management, environmental monitoring, farm management, agricultural commodity importation and/or exportation, or other related experience in pest/pathogen detection, regulation, eradication, and control. Transcripts: If you have never held a position in the GS-0401 series with Customs and Border Protection, you are required to submit a copy of your transcripts with your application. 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 07/08/2024. Polygraph Examination: The Supervisory CBP Agriculture Specialist position is a polygraph-required position. If you are not a current CBP employee in a law enforcement position, you may be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment process. Please see Polygraph Examination. Polygraph Reciprocity: CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of a CBP polygraph exam. You will receive information to request reciprocity in your Background Investigation Package. Polygraph Waiver: Certain veterans may be eligible to obtain a polygraph waiver. You will receive information to request a waiver in your Background Investigation Package. Tour of Duty: The employee will serve a two (2) year initial tour, with an opportunity for the Employee to apply for two (2), two (2) year extensions. As an exception to this general rule, tour duration is subject to the host country and the Department of State. At the end of the reassignment, you will be returned to a position at the same level as this Preclearance position. At the discretion of management, the assignment may be extended for additional periods, up to a maximum of six years. You may be returned at any time to your former position or to a different position of equivalent grade as this Preclearance position. Employees who have not served 4 years at a domestic duty station, subsequent to their initial overseas tour of duty, should not be considered for a second tour of duty in any foreign assignment. NOTICE: THE FOUR YEAR RETURN SERVICE PERIOD REQUIREMENT IS WAIVED FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. Applicants who have NOT completed the required 4 year return service period after an overseas tour will be considered. Return Rights: No more than one hundred and fifty (150) calendar days before the end of tour, but not less than ninety (90) calendar days prior to the end of the initial tour, as well as the conclusion of any extensions, employees are expected to formally request, through a fully completed Notice of Intent (NOI), express intent to return to the United States. Please refer to Article 40 Section 6 of the National Collective Bargaining Agreement for additional information with regards to Extension Request and Return Procedures. Annual Leave Accumulation: Employees assigned to Preclearance ports may carry over 360 hours of annual leave to the next leave year (as opposed to 240 hours). Home Leave: In addition to annual leave, you will earn five, ten, or fifteen days home leave on each two year assignment depending on your foreign post assignment and the post differential rate. This leave is granted to you when you have your Preclearance assignment extended for another tour and is to be used between tours. The Government pays your per diem and transportation expenses from your post of duty in a Preclearance station to your former official residence in the United States. In addition, it also pays for the transportation expenses of your dependents who accompany you on home leave to your residence in the United States. You must be admissible to the country you are selected for before a final offer is issued. Employees must select the locations of interest and review the admissibility requirements of those countries. You must certify that if accompanied, your family members, are admissible to enter and temporarily reside in the country. A link to the admissibility requirements of each country is located at: https://cbpgov.sharepoint.com/sites/OFO/FO/pre/HR/PreDeprt/Pages/default.aspx You should review the below concerning inadmissibility: If you are not admissible to a specific country, your applications for that location will not be considered further. If your fail to certify that you have reviewed the admissibility requirements of the country you are applying for, your application will not be considered further. If you certify that you are admissible, and the Agency later learns that the you were inadmissible, your application will not be considered further, and the Agency may pursue other appropriate action, as necessary. If you are selected and report to the country, and the Agency later learns that you were inadmissible, the Agency may curtail the assignment, and require you to return to your permanent position in the United States. The Agency may pursue other appropriate action, as necessary. Education Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position. Living Quarters Allowances (not payable if claiming temporary lodging allowance): Employees receive payment of an annual tax-free quarters allowance for housing while in a Preclearance station. This allowance is intended to cover the cost of suitable, adequate living quarters for the employee and his/her family, plus the cost of heat, light, fuel, gas, electricity, and water. However, at some duty stations government subsidized housing is provided. Temporary Lodging Allowance (not payable if claiming living quarters allowance): A temporary lodging allowance is a tax-free quarters allowance that is granted to you for the reasonable cost of temporary quarters, which are incurred by you and your family for a period not to exceed (1) 60 days after first arrival at a new post in a foreign area, or a period ending with the occupation of permanent quarters, if earlier; and (2) 30 days immediately preceding final departure from the post subsequent to the necessary vacating of residence quarters. Education Allowance: Payment for most actual costs of education for each dependent are determined by the Department of State and are subject to change. Additional Information Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18 month probationary period upon appointment. Leadership Training: All newly appointed, first-time permanent CBP 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 three weeks of in residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed. Uniform: This position requires you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in a duty status. Shift work: You will be required to perform work on a shift and rotational basis. Overtime: You must be readily available to work overtime on a scheduled or unscheduled basis in excess of the 40-hour work week. Physical and Environmental Conditions: The work environment includes offices, aircraft operation areas, airline passenger and cargo areas, rail passenger processing areas and marine docks. Periods of outdoor work may be required in snow, rain, or extreme heat. Occasional periods of outdoor work may be required in remote areas with no modern comfort facilities. The work may involve the use of toxic chemicals, pesticides and fumigants. Protective clothing may be required such as hard hats, gloves, goggles, hearing protection and respirators. 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. This position meets the criteria defined in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as an exempt position. Therefore, while serving in this foreign duty location, the FLSA code will be categorized as "Exempt". Exempt employees receive an overtime rate defined under Title 5 rather than that defined under FLSA. For more information on Title 5 pay, please see the following link: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/overtime-pay-title-5/ All first-line appointed supervisors, who have never completed a supervisory probationary period are required to successfully complete the Essential Supervisory Skills (ESS) course during their supervisory probationary period. Failure to successfully complete the ESS course within the supervisory probationary period will result in the employee being removed from the position. Any additional questions for applicants on Preclearance can be sent to: preclearancemissionsupport@cbp.dhs.gov Please view the video "Protecting America 24/7" to learn more about CBP's Office of Field Operations.