Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) Headquarters, Mission Support Directorate in the following locations: Baltimore, MD Richmond, VA Washington, DC Additional selections may be made for other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.
This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement. Basic Requirement: Degree in operations research; or at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus. Evaluation of Education: The primary requirement of operations research work is competence in the rigorous methods of scientific inquiry and analysis rather than in the subject matter of the problem. Therefore, applicants should have sufficient knowledge of applied mathematics to understand and use the fundamental concepts and techniques of operations research methods of analysis. In addition, some positions may require knowledge of a specific subject area. Courses acceptable for qualifying for operations research positions may have been taken in departments other than Operations Research, e.g., Engineering (usually Industrial Engineering), Science, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, or Management Science. Along with the basic requirement listed above you must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience described below to qualify based on experience. Experience: You qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Translating mission requirements into quantitative models to evaluate staffing, scheduling, logistics, and resource deployment alternatives; Producing briefings, dashboards, and executive decision memos with actionable recommendations; Managing a team of analysts (work planning, prioritization, performance management, training), coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, and negotiating acceptance and implementation of study recommendations; Executing project management across studies (scope, milestones, risks, and deliverables), ensuring timely delivery, methodological rigor, and proper handling of sensitive data while measuring post-implementation impacts. 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 12/03/2025. 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 about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on 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. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP), Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), or the Reemployment Priority List (RPL)? You must submit a separation notice; your most recent SF-50 (noting your current position, grade level and duty location); a copy of your most recent performance rating; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; or a Military Department of National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456; or RPL registration documentation.
In this position, you will lead a team conducting advanced quantitative analyses, modeling, and decision-support studies to evaluate and improve programs, operations, and resource allocation, while overseeing study design, data quality, and communication of findings to leadership. This work provides rigorous, data driven insights that optimize policies, staffing, and investments, strengthening Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) mission effectiveness and efficiency. This position starts at a salary of $142,488.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $185,234.00 (GS-14, Step 10). GS Salary: Visit this link to 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 visit this link to view special pay rate charts. As a Supervisory Operations Research Analyst, you will be responsible for sensitive, confidential and complex projects and difficult operations research assignments. This involves responsibility for developing and recommending proposals for increasing the effectiveness of the Workforce Analysis Branch operations research analysis program. Typical duties will include: Overseeing the Workforce Management Division's research team which is responsible for shaping the organizational structure of USBP through the development of staffing models used to forecast staffing requirements. Developing policy in support of organizational design and analysis trends as well as making recommendations and developing solutions to complex staffing requirements (programmatic adjustments as necessary). Applying accepted operations research, systems analysis, economic analysis, and cost analysis methods and procedures. Developing detailed plans, goals, and objectives for long range implementation and administration of programs. Leading program-level data analysis and assisting in the identification of needed data sets, as well as validating information using databases and statistical software tools.