Program Manager

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters, Strategic Planning and Analysis Directorate, located in Washington, D.C.

Additional selections may be made to include other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

**This announcement has been amended on 09/14/2026 to extend the closing date to 09/22/2026.**

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Duties

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In this position, you will provide expert support and guidance to senior leadership by independently gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing critical information, managing key stakeholder relationships, and leading large-scale projects that advance organizational programs and operations. The work has a direct and substantial impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of operations and on advancing the agency's mission by enhancing decision-making, improving collaboration, and ensuring programs are aligned with strategic goals and policy requirements.

This position starts at a salary of $143,913.00 (GS-14, Step 1) to $187,093.00 (GS-14, Step 10).

As a Program Manager , you will be responsible for a broad range of program activities, including developing directorate-wide coordination strategies and complex business operational products, and advising leadership on best-practice methods to maximize knowledge sharing. Typical duties will include:

• Ensuring leadership is fully prepared for decision-making by developing executive decision-support products and reviewing important and sensitive matters for accuracy and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
• Proactively identifying operational challenges, conflicting priorities, program shortcomings, and risks while leading corrective and preventive actions and maintaining accessible program and administrative reference materials to streamline processes and ensure consistent application of requirements.
• Serving as a critical liaison across divisions and external stakeholders by managing interdependencies, facilitating collaboration, resolving conflicts, and aligning stakeholders on common goals.
• Directing, implementing, coordinating, and overseeing large-scale, long-term projects focused on information and knowledge sharing, including planning, budgeting, progress tracking, reporting, and applying project management methodologies to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance service delivery.
• Playing a key role in strategic planning and forecasting by analyzing trends, applying program management policies to define goals and metrics, recommending program improvements, developing high-level executive briefings, and advising leadership on policy changes and implementation strategies.

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.

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.

This vacancy has a local commuting area requirement, as defined below:

• The area surrounding the duty station by which people reasonably travel back and forth from home to work; Or
• The employee's permanent duty station is located within the reasonable travel area surrounding the duty station of this vacancy; Or if applicable
• For employees who are detailed or temporarily promoted for more than 1 year to another duty location, the detailed or temporary duty location is considered to be the duty location of record for commuting area purposes. For employees detailed or temporarily promoted for less than one year, the permanent duty location is considered the duty location of record for commuting area purposes.

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:

• Providing high level program management support to senior leadership that includes independently reviewing and synthesizing complex information, preparing executive level reports, presentations, and talking points, and ensuring that decision making materials and actions comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and organizational requirements.
• Leading or managing large, complex, and long-term projects or programs that span organizational boundaries, including developing comprehensive project plans, managing substantial budgets, tracking milestones and deliverables, coordinating with diverse stakeholders, managing risks, and achieving defined management objectives.
• Identifying and analyzing operational challenges, conflicting priorities, program shortcomings, and high-risk areas through monitoring program data and stakeholder feedback; designing and implementing corrective and preventive strategies; and establishing or refining program documentation and streamlined processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Applying federal and DHS program management principles, strategic planning and forecasting techniques, and performance measurement methods to review and document process requirements, formulate program goals, develop metrics and quality factors, evaluate results, and recommend process improvements that enhance service delivery, reduce costs, and advance USBP and CBP missions.
• Developing and delivering high level briefings, visual products, and written materials for executive audiences on program status, strategic direction, and policy changes; and providing authoritative advisory services on the interpretation and application of mission related laws, policies, regulations, and precedents, including recommending implementation strategies that minimize disruption and ensure compliance.

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 09/22/2026.

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) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP eligible. View information about CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement. To be considered well qualified under CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position.

CBP employees demonstrate the highest level of commitment to protect and serve the United States of America and to exemplify the CBP Core Values of Vigilance, Service to Country and Integrity. Learn more about CBP's mission, core values and careers at

Education

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

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here .

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.

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.