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.

Qualifications

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. As a basic requirement, applicants must demonstrate progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the equivalent of the GS-15 grade level in the Federal service or its equivalent with state and local government, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Technical Qualifications (TQs) listed below. We recommend that your resume emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including results of your actions. The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. YOUR RESUME MUST NOT EXCEED 2 PAGES. Any resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Technical Qualifications (TQs). TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications. Candidates must possess experience at the senior level (GS-14/15 level or equivalent) in the job-specific Technical Qualifications (TQs). The TQs measure the technical expertise required by this position and must be addressed within your 2-page resume. It is recommended that corresponding TQs be annotated in parenthesis within your 2-page resume TQ 1: Expert knowledge of federal laws, rules, and regulations related to border patrol operations (e.g., detection, apprehension, and deterrence of terrorists and their weapons, illegal immigrants, and contraband entering the United States.) EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position. ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding: This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. ECQ 3: Merit and Competence: This core qualification involves demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. ECQ 4: Leading People: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable. ECQ 5: Achieving Results: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. FAILURE TO MEET OR FULLY ADDRESS EACH EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATION AND TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION IN THE RESUME WILL ELIMINATE A CANDIDATE FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION. If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you must attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

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.

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.