Telecommunication Specialist

Full Job Description

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S.

Customs and Border Protection, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Infrastructure and Operations Directorate located in Orlando, FL.

Additional selections may be made to include other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above. This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement.

Experience: Experience in evaluating, analyzing, developing, managing, or improving communications systems, procedures, and requirements that demonstrated knowledge of current developments and trends in communications concepts and technology.

Along with the basic requirement listed above you must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience and or education described below to qualify for this position.

Experience: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Supporting the planning and development of Land Mobile Radio Networks, such as voice, data, and wireless networks.

Utilizing software in a production environment related to Over-The-Air-Rekey to secure communication by updating the encryption keys used to protect data transmissions.

Supporting senior staff in the installation and programming of transmission lines, radio handhelds, quantars, routers and switches.

Assisting with training users on telecommunications systems and services. 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 GS-11: Successful completion of a Ph.D.

or equivalent Doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in an accredited college or university, or an LL.M.

(if related), may be substituted for experience at this grade level.

Such education must have a major study in electrical or electronic engineering, mathematics, physics, public utilities, statistics, computer science, telecommunications management, information systems management, business administration, industrial management, or other fields related to the position.

One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study.

If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 54 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 3 years of full-time study requirement.

Combining Experience and Education (GS-11): To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage, and then add the percentages.

The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify.

If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3.

To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours by 18.

To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience.

Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%.

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 03/06/2026.

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.

Major Duties:

Joining the Customs and Border Protection Office of Information and Technology will allow you to use your communication skills to design, develop, and monitor voice, data, and video surveillance systems.

This position starts at a salary of $74,678.00 (GS-11, Step 1) to $97,087.00 (GS-11, Step 10) with promotion potential to $97,087 (GS-11 Step 10).

In this Telecommunications Specialist position, you will become a key member of Homeland Security professionals by coordinating and conducting performance measurements on new and advanced wireless telecommunication equipment and techniques.

Typical work assignments include: Determining suitability for service, repair or excess of subscriber radios and network infrastructure equipment.

Repairing, testing and redistributing refurbished and repaired telecommunication equipment. Maintaining encryption and serving as key management controller for over the air rekeying.

Maintaining accountability of equipment and providing detailed cost and analyst reporting to management.

Contacting vendors and companies to install and/or perform specialized services for network infrastructure equipment. 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.