Supervisory Agriculture Specialist

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Agriculture Safeguarding & Risk Management located in Sterling, VA.

Duties

Joining the Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations will allow you to use your expertise to detect and prevent harmful pests and diseases, illegal drugs and contraband, importation/exportations contrary to law and trade agreements from entering/exiting the U.S. Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen Homeland Security by providing advice and consulting on programs that involve law enforcement activities related to the import and export of agriculture, commodities and baggage entering and/or exiting the United States. This position starts at a salary of $143,913.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $187,093.00 (GS-14, Step 10). Typical duties include: Providing overall program guidance and leadership to CBP, Field Operations, Agriculture Programs staff and other components with responsibility for the development and drafting of policies, procedures and guidelines required· to accomplish overall or specialized needs of border security Developing and implementing new operational program activities or enhancements Participating in establishing and/or recommending goals and objectives for the OHS and CBP agriculture inspection and compliance programs; developing overall operational plans; instituting and monitoring performance measures and other performance evaluation-related metrics; and, reporting on program activities Providing technical and administrative supervision to the unit

Qualifications

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: Coordinating the implementation of United States Department of Agriculture policy Performing agriculture inspection, examination and clearance of passenger baggage, miscellaneous and regulated cargo, international mail, express couriers and conveyances entering through U.S. Ports of Entry Deterring illegal entry and smuggling of agricultural products Providing evaluation, quality assurance and quality control of port activities, including agriculture related port systems and processes NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement in order to be considered for this position. Eligibility will be verified based on your submitted transcripts and resume. More information on this requirement can be found in the CBP Agriculture Specialist Qualification Aid and in the OPM Qualification Standards. Basic Requirement for the CBP Agriculture Specialist: 1. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, animal science, plant science, pest management, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR 2. Combination of education and experience: Completed at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in a qualifying field of study, as shown above, PLUS qualifying experience or additional education. To determine if you meet the combination, you must divide the months of qualifying experience by 48; next, divide the number of undergraduate semester hours by 120 (or 180 for undergraduate quarter hours) and the two percentages must total at least 100%. 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 10/07/2026. 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 Polygraph Examination: CBP has the authority to conduct a polygraph for the Supervisory Agriculture Specialist position, however, at this time a polygraph is not a pre-employment requirement. If CBP decides to implement the polygraph as a pre-employment requirement while you are in the hiring process, CBP will notify you and provide additional information. Polygraph Examination: The Supervisory Agriculture Specialist position is a polygraph-required position. If you are not a current CBP employee in a law enforcement position, you may be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment process. Please see Polygraph Examination. Polygraph Reciprocity: CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of a CBP polygraph exam. You will receive information to request reciprocity in your Background Investigation Package. Polygraph Waiver: Certain veterans may be eligible to obtain a polygraph waiver. You will receive information to request a waiver in your Background Investigation Package. 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 Qua