Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol Academy

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security; within U.S. Customs and Border Protection; in the Enterprise Services (ES), Office of Training and Development (OTD); Artesia, New Mexico. For more information about U.S. Customs and Border Protection, please visit https://www.cbp.gov/about.

Duties

The U.S. Border Patrol is the primary federal law enforcement organization responsible for preventing the entry of terrorists and their weapons from entering the United States between official U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ports of entry. Border Patrol's traditional mission is to enforce immigration laws and to detect, interdict, and apprehend those who attempt to illegally enter or smuggle people or contraband across U.S. borders between official ports of entry and to prevent the entry of terrorists and weapons of terrorism. Border Patrol enforces the laws that protect America's homeland through the detection, interdiction, and apprehension of those who attempt to illegally enter or smuggle any person or contraband across our Nation's border. As Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol Academy you will plan, direct, and implement all facets of the Border Patrol Program and related activities in the Academy. The main functions of the Border Patrol training program are to prevent illegal entry of migrants into the United States by land, sea, or air, to seek out and apprehend migrant smugglers, and to enforce all of the criminal provisions of the Immigration and Nationality laws. The Border Patrol training programs at the Academy include responsibility for determining trends of migrant activities through operational studies and for seeking out and furnishing information of a strategic nature to assist in future planning, and for continuously developing modifications to techniques and methods whereby the basic responsibility of the Border Patrol is carried out. The Border Patrol program also involves working in cooperation with and furnishing general assistance to DHS in preventing the illegal importation of contraband, including nuclear material, into the United States, and assuming specific responsibilities with regard the prevention of illegal traffic in narcotics. For an overview of the diverse responsibilities CBP carries out within the Government, visit our website at cbp.gov.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment Must be a U.S. Citizen. All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English. You may be required to pass a background investigation. CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures. You will be required to carry a firearm and maintain firearm proficiency. Subject to a 1-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed). Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. May be subject to pre-employment and random drug tests File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on. You may be required to obtain and maintain a security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal. Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement. Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES. Proficiency in speaking the Spanish language is required. There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents: Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information). If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment. You must meet the qualification requirements of this position no later than the closing date of the job opportunity announcement.

Qualifications and evaluation

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) listed above. ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/. 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 the performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)

Education

There is no education requirement for this position. You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments and experience. Your resume will be evaluated by a rating and ranking panel, and highly qualified candidates may undergo an interview and a reference check. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection will review results and make recommendations on final selections to the appointing authority. Unless you have already been certified by a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, your ECQs must be certified by a QRB before an appointment can occur.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM ET on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select and upload your résumé and/or other required documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the "Include Personal Information" section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume and other required documents) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed, and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please use the contact information below. Your application materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on 09/21/2026. It is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, and sent is received and is accurate. You may complete the assessment questionnaire more than once, but only your most recent submission will be used. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account and check your applicant profile dashboard, which will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

Required documents

A complete application includes the items described below. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive special consideration for which you may be eligible). Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants. 1. RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience. Applicants seeking an initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and TQs. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER. Vacancy announcement number EXSER/26-13054271-CBP Full name, e-mail and mailing addresses, and day and evening telephone numbers Educational information, including the name, city and state of colleges or universities you attended, as well as the type and year of any degree received. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For more information, you may refer to the U.S. Department of Education website. Information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including: Job title (include series and grade if Federal job) Duties and accomplishments Employer's name and address Supervisor's name and phone number Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year) Salary Note: The Federal Government does not deny employment to individuals who are currently or who have been unemployed, nor does it deny employment to individuals who have had financial difficulties through no fault of their own. To review a sample résumé and résumé writing tips for executive positions, please visit our website: https://www.cbp.gov/careers/professional/ses 2. VACANCY QUESTION/ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES: Responses are automatically submitted through USA Jobs when you apply to this vacancy. 3. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Applicants are required to submit all applicable supporting documentation: SF-50: CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEMBERS: Must provide your specific SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), which documents conversion or appointment to your formal SES position, and an SF-50 showing current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility. CURRENT FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE: Must provide a copy of your SF-50 or equivalent personnel action form reflecting you are a current Federal Civil Service employee. NOTE: An SF-50 that does not indicate grade, pay band or level will not be accepted. SESCDP: SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Must provide verification of your successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: Most recent performance evaluation. NOTE: IF SELECTED, a Structured Interview will be used to certify the candidate by an OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB). If you are currently serving in a career SES appointment or are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, you WILL NOT need to participate in a Structured Interview. DO NOT SUBMIT ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Extraneous materials, such as narratives addressing the ECQs and award certificates, will not be considered.

Additional information

Relocation or Recruitment Incentive: CBP may authorize a relocation or recruitment incentive (not to exceed 25% of basic pay) for an eligible selectee. A service agreement will be required. Relocation Expenses: CBP may choose to pay your relocation expenses in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986: seeks to preserve jobs for those who are legally entitled to them: American citizens and aliens who are authorized to work in our country. This law requires employees to provide a document or documents that establish identity and employment eligibility. Law Enforcement Retirement: This position will carry secondary law enforcement coverage as provided in 5 U.S.C. 8336(c), and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d), for eligible law enforcement employees. Employees who reach age 57 with at least 20 years of creditable service under law enforcement provisions are subject to mandatory separation from this position. Federal employees who currently work in a primary/rigorous law enforcement position and do not have a break in service of more than three days are eligible to continue coverage in a secondary position. Lautenberg Amendment: This position authorizes the incumbent to carry a firearm. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition [TITLE 18, U.S.C., SECTION 922(G)(9)]. A "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" is generally defined under the statute as any offense involving the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed by the victim's current or former domestic partner, parent, or guardian. The term "convicted", as defined in the statute, excludes any person whose conviction has been expunged, set-aside, or pardoned or any person whose civil rights have been restored unless the pardon, expungement or restoration of civil rights expressly prohibits the possession of firearms or ammunition. Candidates who have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence within the meaning of the referenced statute are not qualified for this position. Candidates under consideration will be required to certify whether they have ever been convicted of such an offense. False or fraudulent information provided by candidates is criminally punishable by fine or imprisonment (TITLE 18, U.S.C., SECTION 1001). Firearms Requirement: You will be required to carry a firearm and maintain firearm proficiency. This position requires that the incumbent meet initial and continuing qualifications in the use of firearms as outlined in the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by the Lautenberg Amendment of 1996. U.S. Customs and Border Protection: is an equal employment employer. Selection for positions will be based solely on merit. provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.