Writer Editor

Please see announcement on USAJOBS for available locations.

Summary
Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Law Enforcement Program Division, Strategic Communications.

Duties
In this Writer Editor position, you will become a key team member of Homeland Security professionals involved in writing, editing, and composing documents including Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), speeches, operational documents, official correspondence, and statements on United States Border Patrol activities. As a Writer-Editor, typical duties and responsibilities include:

• Writing and editing reports, video scripts, news articles, or other publications to report on the work of Border Patrol.
• Researching subjects, writing, and editing materials for publication covering topics such as organizations, missions, operations, history, goals, objectives, accomplishments, perspectives, and the current or future needs of USBP.
• Reviewing documents on behalf of the Chief Border Patrol Agent to ensure both grammatically correct information is provided and to ensure the argument is clear and concise.
• Providing communications support via writing and editing expertise to the command group and staff organizations for special projects and assignments on a wide variety of issues with audiences throughout CBP, USBP or other governmental leaders.

Requirements
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.
• 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.
• 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.
• DHS uses E-Verify, an internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.

Qualifications
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:

• Preparing written responses to congressional inquiries on complex issues related to the mission, policies, programs, and Border Patrol initiatives.
• Writing executive-level speeches tailored to military, civilian, or public audiences, both internal and external to the agency, depending on the event and the identified objectives.
• Examining the content of documents and organizing the material structurally in terms of the order of sentences, paragraphs, sections, and findings, to improve the presentation.
• Gathering, developing, and checking the accuracy of information from a wide range of sources.

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. 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 05/18/2026.
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.

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.

Education
Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

Additional Information
Upon selection, you may be eligible for Creditable Service for Annual Leave accrual. This incentive may allow the agency to give credit for qualifying non-federal or active-duty military service to set annual leave accrual rates above the minimum level.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS. Discover a challenging and rewarding career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the sole organization responsible for securing the nation's borders. At CBP, we:

• Secure and enforce trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. regulations, including immigration and drug laws.
• Screen passengers, vehicles, and shipments entering our country.
• Seize illegal narcotics, vehicles, and agricultural products and prohibited goods.
• Prevent unauthorized entry into the country.
• Rescue individuals who fall into dangerous conditions traversing our border.