CBP Agriculture Specialist

Being a CBP Agriculture Specialist makes you a valuable member of CBP. Typical assignments include: Serve as a consultant in the areas of inspection, analysis, intelligence gathering, examination, and law enforcement activities regarding the importation of agricultural/commercial commodities and conveyances at ports of entry Apply laws and regulations when determining the admissibility of agriculture commodities while preventing the introduction of harmful pests, diseases, and potential agro-terrorism into the United States Participate in special enforcement, targeting or analysis teams charged with collecting and analyzing information and identifying high-risk targets Plan and conduct remedial actions such as treating, disinfecting, and decontaminating prohibited commodities, conveyances, contaminants or agricultural materials Want to speak to an actual Officer or Agent?

Click here to contact one of our recruiters! They are ready to assist you from application to your start date. Salary: Selections from this announcement will be at the GS-7 or GS-9 grade levels with promotion potential to GS-11 and GS-12. Promotions are not guaranteed and are at the discretion of the agency.

Your pay will be determined after you successfully complete all pre-employment processes. Pay rates are based on the 2026 OPM Salary Tables - these tables do not take into consideration any potential overtime earnings, recruitment incentives, location incentives or yearly cost of living increases. Duty Locations: You will be asked to select your preferred location for one of the following mission critical locations: Nogales, AZ; Calexico, Otay Mesa, San Francisco, and San Ysidro, CA; Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando, FL; Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Detroit, MI; Queens, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Brownsville, Eagle Pass, and Houston, TX.

NOTE: The above preference locations are expected to have vacancies available in the future, however, if the duty locations do not have vacancies at the time of your final offer, you may be offered a duty location in another geographic location within the United States. Locations offered at the time of your final offer are based on operational and mission requirements, and critical agency hiring needs for entry level Agriculture Specialists as determined by the CBP Office of Field Operations. Recruitment Incentive Newly appointed Agriculture Specialists will be offered up to a $15,000 incentive, for a four-year service contract, in the following location: California: San Francisco If you accept San Francisco, California as your location you will be eligible for the Special Salary Rate based on the San Francisco Special Salary Rate Table 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 and core values at https://www.cbp.gov/about.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position. Probationary Period: You must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of your initial permanent federal appointment. Formal Training: You will be required to complete a paid pre-academy orientation for approximately 2 weeks at your home port.

You will then attend a 59-day training program conducted at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) located in Glynco, GA. This training consists of determining the admissibility of agriculture commodities, preventing introduction of harmful pests/diseases, etc. For more information, please visit CBP Field Operations Academy.

Successful completion of the academy is required for this position. Uniforms: This position requires you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in a duty status. Residency Requirement: CBP has a residency requirement that applies to all applicants not currently employed by CBP.

You are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates as (as declared under international law) for at least three (3) of the last five (5) years, before completing an application for CBP employment. If you do not meet the residency requirement as stated above and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two (2) of the last five (5) years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency wavier 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 of a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S.

Government Working as a contractor employee, a volunteer, a consultant or an intern for the U.S. Government Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university If selected for a position, you must provide documentation to support a request for an exception to the residency requirement. Driver's License: You must possess the ability to operate a Government Owned Vehicle.

A valid driver's license is required. Any legal restrictions on a driver's license are not acceptable. More requirements for this position are listed in the Additional Information section below.

This position falls under the General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences series, 0401 Individual Occupational Requirements, which requires a degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, OR a combination of qualifying education and experience. See the Qualifications section for more information on the Basic Requirement.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the online application questionnaire, and the results of the required USA Hire assessment for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies: Attention to Detail, Decision Making, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, and Teamwork If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories: Best Qualified: Substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position Well-Qualified: Exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates average proficiency Qualified: Meets the basic minimum qualifications of the position Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the Best Qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher.

This position is considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. Please see Veterans' Preference for more 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.

Background Investigation: 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 more information visit the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: The Background Investigation.

Medical Requirements: Following a tentative job offer, candidates must undergo and successfully complete a medical screening process. Individuals must be medically and physically capable of performing the essential job functions and duties of the position safely and efficiently without endangering the health and safety of the individual, others, or national security. For more information visit CBP's Medical Exam Process Drug Testing Requirements: Employees are subject to drug testing in compliance with the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Program.

You must complete a drug test as a condition of employment. For more information, visit our Drug Testing FAQs and the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: The Drug Test. Interview Process: You will be required to pass a structured interview.

For more information, please see the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: Structured Interview Polygraph Examination: You may be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment process. Please see Polygraph Examination. Bargaining Unit: This position is covered under the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

For more information, please visit https://www.nteu.org/who-we-are/what-we-do After you successfully complete all the pre-employment steps, you will be at the final offer step. For more information on the final offer, please see the Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: The Final Offer. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to ensuring that all of our employees act in a manner that embodies the Department's Mission Statement: With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland and our values.

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 here.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): To be considered, you must submit the documents listed in the Required Documents section. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

To apply and be considered for this position, you must submit all required documentation as specified in the Required Documents section, submit the online application, and complete the USA Hire assessment. Apply as soon as possible in order to receive consideration as this announcement will close on 06/29/2026 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time OR on the day we receive 800 applicants (whichever comes first). Before you apply, it is critical that you acknowledge each of CBP's Conditions of Employment.

We expect our employees to uphold these conditions throughout their tenure with CBP. This video will detail each of our main categories: appearance and health; examinations, investigations, and tests; fitness and the academy. The goal of this video is to provide you with upfront knowledge of CBP's expectations - Hiring Process Deep Dive Video: Conditions of Employment The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button.

Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Please upload your resume under "Resume" and any other applicable supporting documents mentioned above under the appropriate Document Type. If your Document Type is not listed, upload as "Other." Do not submit documents as a PDF Portfolios.

Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement 06/29/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified via email after submitting your application. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline.

Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access the USA Hire Assessment using your unique assessment link in the email. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.

Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.

You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.

Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information regarding the USA Hire assessments, review the following resources: USA Hire Assessments Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

Upload your resume under the "Resume" document type. Any other relevant supporting documents should be uploaded under their appropriate document types as mentioned above. Note that only the most recently uploaded version of your resume will be reviewed.

Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.

You may only submit one application for this announcement. Duplicate applications to this announcement will not be considered. It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate.

Applicants may not update any part of their application after initial submission. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration.

Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The email address posted below is for inquiries only. 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 (USAH Assessments), you will have the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA must be received prior to starting the USAH Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you request RA in your application, your application will be placed on hold until a final determination of your request has been made.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the USAH Assessment Reasonable Accommodations information found here. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

All applicants must submit a resume and qualifying transcripts. Resume: A resume in English is required. It must contain your full legal name, phone number, complete work history, a detailed description of your duties, the dates you performed those duties (MM/DD/YY), as well as your hours worked per week. If you are a current or former Federal employee you must include your grade and step information to receive credit for that work experience.

Note: Federal agencies only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan.

Your resume must be uploaded under the "Resume" document type. No additional document types will be reviewed as part of your resume. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job for further guidance and specific information on required resume formatting.

Transcripts: All applicants are required to submit college transcripts that include the name of the institution, courses, credits earned, GPA, and conferred degree (if applicable). Transcripts must be in English. Unofficial transcripts are accepted at the time of application however, official transcripts will be required before a final offer of employment can be extended.

Education must be from an accredited college or university by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign Education Evaluation: Education obtained from a foreign college or university is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of educational credentials.

The evaluation and foreign education transcripts must be submitted with your application. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

Are you a veteran? If you claim veterans' preference you will be required to submit proof of eligibility as appropriate for your preference type. For more information, see Veterans' Preference 5-point Preference (TP): Submit DD-214 listing the character of service and either qualifying medal(s) or service period. 10-point Preference (CP or CPS): Submit DD-214 listing the character of service and a VA Disability Award letter dated 1991 or later showing the total percentage of the service-connected disability.

Submitting an SF-15 with your application is encouraged. 10-point Preference (XP): You MUST submit a Standard Form 15, DD-214 listing the character of service, and the required documentation stated on the SF-15. Currently Serving: If you are currently serving on active duty, you can submit a written signed statement from the Armed Forces certifying your dates of service, rank, campaign badge(s) and expeditionary medal(s) (if applicable), expected character of service, type of discharge and anticipated date of separation which must be within 120 days from the closing date of this announcement. Prior to entering on duty, you will be required to provide a final DD-214.

A you a current or former federal employee? It is recommended that you submit your most recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" form. Please do not submit a Performance Award SF-50. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Program (CTAP) and/or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)?

You must submit the separation notice from your agency, your most recent performance rating and your most recent SF-50 with your current position, grade level, and duty location. Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you 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.