Program Manager

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

$143K — $187K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 1 year of specialized experience at GS-13 level or equivalent, overseeing program management.
  • Demonstrated ability in project planning and organization within set priorities and objectives.
  • Experience applying regulations and administrative policies to resolve operational challenges.
  • Capable of supporting program activities contributing to national operations.
  • Skilled in analytical evaluation to identify improvements in program effectiveness.

Responsibilities

  • Plan, organize, and evaluate program activities across organizations.
  • Direct a program segment involving technical and administrative work.
  • Lead complex projects intersecting various organizational lines.
  • Set critical quality standards and implement initiatives for service improvement.
  • Innovate solutions for unique issues without existing policies.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive federal employee benefits package for you and your family.
  • Access to various health, retirement, and leave programs.
  • Eligibility for additional benefits may depend on position type (full-time or part-time).
Full Job Description
Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Cargo and Conveyance Security Directorate, Manifest and Cargo Security Division, located in Washington, DC.

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

Duties

Help

In this position, you will serve as a Program Manager over a critical program segment with work that has department-wide or government-wide scope and impact. You will also regularly receive, review, analyze, or disseminate sensitive national security data or information.

This position starts at a salary of $143,913.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $187,093.00 (GS-14, Step 10).

Typical Duties:

  • Planning, organizing, coordinating, controlling, and evaluating the activities of an organization(s)
  • Directing a program segment that performs professional, technical, and/or administrative work
  • Leading complex projects, often cutting across organizational/activity lines. Defining critical quality factors, process improvement on key initiatives that result in significant improvement in service delivery
  • Assuring implementation by subordinate organizations and operating units of goal and objectives of a department-wide program
  • Identifying and resolving, as applicable, unique issues where no policy exists, taking innovative actions to address new needs and/or issues


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.

Qualifications

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:

  • Planning and organizing projects, studies, or teams within established priorities, funding, and program objectives, including coordinating with staff and management to complete all phases of assigned work
  • Applying regulations, administrative policies, program policies, or management theories to specific program issues, operational problems, or work processes
  • Supporting the planning, coordination, control, and evaluation of program activities for a critical program segment that performs professional, technical, or administrative work and contributes to nationwide mission or program operations
  • Applying analytical methods to evaluate program effectiveness, identify process improvements, develop recommendations, and support improvements in service delivery, quality, cost efficiency, or process cycle time
  • Preparing written or oral reports, findings, recommendations, or analyses for management officials on program operations, policy implementation, project status, or organizational effectiveness


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 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 09/28/2026.


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

Security Clearance: You may be required to obtain a Top Secret security clearance for this position.

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.

Please view the video "Protecting America 24/7" to learn more about CBP's Office of Field Operations.

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

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.

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