Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Chief Counsel, located in 32 locations across the Unites States.

Duties

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The Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) is one of the federal government's largest and most established legal offices, providing critical legal advice and support across the CBP portfolio including trade enforcement, search and seizure, immigration, labor and employment, and government ethics. OCC is establishing a dedicated Assistant Chief Counsel for Ethics position within the Ethics, Labor & Employment (ELE) Section. This unit will oversee the agency's ethics program, deliver comprehensive ethics advice, and manage the full range of matters within the ethics portfolio.

Locations: Washington, DC; Minneapolis, MN; Artesia, NM; Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Buffalo, NY; Chicago, IL; Del Rio, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Edinburg, TX; El Paso, TX; Glynco, GA; Harpers Ferry, WV; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Laredo, TX; Long Beach, CA; Marfa, TX; Miami, FL; Milwaukee, WI;, New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Tampa, FL; Tucson, AZ; Yuma, AZ

This position starts at a salary of $147,945.00 (GS-15, Step 1) to $192,331.00 (GS-15, Step 10).

In this position, you will become a key member of the legal team of the Office of Chief Counsel. Typical work assignments include:

• Oversee and supervise the Ethics Unit's delivery of OCC-wide ethics training, including onboarding of new employees, onboarding of supervisors, and annual training for executives, as well as ethics training for CBP clients on topics such as acceptance and solicitation of domestic and foreign gifts, invitations to widely-attended gatherings, and outside employment; supervise the issuance of ethics advice to CBP clients regardless of location; oversee CBP's Financial Disclosure Program, to include training filers and reviewers, reviewing OGE Form 278 and OGE Form 450 submissions, and conducting ethics reviews of political appointees; handle the full scope of work within the ethics portfolio;
• Manage the legal office, planning and implementing a legal program, the development and dissemination of national ethics guidance, address general and frequently asked questions for OCC and CBP clients;
• Serve as the senior principal attorney to all operating components of CBP, maintain and update resources and communications to educate OCC and CBP clients on emerging ethics issues, changes, and best practices; and
• Supervise and train Ethics Unit attorneys and support staff, review work assignments; make recommendations on hiring, promotions, and awards, and direct the flow of ethics assignments to ensure a timely and effective responses.

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)
• 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.
• Financial Disclosure: The applicant selected for this position will be required to file a new entrant OGE Form 450 Confidential Financial Disclosure Report no later than 30 days after assuming this position, and on an annual basis thereafter while encumbering this position. If, however, the applicant has, within 30 days prior to assuming this position, left another position for which the filing of an OGE Form 450 is required and has previously satisfied the reporting requirements applicable to that former position, no new entrant OGE Form 450 shall be required. 5 C.F.R. Section 2634.903.
• Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.
• Supervisory Probationary/Trial Period: CBP Directive No.51250-009 requires that all first-time supervisors and managers serve an 18 month probationary period upon initial appointment. You may also be required to complete an appropriate supervisory training course within 90 days of assignment to this position.

Qualifications

Applicant must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be 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.

Applicants must have a minimum of five years of substantive legal experience as a licensed attorney and a minimum of two years of federal service at the GS-0905-14 grade level by the closing of this announcement and the following:

Applicants should also possess and demonstrate the ability to supervise the work of others.

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 by 07/23/2026.

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, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process.

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 if education is applicable to this position.

Additional information

Relocation: Should relocation funding be available, expenses may be offered to the selectee either as a full "Permanent Change of Station" (PCS) or as a lump-sum payment under CBP's Voluntary Relocation Plan test program (VRP). Should the selectee be offered the VRP in lieu of any relocation benefits available under the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), 41 C.F.R., Subtitle F, Chapter 302, the amount of the lump-sum payment will vary depending upon whether you rent or own your current residence and whether your residence is a single or multiple-person household. Any relocation expenses incurred that are greater than the VRP lump-sum payment amount will be your responsibility, and no subsequent claims for relocation expenses will be granted by CBP. The lump-sum payment, which will be made through direct deposit, will be treated as wages and, thus, will be subject to all applicable employment tax withholdings. To be eligible for the VRP, you must sign an employment agreement by completing CBP Form 334C-1 at the time of selection. Additional information can be found in CBP Directive 5330-026b, which is available on the CBPNet Policy Page.

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

Leadership Training: All newly appointed first-time CBP 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 3 weeks of in residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed.

Travel: You may be required to travel.

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process (Excepted Service) and is not in the competitive civil service.

Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however the Office of Chief Counsel considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor in the hiring process.

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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Learn more about OCC's mission, core values and careers at https://careers.cbp.gov/s/career-paths/occ/occ-attorney

Review our benefits