Program Manager

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO).

This position primarily plans, organizes, coordinates, controls and evaluates activities within assigned areas. The position directs a program segment that performs professional, technical and/or administrative work. The purpose of the position is to serve as a Program Manager over a critical program segment for which both the scope and effect of the work will have a department-wide or government-wide impact.

This position starts at a salary of $142,488.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $185,234.00 (GS-14, Step 10).

GS Salary:Visitthis linkto view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the “Rest of United States” pay table. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position.Please visitthis linkto view special pay rate charts.

The major duties for the position include:

• Serving as the project leader for Program Segment and/or Program Office projects as a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Provides technical direction in project management, team building, facilitation, process improvement analysis, and the methodology required to develop and substantiate a business case for the selected project.
• Implementing quantitative and qualitative methods within the scope of the respective project and reporting of results; analyzing, facilitating, reporting, and providing recommendations for process improvements, improving quality, reducing costs, and establishing appropriate process metrics and process controls.
• Defining critical quality factors and process improvements on key initiatives that result in significant improvements in service delivery, reduced operational unit costs, increased quality, and reduced process cycle time.
• Managing organizational changes or major change to the structure and content of the program or program segments directed. Exercising discretionary authority to approve the allocation and distribution of funds in the organization’s budget, identifying and resolving, as applicable, unique issues where no policy exists, taking innovative actions to address new needs and/or issues.

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)
• All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English
• 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 followinglink.
• 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 aboutE-Verifyincluding your rights and responsibilities.
• Bargaining Unit:This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

This vacancy has a local commuting area requirement, as defined below (This restriction does not apply to VEOA eligibles):

• 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.

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess 1 (one) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Directing a program segment that performs professional, technical, and/or administrative work
• Overseeing the overall planning, direction, and timely execution of a program or several program segments
• Providing technical advice on strategic issues, including team building, facilitation and process improvement
• Utilizing various analytical methodology including, but not limited to, a wide range of statistical methods and tools, mathematical techniques, and process mapping
• Implementing quantitative and qualitative methods within the scope of the respective project and reporting of results

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; 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 12/12/2025.

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 on the preemployment process, review the following link:Applicant Resources | CBP Careers

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

Probationary Period:All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles:If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information aboutCTAP/ICTAP eligibilityon OPM’s Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.