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Posted: April 14, 2026 (1 day ago)

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Special Agent in Charge

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Department of Homeland Security

Fresh

Location

Salary

$151,661 - $228,000

per year

Closes

April 28, 2026More ICE jobs →

SES Pay Grade

Base salary range: $147,649 - $221,900

Typical requirements: Executive-level leadership experience. Senior executive qualifications required.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job is for a top-level leader in immigration and customs enforcement, overseeing investigations into crimes like human trafficking, drug smuggling, and cyber threats to protect national security.

It involves directing teams, managing operations, and ensuring laws are followed efficiently across field offices.

A good fit would be an experienced law enforcement executive who is passionate about public service, skilled in strategic planning, and committed to high standards of accountability and innovation.

Key Requirements

  • Expert knowledge of federal laws, regulations, and policies on law enforcement, especially customs and immigration
  • Experience leading multiple investigative teams in complex cases involving violations like arms exports, financial crimes, human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, cyber-crimes, and child exploitation
  • Broad management experience in planning, developing, administering, and directing organizational operations, including short- and long-term program planning and policy creation
  • Demonstrated commitment to the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution, and serving the American people
  • Ability to strategically manage resources, budgets, and pursue efficiency through process and technological improvements
  • Technical competence to produce high-quality work reliably
  • Proven ability to lead and inspire teams toward organizational goals, fostering a high-performance culture and managing change

Full Job Description

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill Senior Executive Service Special Agent in Charge positions in U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations at any location in the field.

Management retains the authority to make selection decisions that serve the needs of the agency based on location priority and available talent.

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.

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

To meet the minimum qualifications requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES.

Resumes over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified.

Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s).

If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the ECQs or TQs.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the TQs.

TQ 1: Demonstrated expert knowledge of federal laws, regulations, and policies governing law enforcement and regulatory operations to plan, direct, implement, and evaluate comprehensive law enforcement and regulatory programs, or high-risk tactical operations and critical incidents in a field environment, with particular emphasis on programs related to the enforcement of federal customs and immigration laws and regulations.

TQ 2: Demonstrated expert knowledge of, and experience in, leading multiple investigative teams engaged in complex federal law enforcement investigative programs, with a focus on customs and immigration violations-including illegal arms exports, financial crimes, fraud, human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, cyber-crimes, and child exploitation.

TQ 3: Broad management experience in planning, developing, administering, and directing organizational operations, with overall responsibility for both short- and long-term program planning, developing operational guidelines and policies, and creating new methods and procedures to solve complex management challenges.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the TQs listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs.

If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.

ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.

ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.

ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture.

This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.

ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in a U.S.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)-approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs.

Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50 or certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES. Major Duties:

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is the principal investigative component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is responsible for investigating, disrupting, and dismantling transnational criminal organizations and terrorist networks that threaten or seek to exploit the customs and immigration laws of the United States.

The Special Agent in Charge (SAC) manages all investigative activities throughout an area of responsibility that focuses on the enforcement of HSI's broad array of investigative authorities.

The SAC's primary jurisdiction includes the protection of the United States and its citizens by deterring, interdicting, and investigating threats arising from the movement of people and goods into and out of the U.S.

This includes oversight of investigations related to national security, financial crimes, immigration, and smuggling violations, such as illegal arms exports, human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, cybercrime, child exploitation, and fraud, among other investigative areas within HSI's authority.

The SAC represents HSI in public forums and in high-level meetings with other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and other stakeholders.

Additionally, the SAC: Exercises broad delegated authority in managing, directing, and implementing all aspects of an HSI field office-including criminal law enforcement, intelligence, immigration enforcement, and administrative operations-across a large geographic area, ensuring alignment with HSI's strategic goals and mission.

Provides day-to-day leadership and direction through subordinate managers and staff, overseeing a large, geographically dispersed, multidisciplinary workforce.

Determines and justifies program and project priorities, initiations, and resource allocations in support of HSI and other directorate objectives, reporting to the Assistant Director, Domestic Operations Division.

Determines and develops the field office's strategic goals and objectives in alignment with U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and HSI priorities, ensuring successful implementation and management of programs that directly impact HSI's mission and DHS objectives; develops strategies and policies to mitigate threats and uphold data integrity.

Designs and develops the field office organizational structure to support mission accomplishment in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Establishes and maintains performance metrics through subordinate managers to monitor work status, assess organizational effectiveness and productivity, and identify and resolve program deficiencies to ensure continued alignment with the organization's mission, goals, and objectives.

Ensures consistent understanding, implementation, and compliance with all relevant criminal, intelligence, and civil immigration laws, regulations, policies, and procedures in support of DHS, ICE, and HSI missions.

Develops, plans, and implements policies and guidelines affecting broad, emerging, and/or critical field office programs.

Interprets and translates new legislation into program goals, actions, and policies, assessing the impact on field office and HSI programs.

Serves as an HSI authority in formulating new criminal law enforcement policies and objectives with broad or long-range impact, and provides management and consulting services to top agency executives on HSI functions and ongoing operations.

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Posted on USAJOBS: 4/14/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 4/15/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: ICESES/26-12873443