Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations, one vacancy in each of the following locations:

• Riverside, CA
• Homestead, FL
• Plattsburgh, NY
• El Paso, TX

Duties

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The purpose of this position is to represent and execute the operational requirements of the Air Branch Director, Air Operations and intensively manage the Air Branch/Air Unit aircraft maintenance program and specifically the National Aircraft Maintenance and Logistics Support (NAMLS) contract; administer the aviation maintenance Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Air Quality Management District (AQMD) programs.

Additional selections may be made beyond the total number of vacancies specified using this vacancy announcement. Further selections may also be made for additional organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

This position starts at a salary of $89,508.00 (GS-12, Step 1) to $138,370.00 (GS-13, Step 10).

Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied.

Salary: Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and, if applicable, will be adjusted to meet the locality pay or cost of living expenses of the duty location upon selection.

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.

Typical work responsibilities include:

• Leading and directing an Air Branch or Air Unit aircraft maintenance program
• Conducting investigations into aircraft type model series, the aviation industry, and aircraft maintenance activities
• Performing investigations into aviation program and quality compliance issues
• Functioning as the liaison for aircraft facility maintenance, repair, and upkeep requirements of hangar and shop areas specifically occupied and utilized for the maintenance and support of aircraft

Requirements

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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 following link.
• Financial Disclosure is required.
• Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.
• Security Clearance: You will be required to obtain a Secret or higher level clearance for this position.
• Physical: Must be capable of lifting heavy objects at the work site and some objects may exceed 50 pounds. Must be capable of climbing ladders, onto maintenance stands and on occasion aircraft to conduct inspections. Must be able to successfully complete a routine physical.
• Travel: You may be required to travel to temporary duty assignments, both foreign and domestic.
• Certification:
  
  • Must possess and maintain a valid FAA Airframe and Powerplant Certificate (A&P) and an Inspection Authorization (IA)
  • Must obtain COR Level II certification within 18 months of appointment to this position.

Qualifications

Minimum Eligibility Requirements:

General Requirements:

1. Not more than two separate incidents involving Federal aviation regulations violations in the last 5 years
2. Valid State driver's license
3. Fluency in the English language
4. No chemical dependencies or drug abuse that could interfere with job performance; and
5. High school diploma or equivalent.

Medical Requirements:

Applicants must be physically able to perform the duties of the Aviation Safety Inspector position in a safe and efficient manner, and must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Have good distant vision in each eye and be able to read printed materials the size of typewritten characters (glasses and contact lenses permitted) without strain
2. Have the ability to hear the conversational voice (hearing aid permitted)
3. Not have any physical condition that would cause them to be a hazard to themselves or others or that would interfere with their ability to fly as passengers in a variety of aircraft.

Safety Inspector (Airworthiness):

1. Experience involving the maintenance and repair of airframes, power plants, and aircraft systems with responsibility for certifying airworthiness.
2. Maintenance experience with aircraft 12,500 pounds or less maximum certificated takeoff weight.
3. Aircraft maintenance experience in a repair station; air carrier or airline repair facility; military repair facility; or local, state or Federal governmental agency.
4. Aircraft maintenance work experience within the last 3 years.
5. FAA Mechanic Certificate with airframe and power plant ratings.

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:

• Conducting in-depth aircraft inspections and surveillance of aircraft maintenance operations, repair stations, and maintenance providers to ensure compliance with FAA regulations and safety standards.
• Evaluating effectiveness of contractor maintenance planning programs, policies and procedures ensuring regulatory compliance and operational safety.
• Providing expert technical guidance on aircraft systems, complex maintenance regulations, airworthiness directives, and safety policies to operations personnel
• Providing technical expertise in the evaluation and oversight of aircraft maintenance-related contracts and acquisitions, ensuring vendors and contractors meet all regulatory and contract performance requirements.
• Overseeing contract maintenance activities, deliverables, and procurement activities to verify compliance with contract requirements and regulatory standards in support of effective maintenance operations.

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:

• Exercising certification authority over flight operations or maintenance for multiple air carriers, contract operators, and air travel clubs operating fleets of large turbine- or piston-powered aircraft.
• Acting as the primary point of contact responsible for certifying, inspecting, and overseeing the flight operations of a group of aviation organizations.
• Managing all assignments and information related to assigned organizations, and developing work programs to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and organizational manuals.
• Serving as the main liaison for certification, inspection, and oversight of multiple aviation organizations, including repair stations responsible for overhauling multiengine airframes, powerplants, and various aircraft components.
• Assessing and making recommendations for major program elements within flight operations or maintenance activities of a major air carrier, including proposing changes to operating procedures and policy guidelines.

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 by 08/17/2026.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

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 eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the Well-Qualified category for this position, as described within this announcement. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this job announcement.

Additional information

The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. To preview the questionnaire please visit: https://apply.usastaf