Computer Scientist (Super Intelligence)

Customs and Border Protection•Washington, DC

About The Position

This Computer Scientist position is with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Human Resources Management, Program Analysis and Evaluation Directorate, Business Process Solutions Division. Positions are located in Indianapolis, Indiana; Minneapolis, Minnesota; or Washington, D.C. The employee serves as a technical advisor, applying computer science, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and large language models to develop, automate, and modernize human resources information technology functions and business processes throughout the Office of Human Resources Management. The position starts at $125,776 annually (GS-14, Step 1) and has a listed maximum of $163,514 (GS-14, Step 10). The stated salary reflects the rest-of-U.S. scale and may be adjusted for locality pay or cost-of-living expenses based on the duty location. Situational telework may be available in accordance with agency policy. Applicants must meet the computer science education requirement and have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants must also meet CBP citizenship, residency, background-investigation, and other conditions of employment. New federal employees must serve a one-year probationary period. This position is not covered by a bargaining unit.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, or a bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science; at least 15 of those hours must include a combination of statistics and mathematics that includes differential and integral calculus. Degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, including designing, developing, and evaluating computer systems, software applications, algorithms, or data-driven tools for complex problems; developing workflows, models, applications, or system processes; applying computer science principles to build, test, integrate, and maintain software systems, databases, applications, or technology platforms; implementing emerging technologies, analytics, automation tools, or system enhancements; and designing or maintaining data pipelines, software integrations, technical documentation, system controls, or governance processes.
Resume must explicitly demonstrate how the applicant meets the specialized experience requirement.
Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
Applicants not currently employed by CBP must have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates for at least three of the last five years, subject to possible waiver conditions described in the posting.
All pre-employment processes are conducted in English.
Applicants may be required to pass a background investigation and must follow CBP drug-testing procedures under the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements, including education where applicable, by October 23, 2026.
Current or former Executive Branch political appointees within the past five years in the listed appointment categories must disclose that information to Human Resources.
Employees are subject to federal and CBP ethics requirements, including obtaining approval for outside employment or business activities.
New employees to the federal government must serve a one-year probationary period; current or former federal employees may also be required to serve or complete one.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and maintain computer science applications, software tools, and technical systems supporting information technology, data management, automation, and advanced analytical needs.
Develop technical requirements based on user, program, and mission needs.
Design workflows, applications, algorithms, or system processes to improve and control critical business and technology functions.
Review technical processes, operating procedures, data flows, and system performance function by function and element by element; recommend and implement more efficient solutions.
Develop, test, integrate, and maintain software, data systems, models, or emerging technology capabilities.
Ensure solutions meet performance, reliability, security, scalability, and operational requirements.