Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade (OT), Regulations and Rulings (RR), which includes the Commercial and Trade Facilitation Division, Border Security and Trade Compliance Division and Regulations and Disclosure Law Division, located in Washington, DC.

Duties

Help

As a Supervisory Attorney-Advisor you will exercise professional judgment, initiative, and leadership while formulating, directing, coordinating, and overseeing RR programs and initiatives. This position starts at a salary of $169,279.00 (GS-15, Step 1) to $197,200.00 (GS-15, Step 10).

Typical work assignments include:

• Supervising attorney-advisors, paralegals and other support staff of the Branch, focusing on issues such as tariff classification or administration and enforcement of intellectual property laws (e.g., related to patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets); other issues might include country of origin, customs valuation, penalties, navigation laws, regulatory drafting, disclosure law and customs processes
• Assigning cases and projects, managing branch case load, and reviewing administrative legal determinations and decisions and other written materials prior to their issuance
• Providing technical legal advice and guidance on matters covered by the branch to other OT Directorates, CBP, other agency representatives and other government agencies, Congress and private stakeholders
• Providing regular reports to Regulations and Rulings (RR) and OT management regarding branch productivity and other branch priority issues

Requirements

Help

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.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you are an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Education Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show your completion of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD); or completion of the second professional law degree (LL.M.) from an accredited institution.

Experience: You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Drafting and reviewing complex legal rulings and regulatory documents for CBP programs within established deadlines to ensure technical and legal accuracy.
• Coordinating with cross-functional teams and subject matter experts to analyze and interpret statutory and regulatory requirements for international trade matters.
• Advising senior leadership on policy and legal issues by preparing comprehensive legal memoranda and recommendations on proposed legislation and agency actions.
• Supervising and mentoring a team of attorney-advisors and support staff by assigning projects, providing feedback, and monitoring progress according to established performance standards.
• Leading the development and implementation of operating procedures and strategic plans for regulatory programs by integrating stakeholder input and aligning with organizational objectives

You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 08/05/2026

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 08/05/2026.

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

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information about the education needed for this position.

Additional information

This position is a designated position in the excepted service and is being filled by an alternative hiring process. Assignment into this position does not confer competitive status. You will remain in the excepted service for as long as you occupy this position.

Trial Period: You may be required to serve a trial period of 2 years.

Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18 month probationary period upon appointment and complete a supervisory training course within 12 months of assignment.

Supervisory Training: All newly appointed first-time GS-15 Supervisors are required to complete mandatory training. The training will be scheduled by the Office of Training and Development within the first 90 days of appointment. The duration of the training will include (CBP LI five (5) weeks) in residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed.

Travel: You will be required to travel as needed for any mandatory training, and to provide technical legal support to deliver training, in various field operating locations.

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 the CBP Hiring Center via the contact information listed at the end of this job opportunity announcement.

• Veterans
• Military spouses Effective until December 31, 2028, any spouse of a member on active duty may be eligible
• Individuals with Disabilities The proof of disability documentation must specify that you are eligible to apply using Schedule A. It does NOT need to detail your specific disability, medical history or need for accommodation. For more information visit this link.
• Peace Corps and VISTA
• Land Management Hiring Flexibility Act: The following documents are required at the time of application: SF-50s to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility requirements and the most recent performance rating signed by your supervisor or a statement from your supervisor documenting acceptable performance.
• Other miscellaneous hiring authorities

Expand Hide additional information

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.