Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters (USBP-HQ), Program Management Operations Directorate (PMOD), located in Washington, D.C.

Duties

["In this position, you will serve as CBP's principal Testing & Evaluation (T&E) expert, leading lifecycle test and evaluation strategies, projects, and policies that support acquisition of CBP systems and technologies. The position directly advances the CBP and DHS mission by shaping and validating major acquisition programs whose test and evaluation outcomes drive system performance, resource investment, and operational effectiveness across the agency. This position starts at a salary of $143,913.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $187,093.00 (GS-14, Step 10). As a General Engineer (Testing & Evaluation), you will be responsible for leading test and evaluation (T&E) activities that enable effective, suitable CBP system acquisitions across their full lifecycle. Typical duties will include: Formulating and overseeing developmental T&E plans, processes, and resource allocations to demonstrate system effectiveness and suitability for CBP acquisitions, including complex, new, or unprecedented systems. Leading T&E working-level and integrated product teams, advising program managers and stakeholders on T&E strategies, and developing key documents such as Test and Evaluation Master Plans (TEMPs) and system-level test plans. Directing and coordinating developmental T&E efforts during prototype development, including defining scope, infrastructure, data requirements, schedules, and reporting on system performance and T&E findings. Providing expert T&E advice on the feasibility and application of test strategies and techniques, evaluating contractor proposals and assessment efforts, and recommending modifications to ensure performance, reliability, safety, and cost-effective outcomes."]

Requirements

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 CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures CBP employees demonstrate the highest level of commitment to protect and serve the United States of America and to exemplify the CBP Core Values of Vigilance, Service to Country and Integrity. Learn more about CBP's mission, core values and careers at https://www.cbp.gov/about 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 is required. Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). Basic Requirement(s): A. Degree in Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in (5) five of the following (7) seven areas of engineering science or physics: Statics, dynamics; Strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); Fluid mechanics, hydraulics; Thermodynamics; Electrical fields and circuits; Nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and Any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. -OR- B. Combination of education and experience: College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: Professional Registration or Licensure: Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. Written Test: Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Specified Academic Courses: Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. Related Curriculum: Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. ALONG WITH THE BASIC REQUIREMENT/IOR LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST POSSESS AT LEAST ONE (1) YEAR OF SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AS DESCRIBED BELOW TO QUALIFY BASED ON EXPERIENCE. Specialized 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: Applying advanced engineering concepts, principles, and practices from multiple engineering disciplines to plan, manage, and review complex test and evaluation (T&E) efforts for large acquisition or technology programs; Conducting systems analyses and using quantitative or analytical techniques to develop independent engineering assessments, summary evaluations, or technical reports that inform acquisition or lifecycle decisions; Interpreting and applying test and evaluation policies, standards, or guidance to develop or approve T&E program goals, test plans, and evaluation metrics for major systems or projects; Integrating research and development (R&D), test and evaluation (T&E), and lifecycle logistics engineering processes to support systems across their full lifecycle in a large or complex organization; Communicating complex technical T&E concepts and findings to senior leadership, contractor representatives, and cross-functional stakeholders to support planning, coordination, and decision-making. 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 09/29/2026. 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.

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

Other information

Security Clearance: You will be required to obtain and maintain a Top Secret or higher level clearance for this position. Required Certification: This is a DHS acquisition certification-covered position. The incumbent must possess a DHS Level III certification in Test & Evaluation (T&E) within 18 months of placement. Desired Certification: A secondary certification in System Engineering is highly desired, although not required. Work Environment: The work is usually performed in an office setting. There may be occasional exposure to adverse weather conditions (particularly when visiting environmental test sites/facilities) or to high noise levels when visiting test sites. The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13062986 The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons 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 for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.