Mission Support Assistant

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Tucson Field Office. Vacancies are located in the following areas: Douglas, AZ (6 vacancies), Nogales, AZ (1 vacancy), and Tucson, AZ (1 vacancy). Additional selections may be made beyond the specified vacancies for other organizational divisions or units within these duty locations.

About the Role

This position provides substantive administrative support to managers and staff within the assigned organization. You will perform a variety of general clerical duties in support of various specialty areas.

Responsibilities

• Assisting in preparing press releases and planning public affairs campaigns, including arranging meeting space and drafting handouts.
• Assisting with administrative requirements for reprogramming and transferring funds between accounts and offices serviced.
• Coordinating and monitoring the organization’s property management and space utilization programs.
• Assisting with onboarding processes.
• Preparing, following, and assisting with changes in protocols, including sending taskers for higher-graded employees and supervisory personnel.

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 apply).
• 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.
• Your conduct will be subject to government ethics standards and criminal conflict-of-interest statutes.
• DHS uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility for all newly hired employees.

This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

Qualifications

GS-05 Grade Level: You qualify if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Providing routine clerical support to an organization.
• Disseminating informational material to various target audiences.
• Ensuring receipt of ordered items and processing vouchers and invoices.
• Assisting with the annual physical inventory of nonexpendable property and equipment.
• Using software packages (e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, databases, desktop publishing) to produce, store, and retrieve information.

GS-06 Grade Level: You qualify if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Assisting in preparing press releases and planning public affairs campaigns, including arranging meeting space and drafting handouts.
• Assisting in preparing budget requests by compiling data and preparing justification statements.
• Entering data into database programs and generating management reports.
• Maintaining the organization’s personnel files and records.
• Assisting users with software, hardware, and automation problems.

Note: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet these requirements; otherwise, you may be found ineligible.

Education Substitution (GS-05): You may qualify if you have successfully completed education above the high school level in any field from an accredited institution. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent. Combinations of education and experience may also be used to meet requirements.

Experience includes paid and unpaid work, such as volunteer experience through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) or other organizations. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer work.

Pay

This position starts at a salary of $40,736 (GS-05, Step 1) to $59,031 (GS-06, Step 10) with promotion potential to $65,599 (GS-7, Step 10). Salary reflects the "Rest of U.S." scale and may be adjusted for locality pay or cost-of-living expenses based on the duty location. Some positions may fall under a special pay rate depending on series, grade level, and location.

Additional Information

• All employees new to the federal government must serve a one-year probationary period.
• There is a residency requirement for applicants not currently employed by CBP. Exceptions may apply for those working for the U.S. Government, dependents, study abroad participants, or contractors supporting the U.S. government.
• The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions (200 words or less each) to highlight your dedication to public service. Responses are optional and will not be scored.
• You must complete an online assessment as part of the application process. Failure to meet the cut score or complete the assessment may disqualify you.
• Background investigations are required for all applicants, including questions about criminal convictions, illegal drug use, and controlled substances.