Customs and Border Protection Logo
Position Title
WRITER-EDITOR
Agency
Customs and Border Protection
Announcement Number
USBP-SMP-10969180-WR Opens in new window
Open Period
Monday, November 30, 2020 to Friday, December 4, 2020
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Are you a current federal employee who has received notice that you will be displaced from the Department of Homeland Security? If yes, confirm:
  • you occupy a position in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND
  • you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND
  • you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you will be separated; AND
  • your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation to validate your claim of CTAP eligibility, such as:
  • Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice, AND
  • Copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Resource Center.
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2. Are you a current Federal employee with competitive status?

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. Must reflect:
  • Tenure: Career or career-conditional (1 or 2)
  • Position Occupied: Competitive service (1)
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3. Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from a position in a federal agency? If yes, confirm:
  • you occupy (or have been separated from) a position located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy;
  • you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND
  • your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation to validate your claim of ICTAP eligibility, such as:
  • Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice, AND
  • Copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Resource Center.
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4. The following question applies to current or former Federal employees.  If you are not a current or former federal employee, select No.  Applicants who claim only the Promotion Potential eligibility will not receive further consideration. 

Do you hold or have you previously held a permanent position in the Federal competitive service (or in another merit system with which OPM has an interchange agreement) with a Full Performance Level (FPL) equivalent to or higher than the FPL of the position being announced?
 
Applicants who competed for and currently hold or have previously held a permanent position with the same FPL or higher as the position being announced, may be referred for selection without competition under our agency promotion procedures.  Details and temporary promotions are not considered permanent positions.
 
To verify your eligibility as a current or former Federal civilian employee, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form that reflects:
  • career or career-conditional (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND
  • status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1); or if with another merit system which OPM has an interchange (Position Occupied field is 2); AND
  • Full Performance Level equivalent to or higher than the grade level being announced.
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5. Are you a veteran whose latest discharge was under honorable conditions AND you:
  • served three or more years of continuous active duty service in the military (NOTE: if released shortly before completing a 3-year tour, you are considered to meet the eligibility); OR,
  • are entitled to veterans' preference?

For more information, review USAJOBS Veterans resources.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of service which includes character of service. For information on how to request your veterans documentation please contact the Veterans Affairs Benefits and Services at 1-800-827-1000  or online via https://iris.custhelp.va.gov/app/ask/ 
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Preferences
1. Are you a current political Schedule A or Schedule C Executive Branch employee or a former political Schedule A or Schedule C Executive Branch employee who held the position within the last five years applying to a competitive or non-political excepted service position under Title 5 of the United States Code or are you a current non-career Senior Executive Service (SES) Executive Branch employee or a former non-career SES Executive Branch employee who held the position within the last five years applying to a competitive or non-political excepted service position under Title 5 of the United States Code?

To verify, please submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF-50) or other relevant documentation reflecting your status as a Political Appointee.
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2. There is a time-in-grade (TIG) requirement for promotion into this position for any individual who holds or within the previous 52 weeks held a General Schedule (GS) position under nontemporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch. Have you completed 52 weeks in a position at or above the GS-11 grade level?

If you are a current federal employee or former federal employee within the past 52 weeks, submit one or more SF-50s that support your selected response below showing you meet or are exempt from time-in-grade requirements.
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3. 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, before completing an application for CBP employment.

If you do not meet the residency requirement as stated above 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 wavier 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

Exceptions may be granted to applicants if they can provide complete state-side coverage information required to make a suitability determination. Examples of state-side coverage information include: the state-side address of the company headquarters where the applicant's personnel file is located, the state-side address of the Professor in charge of the applicant's "Study Abroad" program, and/or the state-side addresses of anyone who worked or studied with the applicant while overseas. If selected for a position, you must provide documentation to support a request for an exception.

Do you meet the residency requirement?
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4. Are you receiving a retirement annuity from OPM based on retiring from the Federal government? If you select yes and you are selected for this position, your salary will be off-set by the amount of your retirement annuity.

To verify, please submit a copy of your retirement SF-50 with your application package.
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5. If you are a CBP employee, please enter your CBP email address in this format without any extra spaces or characters: john.a.smith@cbp.dhs.gov. If you are not a CBP employee, enter N/A. (limit characters)
6. If you are a CBP Employee, please enter your Hash ID without any additional spaces, punctuation, or letters. Example: CIC1K4L. If you are not a CBP employee, enter NA. (limit characters)
7. I have read and understand the following statement: You will be considered for the highest grade level for which you qualify for. Eligibility will be verified based on your resume and transcripts. You must have gained the work experience by the closing date of this announcement. Full-time work experience is 35 or more hours worked per week and must be clearly stated on your resume. Qualifications based on work experience will be determined by what is listed on your resume. Work experience refers to both paid and unpaid experience, such as volunteer work.

Your resume must include the following:
  • Be in English
  • Include full legal name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Complete work history (which includes job titles)
  • Detailed description of your duties (including tasks performed)
  • The dates you performed those duties (MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY)
  • Hours worked per week for any position you worked that was not full time (less than 35 hours per week)

    For Federal employment experience, your resume must also include:
  • Series
  • Grade level(s)
  • Salary

    Do you agree to provide a resume that contains the necessary requirements listed in the instructions above?
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8. Which of the following best describes your experience to qualify for the GS-12 grade level? (limit characters)
Assessment 1
The following questions will be used to rate applicants who meet the minimum eligibility and qualification requirements. (limit characters)
1. Indicate the extent of your experience writing and editing reports.
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2. Indicate the extent of your experience editing articles and correspondence in a variety of styles (e.g., for internal agency publications, for the general public, for the trade community, etc.).
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3. Do you have experience maintaining awareness of current government writing and reporting style and format requirements?
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4. Indicate the extent of your experience ensuring written correspondence adheres to organizational and style requirements.
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5. Indicate the extent of your experience editing correspondence for use by a variety of stakeholders (for example, component offices).
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6. Indicate the extent of your experience preparing personal correspondence (for example, thank-you notes, commendation letters, special letters, response letters) for senior-level executives.
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7. Indicate the extent of your experience examining documents produced by organizational divisions or other components before the final draft is submitted to senior leadership.
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8. Indicate the extent of your experience using correspondence tracking systems (for example, Internet Quarum, eCase, Front Rowe, OpenText).
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9. Indicate the extent to which you have experience in making rapid revisions to written content under time pressure.
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10. Indicate the extent of your experience logging, tracking, and managing daily tasks so that all correspondence is completed in a timely manner.
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11. Do you have experience processing inter-office clearances?
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12. Do you have experience reviewing, editing, and re-writing Congressional correspondence?
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13. Indicate the extent of your experience preparing data for press or other stakeholders, for example, members of Congress, the general public, or State/local government.
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14. Indicate the extent to which you have experience in communicating orally with various levels of employees in order to obtain and provide information.
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15. Indicate the extent of your experience establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with stakeholders who are internal and external to the agency.
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16. Select the choice that best describes your ability to collaborate with others to streamline internal correspondence processes.
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