Location: Harpers Ferry,WV, USA
Summary Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Training and Development, Advanced Training Center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Responsibilities This position provides essential support services to management; works under close supervision in a developmental capacity performing work assignments in preparing the candidate to assist in the day to day functions of the office activities; providing front desk coverage and deliver exceptional customer service to guests. This position starts at a salary of $55,924.00 (GS-07, Step 1) to $88,926.00 (GS-09, 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. In this Mission Support Specialist position, you will strengthen the department's ability to protect the homeland by becoming a valuable member of a team of administrative professionals. Your job will include major duties such as: Providing front desk coverage at the lodging facility ensuring all guests receive prompt and courteous service to include greeting guests, check-in/check-out procedures and answering guests' inquiries. Assisting the lodging facility's Event Planning Section by collaborating with event organizers to coordinate logistics, including room setup and breakdown, audiovisual equipment, order requested supplies, and other necessary arrangements. Assisting with various administrative tasks by handling incoming and outgoing correspondence, both electronically and in hard copy, and maintain accurate records and files. Assisting higher graded staff to research, gather and prepare reports for briefings, talking papers and executive summaries for use by management at meetings and conferences. Conducting walk-throughs and inspections of the lodging facility resident buildings to ensure security, safety, and material conditions are satisfactory, and reporting any maintenance issues and/or room discrepancies to the appropriate department. 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. 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 is a bargaining unit covered position, represented under the National Treasury Employees Unions - NTEU. For local chapter contact information see Chapter Websites - National Treasury Employees Union - NTEU 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. Qualifications Experience: GS-07: 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: Assisting with planning, organizing, evaluating, and improving guest services and processes. Assisting with safety inspections of lodging facility buildings. Assigning guests to rooms based on their reservations and resolving any guest issues that may arise. Communicating with housekeeping contractor, maintenance, and security personnel to address guest needs, maintain facility cleanliness, and promptly address any safety or security concerns. Experience: GS-09: You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Proficient with Microsoft Office programs, such as Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint for performing administrative tasks, creating reports, managing reservations, and communicating via email. Analyze and correct discrepancies in spreadsheets, databases, word documents making recommendations for process updates or changes. Assessing situations that are complicated by conflicting and/or incomplete data, requiring general problem solving to isolate issues. Possess strong interpersonal and communication skills to engage with management or guests, addressing their inquiries, concerns, and requests promptly and courteously. 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. Education Substitution: GS-07: Successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education from an accredited college or university may substitute for the experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do this job. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise a year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours. OR A bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) may also substitute for the experience required. It is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average (i.e., GPA 3.0 or higher of a possible 4.0, excluding pass/fail credits. Pass/fail credits cannot be more than 10% of total credits), or (3) honor society membership. Review Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) to see if you qualify under this provision. Please see www.opm.gov for additional information. GS-09:You may substitute a Master's degree or 2 full years of graduate education or a J.D or L.L.B. degree for experience required at the GS-9 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours. Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements and may be computed by first determining your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level specified; then determining your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.) More information on this qualification standard is located here. 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 12/09/2024. 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 Other Information: One year hotel front desk experience is preferred, but not required. This position requires shift work. The position requires flexibility during a 24-hour, 7 day a week operation including evenings, weekends, holidays and overtime when necessary. May need to be recalled in an emergency. Ability to lift, push, and pull furniture weighing up to 50 lbs. 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. Additional Hiring and Special Appointing Authorities: See THIS JOB IS OPEN TO section above for what additional Appointing Authorities may apply. Veterans, military spouses, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and people 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 and to understand what documentation would be required with your application, please click on the appropriate link below. You must provide documentation supporting your eligibility prior to the closing date of this announcement. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact the CBP Hiring Center via the contact information listed at the end of this job opportunity announcement. Veterans Military spouses Effective until December 31, 2028, any spouse of a member on active duty may be eligible Individuals with Disabilities The proof of disability documentation must specify that you are eligible to apply using Schedule A. It does NOT need to detail your specific disability, medical history or need for accommodation. For more information visit this link. Peace Corps and VISTA Land Management Hiring Flexibility Act: The following documents are required at the time of application: SF-50s to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility requirements and the most recent performance rating signed by your supervisor or a statement from your supervisor documenting acceptable performance. Other miscellaneous hiring authorities