Telecommunications Specialist
About the role
This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Sector Intelligence Unit, located in Grand Forks, ND. Additional selections may be made for other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.
Responsibilities
Manage, design, and maintain mission critical telecommunications and network systems-including radio, video surveillance, sensor, and WAN/LAN infrastructure-for a U.S. Border Patrol sector.
Reliable, secure communications provided by this role directly enable frontline agents and partner agencies to execute border security and law enforcement operations effectively and safely in support of DHS and CBP missions.
Perform advanced technical work to plan, implement, maintain, and improve complex telecommunications and network systems that support law enforcement operations across the sector.
Monitor, configure, troubleshoot, and repair radio, network, video surveillance, sensor, and related telecommunications systems to ensure reliable, mission-ready service.
Plan, design, and evaluate telecommunications infrastructure and technologies, conducting feasibility studies and technical analyses to meet evolving operational requirements.
Coordinate and oversee vendor and contractor activities, including site preparation and installation of towers, antennas, transmission lines, generators, and electronic equipment.
Develop and deliver user training, technical guidance, and assessments on telecommunications systems, including radio, video, access control, and network services.
Conduct technical studies and analyses (e.g., propagation, path, and frequency allocation) to optimize system performance and support sector-wide communications planning.
Qualifications
You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service.
All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English.
Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.
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.
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.
The work requires extensive physical exertion including hiking over rough, steep, and uneven terrain to reach telecommunications equipment sites. The incumbent is required to climb telecommunication towers and stand on the towers for hours at a time and lift moderately heavy equipment. The incumbent works in and around worksites in which electronics equipment is being installed. Safety equipment is required including protective clothing.
The incumbent will complete CBP training to be able to safely operate utility task vehicles (UTVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles in order to access jobsites where four-wheel drive vehicles cannot be driven. Frequently visited jobsites include locations where the closest medical assistance is over an hour away through miles of mountainous terrain.