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Summary Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Training and Development U.S. Border Patrol Canine Academy located in El Paso, TX. Open dates extended: This announcement has been amended on 10/03/2025 to extend the closing date to 10/6/2025. Responsibilities This position starts at an hourly rate of $28.68 (WS-05, Step 1) to $33.45 (WS-05, Step 5). In this Animal Caretaker Supervisor position, you will become a key member of a team of Homeland Security professionals tasked with the day-to-day care of Customs and Border Protection owned dogs. Typical work assignments include: Preparing weekly and monthly work schedules and sequence of operations; establishing deadlines and priorities. Organizing subordinates into an effective working unit; assigning tasks, reviewing progress, and adjusting assignments to correspond with shifting priorities. Instructing subordinates on difficult or unusual work operations; reviews work in progress and/or upon completion and changes priorities and work assignments as necessary. Planning, ordering, controlling, and otherwise maintaining a necessary stock level of canine food, handling equipment, kennel equipment, and other required equipment or supplies. Controlling and providing for the shipment or receipt of animals in transit and coordinating with airlines, ensuring compliance with airline, state, and local health requirements. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 (additional details below) 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 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 via the following link. DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities. Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit. Qualifications Although a specific length of time and experience is not required for most trade and labor occupations, you must show through experience and training that you possess the quality level of knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of the position at the level for which you are applying. Qualification requirements emphasis is on quality of experience, not necessarily the length of time. To minimally qualify for the WS-05 grade level, you must meet the Screen Out Element: Ability to serve as a technical supervisor of the kennel support staff. To meet the screen out element, you should have experience performing the following duties: Administering supervision over employees; addressing training needs and providing training to employees Directing the functions of a canine kennel facility; assisting in the daily care of canines Interpreting and adapting guidelines regarding kennel operations Determining work assignments of subordinates Establishing deadlines and priorities 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.In addition to the experience described above, you will also be evaluated on the basis of your overall level of competency (knowledge, skills, and abilities) in the following areas: Ability to work independently and uses judgment in interpreting and adapting guidelines such as agency policies, regulations, and work directions for application to specific cases or problems as they pertain to kennel operations. Ability to organize, distribute, instructing on and checking work in progress, assuring that proper procedures are utilized and overall standard of adequacy is met. Extensive knowledge of the operation of a kennel facility, to include the health and care of canine housed in facility. Ability to recognize the observable signs of illness, common disease, discontent, general condition, or abnormalities. Knowledge of policies and regulations for procurement of necessary equipment and supplies for kennel and maintenance operations. Knowledge of domestic and international air shipping regulations as it pertains to the shipment of canines. 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 by 10/06/2025. 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. Education Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position. Additional Information Physical Effort: This position requires the incumbent to assist with daily care and feeding of the canines. This requires considerable walking, standing, heavy lifting up to 100 pounds, stooping and other types of physical effort and dexterity in moving and distributing canines, animal food, equipment, and opening and closing kennel doors and gates. NOTE: Although safety measures are taken, inherit in working with canines is the risk of injury. Working Conditions: Work is performed inside and outside. Inside work is on concrete floors and often exposes the Animal Caretaker Supervisor to unpleasant odors and noises. Outside work exposes the incumbent low temperature extremes and other adverse weather conditions. The animals may be unpredictable, sick, injured or ill-tempered, which may expose the Animal Caretaker Supervisor to possible injury, and animal wastes. May be exposed daily to disinfectants and like chemicals which may cause skin irritation. Motor Vehicle Requirement: You must possess a valid state driver's license at the time of appointment. The Animal Caretaker Supervisor must be able to drive an automobile, lawn and farm tractor, and operate ground maintenance equipment such as weed eaters and snow removal equipment. Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18 month probationary period upon appointment. Leadership Training: All newly appointed first-time CBP Supervisors are required to complete mandatory training. The training will be scheduled by the Office of Training and Development within the first 90 days of appointment. The duration of the training will include 3 weeks of in-residence training in Harpers Ferry, WV. Note: This training may be waived if previously completed. This position requires shift work to provide care to the canines 24/7 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.