Intelligence Research Specialist

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

• $72K — $114K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in intelligence analysis or a related field
  • Strong understanding of intelligence cycle processes
  • Proficiency in integrating and analyzing all-source data
  • Ability to produce clear, concise analytical reports
  • Experience in presenting intelligence findings
  • U.S. citizenship required due to government employment guidelines
  • Background in compliance with established directives and policies

Responsibilities

  • Execute intelligence processes across all phases of the intelligence cycle
  • Integrate data from various sources to analyze operational impacts
  • Assess and validate intelligence for accuracy and relevance
  • Monitor and provide analytic direction for intelligence projects
  • Research and produce in-depth intelligence analytical products

Benefits

  • Federal employment benefits including health insurance and retirement plans
  • Opportunities for career advancement and promotions up to GS-13
  • Paid federal holidays and annual leave
  • Professional development and training opportunities
  • Participation in the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan
Full Job Description
Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Intelligence, located in New York, NY.

This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 100 applications have been received, whichever happens first.

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

Duties

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In this position you will serve as an Intelligence Research Specialist (IRS), specializing as an all-source analyst, applying a full range of intelligence knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide insights that warn of potential threats and assessments on possible outcomes in regard to national security.

This position starts at a salary of $72,737.00 (GS-09, Step 1) to $114,413.00 (GS-11, Step 10) with promotion potential to $163,062.00 (GS-13 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.

Major Duties for this position include, but are not limited to:

  • Executing intelligence processes across all phases of the CBP intelligence cycle: planning and direction, collection, processing and exploitation, analysis and production, and dissemination.
  • Integrating data and information from all relevant sources to analyze situations or conditions that affect organization operations.
  • Assessing and validating intelligence on measures of relevance, timeliness, and objectivity, and prepare professional intelligence reports for briefing and dissemination across the organization.
  • Providing analytic direction and project monitoring services specified in interrelated geographical and functional areas; gathers, evaluates, analyzes, and abstracts data from multiple or specific sources; produces analyses, reports, and briefings; and formulates appropriate actions regarding problem areas, technical or administrative procedures.
  • Researching, evaluating, integrating, and analyzing all-source data in the preparation of clear, concise, in-depth intelligence analytical products focusing on the threats and all relevant information related to CBP operations.


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.
  • 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.
  • Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.


Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for the GS-9 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

  • Identifying intelligence gaps, problems, or potential difficulties;
  • Interpreting policy as it relates to analytic production, and compliance with all established authorities, directives, and guidelines;
  • Participating as a team member to develop and produce analytical products;
  • Providing maintenance and control of classified material and derivative classification requirements;
  • Resolving basic issues and moderate conflicts that arise; and relies on instruction and training to apply relevant policies.


Education Substitution GS-09: You may substitute a Master's degree or 2 full years of graduate education or a J.D or L.L.B. degree for experience required at the GS-9 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours.

Experience: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

  • Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating baseline intelligence information using a variety of intelligence-gathering methods to include: link analyses, visual investigative analyses, crime mapping, and telephone toll record analyses to support operations;
  • Extracting, compiling, and analyzing raw data and reporting to draft intelligence reports containing original analyses, assessments and recommendations under direct supervision and guidance;
  • Brainstorming innovative methods using structured analytic techniques to determine validity to assess veracity of intelligence information;
  • Preparing baseline intelligence products and collection support products under direct supervision;
  • Presenting and briefing to internal peers a variety of intelligence topics and provides feedback to internal partners to close intelligence gaps in support of intelligence collection operations and analysis.


Education Substitution GS-11: You may substitute a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral degree, or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M. for experience at the GS-11 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise three years of graduate study. If that information is not available, use 54 semester or 81 quarter hours.

Combining Education and Experience: To combine your education and experience, convert each to a percentage and then add the percentages. If your education is described in quarter hours, multiply by the fraction 2/3 to convert into semester hours, then divide the semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total months of experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages together. The total must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11.

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 09/08/2026.


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


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 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.

Please upload your resume under the "Resume" document type. Any other relevant supporting documents should be uploaded under their appropriate document types as mentioned above. Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Do notsubmit documents as a PDF Portfolios.

Education

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

Education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable at this time; however, official copies will be required prior to entrance on duty) or a list of coursework with hours completed provided from the institution. Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials. Note: If submitting documentation of an evaluation, transcripts are still required. For a listing of some accrediting agencies see NACES | Credentials Evaluations Provided by NACES Members. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

Additional information

Additional Hiring and Special Appointing Authorities: See "THIS JOB IS OPEN TO" section above for what additional Appointing Authorities may apply. Veterans, military spouses, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and people 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

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