Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Training and Development for the following locations:

2 - U.S. Border Patrol Academy - Artesia, New Mexico

2 - Field Operations Academy - Glynco, Georgia

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

Duties

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This position starts at a salary of $74,678.00 (GS-11, Step 1) to $116,362.00 (GS-12, Step 10) with promotion potential to $116,362.00 (GS-12 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:

• Assisting in planning, writing, and editing internal and external communication products (e.g., talking points, fact sheets, briefing materials, social media posts, presentations, graduation pamphlets) to inform stakeholders about OTD operations, programs, and activities.
• Helping develop and implement communication strategies and materials to support engagement with stakeholders of the assigned Academy, Center, or Division, collaborating with subject-matter experts to convey operational policies and procedures to different audiences.
• Reviewing communication products and strategies for clarity, accuracy, consistency with organizational objectives, and appropriateness for the intended audience; prepare and refine responses to requests for information.
• Identifying communication challenges and potential stakeholder reactions, gather and synthesize relevant information, and recommend approaches to management to address issues and improve messaging.
• Reviewing internal policies and processes for currency, recommend updates or improvements, and ensure guidance and procedures are clearly communicated to management and stakeholders.

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

Qualifications

Education Substitution: GS-11: A Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M. degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for experience required at this level. 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.

OR

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:

• Assisting with the development, coordination, or execution of communication plans, strategies, or products used to inform internal or external audiences about organizational programs, policies, operations, or initiatives.
• Drafting, editing, or reviewing materials such as talking points, fact sheets, briefings, reports, presentations, or social media content.
• Working with subject-matter experts to translate technical, operational, or policy information into clear messaging.
• Reviewing stakeholder feedback, audience reactions, or communication challenges and recommending improvements to communication products, strategies, or messaging approaches.

OR

Combining Education and Experience: To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage, and then add the percentages. The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. Note, only graduate education in excess of two full years may be used to qualify. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%.

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:

• Developing, implementing, or evaluating communication plans, strategies, or programs for internal or external stakeholders.
• Independently planning, writing, editing, and reviewing a variety of communication products, including talking points, fact sheets, reports, briefing materials, presentations, official statements, articles, event notices, social media content, or similar materials for leadership or stakeholder use.
• Advising management or leadership on communication approaches, stakeholder reactions, messaging risks, or strategies for addressing complex, sensitive, or high-visibility communication issues.
• Collaborating with program officials or stakeholders to communicate policies, procedures, or program information clearly and accurately.

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 08/18/2026.

Education

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

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

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

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.

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 federal jobs. To determine your eligibility and to understand what documentation would be required with your application, please click on the appropriate link below. You must provide documentation supporting your eligibility prior to the closing date of this announcement. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact