Customs and Border Protection Logo
Position Title
MISSION SUPPORT ASSISTANT
Agency
Customs and Border Protection
Announcement Number
USBP-IMP-12709987-CS 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 U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee in a permanent competitive service position?  To determine your permanent competitive service status, refer to the Tenure and Position Occupied fields of your most current SF-50 as referenced below.  

To support your response, it is recommended that you submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF) 50 reflecting that you currently hold a permanent competitive service position:
  • Tenure:  Career or career-conditional (1 or 2 in block 24)
  • Position Occupied:  Competitive service (1 in block 34)
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3. Instruction: As a CBP 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 CBP employee, have you held a permanent position with CBP or 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. You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate that you meet promotion potential. Recommended SF-50s include promotions and step increases (within grade increases).  SF-50s should reflect:
  • Career or career-conditional (Tenure field is 1 or 2 in Block 24); AND
  • Status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1 in Block 34); or if with another merit system which OPM has an interchange (Position Occupied field is 2 in Block 34); AND
  • Promotion Potential is equivalent to or higher than the grade level being announced.  This would be in the remarks section of your initial appointment SF-50 or the SF-50 of the highest grade held.
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.
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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Preferences
1. Select the lowest grade you are willing to accept for this position. (limit characters)
2. 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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3. 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-5 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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4. 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-6 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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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
*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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8. This vacancy has a local commuting area requirement, as defined below:
  • The area surrounding the duty station by which people reasonably travel back and forth from home to work; Or
  • The employee's permanent duty station is located within the reasonable travel area surrounding the duty station of this vacancy; Or if applicable
  • For employees who are detailed or temporarily promoted (for less than 1 year) to another duty location, the permanent duty location is considered to be the duty location of record for commuting area purposes.
  • For employees who are detailed or temporarily promoted (for more than 1 year) to another duty location, the detailed or temporary duty location is considered to be the duty location of record for commuting area purposes.
Do you meet the local commuting area requirement?
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9. 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 statements best describes your experience for the GS-06 grade level?
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10. 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 statements best describes your experience for the GS-07 grade level?
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Assessment 1
The following questions are used to rate applicants who meet the minimum eligibility and qualification requirements. (limit characters)
1. I am proficient at performing the following functions using computers and/or computer software.
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2. I am proficient at using the following software.
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3. I have experience maintaining databases, compiling and reviewing data.
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4. Which of the following best describes your highest level of experience managing and maintaining records?
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5. I am able to retrieve data from records systems to prepare summaries of statistical information.
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6. From the following choices, select those duties that you have performed in the administration of a time and attendance (T&A) reporting system.
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7. I have received training in and am proficient in applying the rules associated with the Government Purchase Card Management System.
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8. I have performed the following duties in purchasing supplies for an employer:
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9. I am proficient at securing and maintaining inventories of controlled materials including records to account for their use.
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10. Which of the following best describes your work experience reviewing and/or assessing clerical policies, procedures, and/or practices used by an organization and its sub-components (work units, offices, branches, etc.) to ensure consistent application?
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11. I am proficient at independently making decisions concerning work priorities and/or operational needs.
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12. In the acquisition of supplies and equipment, I have performed the following duties:
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13. I have experience preparing the following time and attendance reports:
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14. Which of the following best describes your experience adapting and applying business/administrative principles, practices, methods, and/or techniques to a work unit to facilitate management/organizational goals and objectives?
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15. From the list below, select all those tasks you have performed to organize, control, and file non-technical, non-scientific correspondence or documents.
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16. I have experience determining a course of action to resolve the disposition and processing of documents and records that contain inconsistent data, missing information, or unique information.
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17. Which of the following types of reports have you had experience producing and/or coordinating to meet your employer's information requirements?
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18. From the following list of statements, select the one which best describes your highest level of experience in identifying and correcting errors on information submitted for data entry, or errors on a data base following data entry.
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19. I am proficient in the proper use of sentence structure, grammar, and spelling when preparing correspondence.
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20. I am proficient at providing clear written and/or oral information to effectively communicate to personnel.
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21. I am proficient at preparing meeting minutes which document discussions, agreements, and/or commitments to provide a written record for follow up and reference.
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22. From the following list of statements, select the one which best describes your highest level of experience in reviewing information for errors prior to entry onto a data base, and comparing information on a data base against the information originally provided for entry.
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23. I have written and developed reports which included large volumes of statistical data.
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