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, Buffalo Field Office.

Duties

In this position, you will strengthen the Department's ability to protect the homeland by joining a valuable team of administrative professionals. Typical work assignments include:

• Acting as a liaison between the organization and the organization hiring center and processing center, assisting with onboarding, and preparing, following, and assisting with changes in protocols;
• Establishing, maintaining, and monitoring a variety of records and statistical data regarding administrative services provided;
• Entering data into database programs; evaluating data for patterns, trends and generating various management reports;
• Assisting in one or more administrative support areas which include budget, logistics and procurement, workforce management, and records and files management;
• Using various software packages such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases, desktop publishing, etc., to produce, store, and retrieve a variety of information and presentations.

Pay

This position starts at a salary of $45,409.00 (GS-06, Step 1) to $65,599.00 (GS-07, Step 10). Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and, if applicable, will be adjusted to meet the locality pay or cost of living expenses of the duty location upon selection.

• GS Salary: View 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. View special pay rate charts.

Locations

Vacancies are as follows:

• One vacancy is available in each of the following locations:
  • Alexandria Bay, New York
  • Massena, New York
  • Ogdensburg, New York
• Two vacancies are available in Buffalo, New York.

Additional selections may be made beyond the total number of vacancies specified using this vacancy announcement. Further selections may also be made for additional organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

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.
• As an employee of CBP, your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, CBP employees specifically, and the criminal conflict of interest statutes. These rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity.
• DHS uses E-Verify 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.
• This is a bargaining unit covered position, represented under the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

Qualifications

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). 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 07/30/2026.

GS-06 Grade Level

You qualify for the GS-06 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 preparing informational materials and compiling data for organizational communications;
• Providing general clerical support to an organization;
• Entering and updating various data and information into an electronic database and tracking system;
• Establishing, maintaining, and monitoring employee personnel files and records and providing assistance with workforce management procedures;
• Assisting with the annual physical inventory of property and equipment, noting discrepancies, and maintaining documentation.

GS-07 Grade Level

You qualify for the GS-07 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Preparing and disseminating informational materials for organizational communications;
• Preparing routine and ad hoc data reports related to budget, finance, workforce management, procurement, logistics and/or property management;
• Assisting with timekeeping, attendance tracking, and routine workforce management tasks;
• Assisting with the preparation of purchase orders and supporting documentation for routine procurements;
• Assisting with onboarding and training activities for new employees.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process, including an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered.

Additional Information

• 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 for at least three of the last five years. Exceptions may be requested if you meet specific conditions (e.g., working for the U.S. Government, participation in a study abroad program, working as a contractor 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 their initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment.
• Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment. During this process, you will be asked questions regarding criminal convictions, illegal drug use, and use of non-prescribed controlled substances. Review additional details on the pre-employment process.
• Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, you may request a reasonable accommodation for the online assessment. Requests must be made prior to starting the assessment.
• 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 not scored.