Mission Support Specialist

Full Job Description

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Laredo - Field Operations, Port of Laredo, TX.

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

Experience: You qualify for the GS-09 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 planning and information-gathering for mission support issues and unusual circumstances.

Assisting with identifying basic ways to improve mission support services in relation to management's objectives.

Assessing situations with conflicting or incomplete data using basic analytical techniques. Participating in analyzing the impact of changes in laws, regulations, or policies on management services.

Assisting with reconciling conflicting information and defining issues in terms of applicable laws, policies, and regulations.

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.

Education Substitution: Successful completion of a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in any field, or a L.L.B.

or J.D. for the experience required at the GS-09 grade level.

Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work and have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours.

You are required to submit proof of your claim Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-09 grade level, and may be computed by first determining your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages.

The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level.

Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify for grade GS-09. More information on this qualification standard is located here.

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 02/05/2026.

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 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 eligibility on 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. Major Duties:

In this position you will be responsible for providing guidance and technical advice across a variety of mission support functional areas for a Field Office or Port of Entry, applying fundamental administrative principles and techniques.

By ensuring efficient, compliant, and well-coordinated mission support operations, this position enables CBP operational staff and leadership to focus on core law enforcement and border security activities.

This position starts at a salary of $64,111.00 (GS-09, Step 1) to $83,349.00 (GS-09, Step 10).

You will perform assignments of moderate difficulty that will require reviewing, interpreting, and applying regulations, policies, and precedent cases.

Major duties may include, but are not limited to: Providing management advisory services on mission support issues of limited scope, analyzing segments of broader operational or administrative problems and presenting options to supervisors or managers.

Reviewing and verifying documentation and data from multiple sources to assess relevant facts, ensure regulatory and procedural compliance, and identify or reconcile discrepancies and inconsistencies.

Researching applicable regulations, policies, and precedent decisions to interpret guidance, adapt existing procedures to specific cases, and support recommendations on mission support matters.

Analyzing mission support processes and administrative practices to identify interdependencies with related functions (e.g., logistics, safety, human resources) and recommending procedural or documentation changes when appropriate.

Coordinating with managers and staff across CBP offices to plan and carry out mission support projects, tracking actions and maintaining records that support executive-level administrative decisions and activities.

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.