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Intelligence Research Specialist

Customs and Border Protection
Santee, California, United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 19 Aug 2026
💰 $158,062/yr($102,246/yr$158,062/yr)

About the role

Experience: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Integrating data and information from all relevant sources to analyze situations or conditions that affect operations. Identifying and evaluating the adversarial capabilities, composition, and disposition of all border security threats. Conceptualizing, planning, drafting, editing, and presenting intelligence products, ensuring information is clear, consistent, concise, timely, relevant, and accurate. Compiling, collating, extrapolating, and exploiting information from a variety of sources, using new and creative methodology for unusual problems. 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: Serving as a senior reviewer of an intelligence organization to evaluate, discuss, test, and validate intelligence research reports, and intelligence collection programs, plans. Recognizing intelligence requirements based on existing reporting and providing evaluations on current information to improve future intelligence collection or reporting. Extrapolating, compiling, and processing information from raw intelligence, open source, law enforcement and intelligence community systems and databases. Conducting special research studies and providing comprehensive assessments of broad, complex, or highly sensitive issues. 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 08/25/2026. 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) 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. Training: This position has a training requirement. Selectee(s) are required to attend and successfully complete Intelligence Specialist Core and Specialized paid training. The location will be determined at the time of training. You may be required to successfully complete the training requirement as a condition of employment. Failure to successfully complete the required course(s) of training in accordance with CBP standards and policies will result in placement into either a former or different position, demotion, or separation as determined by management and appropriate procedures. Security Clearance: You will be required to obtain a Top-Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance for this position.

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Customs and Border Protection

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