Inspections Specialist

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Accountability, Juvenile Coordination Division (JCD), located in Houston, TX.

Qualifications:

Specialized 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:

• Conducting facility inspections to assess compliance with safety and sanitation standards for juveniles in custody.
• Preparing inspection reports and briefings, documenting findings and recommending corrective actions to management.
• Interviewing juveniles, parents, and staff to gather information, corroborating records, and supporting compliance assessments.
• Working with agency staff and external stakeholders to coordinate inspections and resolving compliance issues related to juvenile custody.

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 04/27/2026.

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.

Responsibilities:

Joining Customs & Border Protection (CBP) will allow you to utilize your expertise in planning and conducting varied inspection projects and other analytical assessments. This position starts at a salary of $122,749.00 (GS-13, Step 1) to $159,575.00 (GS-13, Step 10). Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen the Department's ability to perform homeland security functions by performing a wide range of significant and complex inspection/compliance projects and studies involving broad and in-depth analysis and evaluation.

In this Inspection Specialist position you will become a key team member of Homeland Security professionals involved in effectively evaluating operations compliance of established CBP procedures and policies, as well as assessing operational and organizational compliance; developing, implementing, monitoring, and refining various inspection protocols which encompass complex and constantly changing CBP policy; planning and conducting multi-agency, multi-state, and international studies, reviews, and inspections; developing operational criteria, plans, and bulletins; and inspecting and analyzing a variety of unusual situations.

Typical Work assignments include:

• Conducting inspections and assessments to provide the CBP Juvenile Coordinator with timely, independent, and reliable information and fact-based analysis concerning CBP's compliance with the Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA) and related internal policy.
• Interviewing juveniles, parents, and legal guardians in a conversational manner using open-ended questions to gather information about their experiences while in CBP custody.
• Interviewing supervisors and contract medical personnel to determine on-site medical capabilities available for juveniles, including intake screening, medical assessments, medical encounters, and exit screening.
• Inspecting physical holding areas, food storage, kitchen facilities, and juveniles' access to food and amenities to ensure compliance with the Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA) and internal policy requirements.
• Analyzing and documenting inspection and interview processes and participating in preparing concise and timely inspection reports for management and court-mandated requirements.

Salary : $122,749