Department of Homeland Security

Special Assistant

Phoenix, Arizona, Los Angeles, California, San Diego, California, San Francisco, California, Centenn Full time

Special Assistant

Department: Department of Homeland Security

Location(s): Phoenix, Arizona, Los Angeles, California, San Diego, California, San Francisco, California, Centennial, Colorado, Miami, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago, Illinois, New Orleans, Louisiana, Burlington, Massachusetts, Baltimore, Maryland, Detroit, Michigan, Fort Snelling, Minnesota, Newark, New Jersey, Buffalo, New York, New York, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dallas, Texas, El Paso, Texas, Harlingen, Texas, Houston, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, West Valley City, Utah, Chantilly, Virginia, Seattle, Washington

Salary Range: $125776 - $197200 Per Year

Job Summary: View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Major Duties:

  • As a Special Assistant, you will perform the following duties: Provide advice and guidance on varying levels for programs essential to the agency's mission. Coordinate the implementation of projects and policies. Establish and maintain working relationships with strategic partners in advanced program areas. Write correspondence, briefing, announcements, or other documents relevant to program activities Participate in policy formulation and review liaison activities for agency-wide programs Organizational Location: These positions are located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Buffalo, New York; Burlington, Massachusetts; Centennial, Colorado; Chantilly, Virginia; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; El Paso, Texas; Fort Snelling, Minnesota; Harlingen, Texas; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; New York, New York; Newark, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; West Valley City, Utah. These are non-bargaining unit positions. Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the lowest and highest potential salaries for this position. The actual salary range will be based on the applicable locality pay for the selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. Applicants may select up to two (2) preferred locations. Although the announcement advertises for multiple locations, vacancies may not exist at every location listed on this job announcement.

Qualifications: Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. You qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-13 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as: Serving as a consultant on broad projects and programs with national impact. Mastering the laws, policies and regulations of an administrative field sufficient to apply new theories and initiate strategic developments Analyzing and evaluating policies for effectiveness Developing and analyzing program operations Drafting written products such as policies and memorandums Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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. Current or Former Political Appointees: 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. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

How to Apply: To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete the Occupational Questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12884412, and submit all the required documentation as specified in he HOW TO APPLY and the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section. The complete initial Application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/11/2026. 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. PLEASE NOTE: If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application. To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. We encourage you to apply online. Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on 03/11/2026. It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. 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. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application. One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-11