Nurse Consultant

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Human Resources Management, HR Policy and Programs Directorate, Medical and Fitness Branch, located in Washington, D.C.

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Duties

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Joining Customs & Border Protection (CBP) will allow you to apply your expertise to conduct comprehensive reviews of medical documentation supporting the workforce to safely perform the essential functions of their positions while protecting the public, advancing national security, and safeguarding the workforce.

This position starts at a salary of $121,785.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $158,322.00 (GS-13, Step 10).

Major duties include:

• Serving as an agency-wide technical expert in the field of medical and health programs with emphasis on employee Fitness for Duty Evaluation, Return to Work cases, and the Agency Drug-Free Workplace Program.
• Performing ongoing reviews of medical documentation submitted by employees to support requested leave in accordance with Federal laws, and transfers of Duty Station requests in compliance with provisions set forth in Collective Bargaining Agreements.
• Testifying in EEO and Merit System Protection Board hearings.
• Participating in job analyses to support the development of medical and physical fitness standards for certain job series within CBP.
• Serving as a Level II and/or III Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for the agency's medical services contract.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link.
• DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, 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.
  Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

Education: A graduate or higher level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional registered nursing educational program is required. This education must have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

Degree from Foreign Nursing School : Official certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools is required for individuals who graduated from foreign nursing schools.

Nurse Licensure/Registration: For all grade levels and positions, applicants must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination. In addition, they must possess and maintain a current, active, full, and unrestricted license as a registered nurse from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

AND

Experience: In addition to the mandatory license and education described above under Basic Requirements applicants must have at least one or more full years of professional nursing experience that is equivalent to the next lower grade level. You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess one or more full years of professional nursing experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Providing medical expertise associated with broad range of health programs offered by the agency.
• Preparing case reviews, interpreting medical and other data.
• Researching medical issues and trends, including new medical technologies and treatment modalities.

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.

NOTE: Conferred Transcripts (unofficial transcripts will be accepted at the time of application; official transcripts will be requested upon selection) AND a copy of current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse documentation must be provided at the time of application. Failure to submit proper documentation may result in loss of consideration.

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 by 07/10/2026.

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.

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

Additional information

The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Employee must obtain FAC-COR Level II certification within 18 months of placement and then maintain the certification.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.