Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, Credibility Assessment Division located in one of the following locations:

• Tucson, AZ
• Yuma, AZ
• San Diego, CA

Duties

Serves as a first-line supervisor and technical advisor for a staff of Investigative Program Specialists within an assigned Area of Responsibility (AOR). Responsible for planning, organizing, directing, administering, and coordinating polygraph, credibility assessment, and investigative operations and associated programs within the assigned AOR.

This position starts at a salary of $136,456.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $177,399.00 (GS-14, Step 10)

Salary: Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and, if applicable, will be adjusted to meet the locality pay or cost of living expenses of the duty location upon selection.

The Major Duties for this position are listed below but not limited to:

• Ensuring compliance with all applicable statutes, regulations, policies, procedures, and standards governing polygraph operations, including the use and maintenance of polygraph equipment.
• Providing leadership, guidance, advice, counsel, and technical oversight to subordinate personnel regarding polygraph examinations, investigative activities, and CBP administrative matters.
• Developing performance plans, evaluating employee performance, and conducting routine coaching, counseling, and performance management activities.
• Providing management oversight and ensuring compliance during Quality Assurance reviews, inspections, and audits.

Requirements

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 and/or polygraph
• 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

All Polygraph Examiners hired for this position must be certified by the National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA) through successful completion of the Basic Federal Polygraph Training Program, or must provide proof of successful completion of an approved civilian polygraph training course.

Applicants who are not currently CBP Polygraph Examiners must submit documentation demonstrating they meet this requirement, such as:

An NCCA certificate;

• Proof of successful completion of the Basic Federal Polygraph Training Program; or
• Proof of successful completion of an approved civilian polygraph training course.

Applicants who were certified through a prior official designation of the NCCA, including the Defense Academy for Credibility Assessment or the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, must submit the appropriate certificate and must also meet the specialized experience requirements listed in this announcement.

If you are unable to provide certification documentation at the time of application, you must submit transcripts to demonstrate you meet the education requirement.

Current CBP Polygraph Examiners are considered to have met this requirement.

Basic Requirements:

Applicants must meet the following basic requirements for the Investigative Program Specialist (Polygraph Examiner) position:

• Education: Possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a copy of your National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA) certification. Current CBP Polygraph Examiners are considered to have met this requirement.
• Investigative Experience: Possess at least two years of investigative experience with a recognized U.S. Government agency or other law enforcement agency. Your resume must clearly describe this investigative experience, or you must submit a copy of your NCCA certification. Current CBP Polygraph Examiners are considered to have met this requirement.
• PDD/Polygraph Examination: Have successfully completed a Psychophysiological Detection of Deception (PDD) polygraph examination. You must provide proof of the PDD/polygraph examination in your resume or submit a copy of your NCCA certification. Current CBP Polygraph Examiners are considered to have met this requirement.
• Minimum Age: Be at least 25 years of age. Age will be verified using an SF-50, DD-214, or other official government document. Do not redact your date of birth on the SF-50, DD-214, or other official government document submitted for this purpose. Do not submit a photo identification card or any other document containing a photograph. Current CBP Polygraph Examiners are considered to have met this requirement.

AND

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:

• Conducting, overseeing, and evaluating polygraph examinations and credibility assessment activities in support of personnel security, applicant screening, criminal, administrative, counterintelligence, or national security programs.
• Planning, directing, coordinating, and/or evaluating polygraph operations and related investigative activities involving complex, sensitive, and high-visibility matters.
• Providing technical guidance, policy interpretation, and operational oversight to polygraph examiners and investigative personnel.
• Reviewing polygraph reports, investigative documentation, and/or quality assurance findings to assess accuracy, completeness, and adherence to established standards.
• Advising management officials on polygraph, credibility assessment, investigative, and personnel security matters and recommending solutions to complex operational issues.

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 08/28/2026.

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

Polygraph Examination: The Supervisory Investigative Program Specialist (Polygraph Examiner) position is a polygraph-required position. If you are not a current CBP employee in a law enforcement position, you may be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment process. Please see Polygraph Examination.

Polygraph Reciprocity: CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of a CBP polygraph exam. You will receive information to request reciprocity in your Background Investigation Package.

Polygraph Waiver: Certain veterans may be eligible to obtain a polygraph waiver. You will receive information to request a waiver in your Background Investigation Package.

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.

Your transcripts: 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 https://www.accreditation.info/education-quality/usa-recognition.html for more information.

Current CBP Polygraph Examiners are considered to have met this requirement.

Additional information

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.

Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18 month probationary period upon appointment.

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.

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 in