Inspections Specialist

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Accountability, Juvenile Coordination Division, located in one of the following locations:

• Long Beach, CA
• Indianapolis, IN
• Chicago, IL
• Newark, NJ
• Miramar, FL
• Washington, DC
• Houston, TX

Additional selections may be made to include other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

Duties

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Joining Customs & Border Protection (CBP) will allow you to utilize your expertise in planning and conducting varied inspection projects and other analytical assessments. This position starts at a salary of $106,437.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $138,370.00 (GS-13, Step 10). Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen the Department's ability to perform homeland security functions by performing a wide range of significant and complex inspection/compliance projects and studies involving broad and in-depth analysis and evaluation.

Salary: Salary reflects the Rest of U.S. scale and will be adjusted to meet the locality pay 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.

In this Inspection Specialist position you will become a key team member of Homeland Security professionals involved in effectively evaluating operations compliance of established CBP procedures and policies, as well as assessing operational and organizational compliance; developing, implementing, monitoring, and refining various inspection protocols which encompass complex and constantly changing CBP policy; planning and conducting multi-agency, multi-state, and international studies, reviews, and inspections; developing operational criteria, plans, and bulletins; and inspecting and analyzing a variety of unusual situations.

Typical Work assignments include:

• Conducting inspections and assessments to provide the CBP Juvenile Coordinator with timely, independent, and reliable information and fact-based analysis concerning CBP's compliance with the Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA) and related internal policy.
• Interviewing juveniles, parents, and legal guardians in a conversational manner using open-ended questions to gather information about their experiences while in CBP custody.
• Interviewing supervisors and contract medical personnel to determine on-site medical capabilities available for juveniles, including intake screening, medical assessments, medical encounters, and exit screening.
• Inspecting physical holding areas, food storage, kitchen facilities, and juveniles' access to food and amenities to ensure compliance with the Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA) and internal policy requirements.
• Analyzing and documenting inspection and interview processes and participating in preparing concise and timely inspection reports for management and court-mandated requirements.

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

Qualifications

Specialized 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:

• Conducted facility inspections to assess compliance with safety and sanitation standards for juveniles in custody.
• Prepared inspection reports and briefings, documenting findings and recommending corrective actions to management.
• Interviewed juveniles, parents, and staff to gather information, corroborate records, and support compliance assessments.
• Worked with agency staff and external stakeholders to coordinate inspections and resolve compliance issues related to juvenile custody.

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 11/18/2026.

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) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP eligible. View information about CTAP eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement. To be considered well qualified under CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position.

Education

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

Additional information

Telework: No - exemptions related to telework may be available in very limited cases

Security Clearance: This position requires a Secret level security clearance

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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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.

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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.