Customs and Border Protection Logo
Position Title
Chief of Staff
Agency
Customs and Border Protection
Announcement Number
EAC-IMP-12706694-JPH Opens in new window
Open Period
Monday, March 17, 2025 to Friday, March 21, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
The following set of questions focus on how you are eligible to apply for this announcement. Eligibilities are known as the specific hiring authorities that allow you to be considered for this announcement. Applicants will only be considered for eligibilities for which they claim during the online application and provide documentation displaying their eligibility for the hiring authority. Please see the required documents section of this announcement for documentation information. For more information regarding what hiring authorities you may be eligible for, please see the following link https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/

Note, the Promotion Potential question applies to current or former Federal employees only. If you are not a current or former Federal employee, select No. Selecting No or answering this question incorrectly will not remove you from consideration. However, if you only claim the promotion potential eligibility, you will not receive further consideration for this position.
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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 located 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.
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2. Are you a current Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employee who is currently employed with DHS in a permanent competitive service position? DHS includes the following agencies; CBP, ICE, FEMA, FLETC, USCIS, USCG, USSS, etc). Please visit http://dhsconnect.dhs.gov for a comprehensive list of all DHS agencies. Note: To verify your eligibility as a current DHS employee you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting: Tenure: Career or career-conditional (1 or 2) and Position Occupied: Competitive service (1).
If you do not meet any of the categories above, you must answer no to this question.
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3.

Instruction: As a federal competitive service employee, answering this question incorrectly will not remove you from consideration.  However, if you only claim promotion potential eligibility, you will not receive further consideration for this position. 

As a current federal employee, have you held a permanent position in the Federal competitive service (or in a merit system with which OPM has an interchange agreement) with the promotion potential or equivalent of the position noted in the announcement?  Please indicate your response below.  

Promotion potential (also known as full performance level or FPL) means the highest level/grade that can be achieved in the career ladder progression of the position that is held on a permanent basis. Details and Temporary Promotions are not creditable towards meeting these requirements. To verify your eligibility as a current Federal civilian employee with promotion potential, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action(s), Standard Form(s) 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form(s) that reflect:   

  • Tenure (Box 24): Career or career-conditional (1 or 2); AND 
  • Position Occupied (Box 34): Competitive service (1); OR 
  • Position Occupied (Box 34): Excepted service (2); when in another merit system which OPM has an interchange; AND 
  • Promotion Potential equivalent to or higher than the grade level being announced. 
Examples: 
  • You currently hold a GS-09 position with promotion potential to the GS-12.  The progression is GS-09, GS-11, and GS-12.  You hold a position with the promotion potential of a GS-12.
  • Your current position is a GS-12. You are temporarily promoted to a GS-13 position. The temporary promotion is not a permanent position, and your promotion potential is your current position of GS-12.
  • Your current position is a GS-12. You previously held a GS-13 position on a permanent basis.  GS-13 is considered the highest promotion potential you have held.

You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate that you meet promotion potential. Further guidance on how to read your SF-50 can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Reading your SF-50 to determine your service and appointment type.


 

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4. Reasonable Accommodations for taking the online assessments are provided on a case-by-case basis only to qualified individuals with a disability covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

Do you have a disability (physical or mental) that you believe will interfere with completing the online assessments and require a Reasonable Accommodation?

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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 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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3. 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
*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.

Do you agree to provide a resume that contains the necessary requirements listed in the instructions above?
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4. 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)
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. 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-14 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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7. This question will be used to determine whether or not you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. You may wish to consult the vacancy announcement for a description of those requirements.

Which of the following best describes your experience to qualify for the GS-15 grade level?
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8. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires a USA Hire online assessment, which measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. If you are required to take the USA Hire assessment, you will be emailed a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. The USA Hire online assessment must be completed within 48 hours, following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). See the How to Apply and Next Steps within the Job Opportunity Announcement for additional details.

Do you acknowledge that you may be required to take an additional online USA Hire assessment, via an email link sent to you after completion of this application, and that failure to complete any portion of the assessment will remove your application from consideration?
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9. All newly appointed, GS-15s are required to complete mandatory leadership training. The Office of Training and Development will schedule eligible managers to attend the training within the first 90 days of appointment. All newly appointed, permanent GS-15s shall attain the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform their responsibilities by completing required leadership training in accordance with agency policy.

NOTE: This training may be waived if previously completed.

Do you acknowledge that you will be required to schedule the mandatory training within the first 90-days of your appointment and complete the training in Harpers Ferry, WV unless you have already completed this requirement?
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Assessment 1
The following questions will be used to rate applicants who meet the minimum eligibility and qualification requirements.
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1. Which of the following best describes your experience developing and maintaining an effective working relationship with key officials to remain aware of operational needs which may be politically sensitive in nature? (limit characters)
2. Which of the following best describes your experience leading and developing a program's communications, analyzing best practices, and leading a holistic strategy to improve key communications processes and measures? (limit characters)
3. Which of the following best describes your expertise in reviewing and appraising major policy issues, including those with agency and national economy implications and impacts? (limit characters)
4. Which of the following best describes your experience furnishing senior-level officials with recommendations for action, including fully documented conclusions? (limit characters)
5. What is your level of expertise leading an organization's cross-disciplinary activities to support senior level policy making decisions? (limit characters)
6. Which of the following best describes your experience directing the collection and development of data from a wide variety of sources within an organization? (limit characters)
7. Describe your experience determining the need to obtain expert opinion and/or legal advisory involving urgent and practical problems. (limit characters)
8. Describe your experience relaying instructions from one senior official to another senior-level official. (limit characters)
9. From the following responses, please select the statement that best describes your skill in determining the resources to devote to particular programs, especially when a significant portion of an organizations budget is involved. (limit characters)
10. From the following responses, please select the statement that best describes your knowledge of policy formulation. (limit characters)
11. From the following responses, please select the statement that best describes your skill in long-range planning in connection with prospective changes in functions and programs. (limit characters)
12. Monitoring project progress against approved plans including the identification of gaps and the formulation of corrective actions. (limit characters)
13. Indicate the extent to which you have gathered and analyzed facts, determined the accuracy of the data, defined the problem, and identified solutions. (limit characters)
14. Which statement best describes your experience performing detail analysis of business processes, operating procedures, policies and systems to recommend more efficient processes? (limit characters)
15. Which statement best describes your experience documenting and analyzing current and new processes and workflows by creating visual process maps using automated tools (e.g., Microsoft Visio or Mural), illustrating each step in the process, including inputs, outputs, decision points, and the sequence of activities? (limit characters)