Intelligence Research Specialist

Summary
Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Intelligence, National Border Security Intelligence Center Directorate, Pacific Northwest Regional Intelligence Center, located in Blaine Washington.
This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• Federal employees - Competitive service
  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
• Veterans

Clarification from the agency
Current Federal employees with competitive status; Current and former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Individuals who are eligible under Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).
Duties
In this Intelligence Research Specialist position you will be providing the CBP Intelligence Enterprise and operational stakeholders with intelligence products that inform and enhance their ability to make strategic, operational of tactical decisions in support of CBP operations directed at threats to border security. This position starts at a salary of $92,123.00 (GS-12, Step 1) to $142,408.00 (GS-13, Step 10) with promotion potential to $142,408.00 (GS-13 Step 10).
Major duties include:

• Identifying, reviewing, and evaluating large volumes of sensitive and complex information in support of strategic, operational or tactical operations.
• Assuming primary responsibility for the completion of long-range and broad-scope analytical products, including intelligence notes, estimates and assessments.
• Assessing the reliability of the information sources and evaluates the validity of the information. Using established intelligence techniques to analyze data from a variety of sources to develop targets, trends, patterns, profiles, estimates, and studies in support of CBP operational and mission success.
• Conducting studies, preparing staff reports, and delivering briefings to managers and operators to enhance understanding and acceptance of findings and recommendations.
• Engaging in complex research and analyses to developing and publishing finished tactical, operational, and strategic level intelligence products; selecting the proper methods of dissemination and coordinating dissemination of intelligence products.

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
• Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below)
• 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 following link.

Qualifications
Experience: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Serving as a technical consultant on intelligence issues to ensure awareness of potential threats and common operating picture.
• Collecting and evaluating intelligence information from multiple sources conducting research and analysis of complex issues to inform stakeholders at all levels.
• Analyzing and interpreting specialized datasets or other intelligence regarding a target's technological capabilities and produces intelligence assessments that explain their impact on agency operations.
• Maintaining collaborative working relationships for operational coordination, information sharing, and other matters of mutual or multi-jurisdictional interests with internal and external stakeholders.
• Encompassing intelligence disciplines to support network development or finished intelligence products in support of operational initiatives or proposals to management with little supervision.

Experience: 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:

• Serving as a senior reviewer of an intelligence organization in evaluating, discussing, testing, and validating Intelligence Research reports, and intelligence collection programs, plans.
• Recognizing intelligence requirements based on existing reporting and providing evaluations on current information to improve future intelligence collection or reporting.
• Extrapolating, compiling, and processing information from raw intelligence, open source, law enforcement and intelligence community systems and databases.
• Conducting special research studies and providing comprehensive assessments of broad, complex, or highly sensitive issues.
• Developing methods of evaluating the validity, accuracy, and reliability of a broad array and high volume of information.

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 12/04/2023.

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, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process.
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.
Education
Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.
Additional information
Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.
Promotion Potential: Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied.
Telework: Telework may be available on a regular recurring or situational basis.
Security Clearance: You will be required to obtain a TS/SCI level clearance for this position.
Shift Work/Overtime: You will be required to perform work on a shift and rotational basis. You must be available to work overtime on a scheduled or unscheduled basis.
Travel: Overnight travel may be required on a regular and recurring basis.
Training: This position has a training requirement. Selectee(s) are required to attend and successfully complete paid mandatory training. Courses currently include (but are not limited to) the Intelligence Foundations Course, Systems Exploitation Training, and the CBP Intelligence Support to Operations Course. The location will be determined at the time of training. You may be required to successfully complete the training requirement as a condition of employment. Failure to successfully complete the required course(s) of training in accordance with CBP standards and policies will result in placement into either a former or different position, demotion, or separation as determined by management and appropriate procedures.
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.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

• Benefits
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will only be considered for the Eligibilities for which they claim in the job questionnaire AND must provide the supporting documentation. Applicants will not be considered for Eligibilities for which they did not claim, regardless of the documentation submitted with the application. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12208764
We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education, and training will be rated using an assessment questionnaire.
This self-assessment will be used to assess the following competencies or KSAs:

• Skill in producing finished intelligence products that cover specific threat topics and portfolios.
• Knowledge of intelligence community directives covering analytical tradecraft and properly sourcing information.
• Ability to triage large amounts of information to identify emerging trends and threats in support of analytical production.
• Ability to develop working relationships across the intelligence community and U.S. Government to build a network in support of analytical production.
• Ability to support tactical and operational decision makers with all-source analysis.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be contacted for an interview. As a part of the interview process, additional selection criteria may be administered by the hiring manager. Preview the job questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12208764
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 ...