MISSION SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Blaine Sector: Bellingham Station in Ferndale, WA Law Enforcement Operational Programs in Bellingham, WA Additional selections may be made for other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

Duties

This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 75 applications have been received, whichever happens first. In this position, you will provide clerical, administrative, and mission support assistance for U.S. Border Patrol sector or station operations, including support for personnel/payroll, budget, travel, workers' compensation, logistics, records, reporting, and customer service functions. Your work directly supports CBP and USBP mission operations by helping ensure accurate, reliable, and timely administrative support for day-to-day sector and agency functions. This position starts at a salary of $51,037.00 (GS-6, Step 1) to $73,731.00 (GS-7, Step 10) with promotion potential to $73,731.00 (GS-7, Step 10). 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. As a Mission Support Assistant, you will be responsible for providing clerical, administrative, and technical support to help carry out U.S. Border Patrol mission support functions. Typical duties will include: Providing customer service by greeting visitors, answering phones, directing calls, processing mail, maintaining calendars, and responding to routine inquiries. Assisting higher-graded staff and managers with personnel/payroll processing, budget, travel, workers' compensation, logistics, and administrative program support. Analyzing and improving internal administrative processes, workflow, reporting systems, and tracking systems. Coordinating property management activities, space utilization, annual inventory, documentation, reports, and files. Preparing workload and productivity reports, compiling data, identifying process improvements, supporting records management, and assisting users with basic software, hardware, and automation issues.

Qualifications

Experience: 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: Supporting office functions such as personnel, logistics, budget, travel, payroll, or administration; Preparing routine documents such as memos, summaries, reports, or work papers; Reviewing administrative information for errors, accuracy, and possible process improvements; Using office software to maintain files and create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, or reports; Communicating with staff, supervisors, managers, or outside contacts to provide customer service and share information. Experience: 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: Applying administrative procedures to support personnel, logistics, budget, travel, payroll, or other office operations; Preparing written materials such as memoranda, reports, summaries, spreadsheets, presentations, or research findings; Reviewing and analyzing administrative information to verify accuracy, identify trends or errors, and recommend process improvements; Using office software or automated systems to maintain records, track work, enter data, generate reports, and organize electronic files; Communicating with employees, supervisors, managers, or external contacts to provide customer service, exchange information, and support administrative activities. 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. 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 10/02/2026. 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) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must su