Equal Employment Specialist
: Job Details :

Summary Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Commissioner located in Lawton, OK. Responsibilities This position starts at a salary of $103,409.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $134,435.00 (GS-13, Step 10) with promotion potential to $135,209 (GS-13 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. The primary purpose of the position is to serve as an Equal Employment Specialist (Investigator). You will evaluate equal opportunity programs by identifying and defining illegal discrimination through systematic fact-finding and investigation; advise managers on policy formulation related to equal employment; analyze management problems related to equal employment and develop solutions; monitor and evaluate agency management policies and practices to determine their impact on equal employment; and conduct inquiries into allegations of discrimination through investigative procedures and methods. Duties of this position will include: Serving as an expert EEO Specialist with an emphasis on conducting extensive EEO investigations based on age, race, color, religion, sex, reprisal, national origin, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, parental status and protected genetic information. Interviews complainants, witnesses, and respondents to obtain information relevant to a complaint of employment discrimination. Using Investigative/fact-finding techniques include, but are not limited to: conducting interviews, factfinding conferences, issuing requests for information (RFI), exchange of letters or memoranda, interrogatories, and affidavits. Drafting investigative summaries (for example, descriptive or narrative material based on documents or sworn statements). Reviews claims to make (accept/dismiss) determination recommendations including the preparation of Investigative Plans, Requests for Information (RFI), and witness affidavits to secure testimony and documentation in support of the claims. Assuring all issues pertinent to a complaint are addressed, and investigative files are comprehensive enough for final decisions on the merits of complaints, including the preparation of electronic Investigative File (eIF) incorporating all relevant statements and documents in the file. Requirements 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) 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. Qualifications Experience: You qualify for the GS 13 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Searching files and records for evidence relevant to a particular case, analyzing employment statistics and preparing narrative summaries, writing replies to correspondence and answering factual questions from the general public, agency employees or others concerned with program objectives or procedures. Reviewing and analyzing comprehensive investigative reports for adequacy and completeness assuring issues pertinent to the complaint are addressed, and findings are comprehensive enough for an agency decision on the merits of the complaint; Overseeing contract Investigators assigned to conduct formal investigations including monitoring the timeliness in accordance with the contract and statement of work (SOW); reviewing and approving the investigative plan (IP); facilitating access to witnesses and management officials; reviewing and approving the final report of investigation (ROI) for issuance; and certifying the completion of the contract terms for payment. 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 12/27/2024. 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, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process. 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 submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement. Education Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position. Additional Information Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit 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. 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. 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. 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.