Supervisory CBP Agriculture Specialist

Summary
Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, New York Field Office, located in Queens, NY.
This job is open to

• Internal to an agency
  Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency
Current U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who are currently working in a permanent competitive service position
Duties
Joining the Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations will allow you to use your expertise to detect and prevent terrorists and instruments of terror from entering the U.S. This position starts at a salary of $115,118.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $149,651.00 (GS-13, Step 10) with promotion potential to $149,651 (GS-13 Step 10). Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen Homeland Security by performing law enforcement activities that enforce the laws and regulations related to the import and export of agriculture, commodities and baggage entering and/or exiting the United States.
In this first-line supervisory position you will become a key member of a team of Homeland Security professionals detecting and preventing terrorists and instruments of terror from entering the U.S. Typical work assignments include:

• Supervising shift operations and providing technical advice
• Resolving conflicts between CBP Agriculture Specialists, travelers or importing public
• Responding to and resolving technical and operational questions
• Providing guidance and training, communicating intelligence and enforcement information
• Monitoring methods and quality of services provided to customers

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
**You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you meet the basic requirement below.**
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:

• Providing technical advice on import and export of cargo and merchandise
• Analyzing a variety of agriculture-related material, pests or diseases including the very difficult, complex and unusual finds submitted by other agriculture inspection personnel
• Serving as a consultant identifying a range of insects and related pests associated with the inspection of conveyances/ passengers
• Resolving conflicts between CBP Agriculture Specialists, travelers or importing public and handling the most unusual agriculture commodity or pest problems

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.
You qualify for this position if you possess one year of specialized experience as described above and meet the basic requirement listed below.
Education/Experience Requirement: You must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences (including botany, entomology, and plant pathology), agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines (e.g., ecology). If you have not completed the above described education, you must have completed at least 24 semester hours in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry or a related discipline at an accredited college or university plus appropriate experience or additional education. Examples of qualifying experience may include working in such areas as pest management, environmental monitoring, farm management, agricultural commodity importation and/or exportation, or other related experience in pest/pathogen detection, regulation, eradication, and control.
Transcripts: If you have never held a position in the GS-0401 series with Customs and Border Protection, you are required to submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.
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 12/01/2023.

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.
Polygraph Examination: CBP has the authority to conduct a polygraph for the Supervisory CBP Agriculture Specialist position, however, at this time a polygraph is not a pre-employment requirement. If CBP decides to implement the polygraph as a pre-employment requirement while you are in the hiring process, CBP will notify you and provide additional information.
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.
Medical Requirements: The Agriculture Specialist position has medical qualification standards. A pre-placement medical examination is required to ensure those tasked with the position's responsibilities are medically and physically capable of performing the essential tasks and job functions in an efficient and safe manner without endangering the health and safety of co-workers, the public, or oneself. Persons in this position must demonstrate they are physically and mentally capable of performing the essential functions of the position. The medical qualification standards cover any disease or condition that may potentially interfere with the safe and efficient performance of the job duties or training may constitute grounds for medical disqualification. The medical standards also include specific vision and hearing requirements as noted below.
Vision:

• Distant Visual Acuity: Must be at least 20/30 or better in the best eye with or without correction. Individuals who have undergone refractive eye surgeries/procedures (e.g., photorefractive laser surgery, keratoplast, LASIK) may be qualified provided they have no post-operative adverse complications and they meet the vision requirements.
• Near Vision: Must be 20/30 or better Snellen with or without corrective lenses.
• Color Vision: Must be able to distinguish colors (i.e., red, green, yellow, blue, orange, purple, pink, brown, black, white, gray). Use of an X-chrome lens is not acceptable.
• Visual Fields: a minimum of 140 degrees in the horizontal meridian.?

Hearing:

• Hearing level in each ear must not exceed 40 decibels (dB) for the average of the following frequencies: 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hertz (Hz).
• The difference in hearing level between the better ear thresholds and worse ear thresholds may not exceed 15dB for the average of 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz.
• The difference in hearing level between the better ear and worse ear may not exceed 30dB at 4000 or 6000 Hz.
• The use of hearing aids to meet the standards is acceptable.

Physical and Environmental Conditions: The work environment includes offices, aircraft operation areas, airline passenger and cargo areas, and marine docks. Periods of outdoor work may be required in snow, rain, or extreme heat. Occasional periods of outdoor work may be required in remote areas with no modern comfort facilities. The work may involve the use of toxic chemicals, pesticides and fumigants. Protective clothing may be required such as hard hats, gloves, goggles, hearing protection, and respirators.
Additional information
Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.
Certification: Must maintain pesticide certification.
Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18-month probationary period upon appointment.
Supervisory Training: All newly appointed, first-time permanent CBP Supervisors are required to complete mandatory training. The training will be scheduled by the Office of Training and Development within the first 90 days of appointment. The duration of the training will include three weeks of in-residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed.
All first-line appointed supervisors, who have never completed a supervisory probationary period are required to successfully complete the Essential Supervisory Skills (ESS) course during their supervisory probationary period. Failure to successfully complete the ESS course within the supervisory probationary period will result in the employee being removed from the position.
Data Systems: You will be required to maintain access to all data systems necessary for duty execution.
Shift work: You will be required to perform work on a shift and rotational basis.
Overtime: You must be readily available to work overtime on a scheduled or unscheduled basis in excess of the 40-hour work week.
Motor Vehicle Operation: You must possess a current valid State driver's license at the time of appointment.
Uniform: You will be required to wear an officially approved uniform while in a duty status.
Training: This position has a training requirement. Selectee(s) are required to attend and successfully complete a total of 10 weeks of paid training by the US Department of Agriculture and CBP Field Operations Academy in a combination of virtual and residential formats. This is followed by 10 weeks of post-academy training at the selectee(s) assigned duty station. 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.
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