Operations Research Analyst (Product Manager)

Customs and Border Protection•Washington, DC

About The Position

This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Human Resources Management, Strategic Transformation Management Division. The listed duty locations are Indianapolis, Indiana; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Washington, D.C. Additional selections may be made for other organizational divisions or units at those locations. The role supports CBP Human Resources Management strategic transformation initiatives through quantitative analysis, performance management, investment prioritization, and resource allocation for HR technology. It provides technical expertise and actionable recommendations to strengthen governance, improve business processes, and inform executive decision-making. The position leads advanced operations research analyses and develops mathematical models, scoring methodologies, and trade-off analyses to evaluate technology initiatives, system enhancements, and competing investment options. It provides analytical leadership and guidance to government and contractor personnel, and designs and oversees performance measurement frameworks and dashboards for monitoring processing efficiency, system reliability, and service quality. The analyst prepares and presents data-driven briefings to senior leadership to support resource allocation and portfolio management decisions. The position is GS-14, with a listed salary range of $125,776 to $163,514 on the Rest of U.S. scale; salary may be adjusted for the duty location's locality pay or cost of living. It may be eligible for situational telework, consistent with agency policy. Applicants must meet the stated education or coursework requirement and have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Other conditions include U.S. citizenship, a residency requirement for applicants not currently employed by CBP, and successful completion of applicable pre-employment processes, including a background investigation. Federal employees may be subject to time-in-grade requirements.

Requirements

Degree in operations research, or at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics; at least 3 of the 24 semester hours must be in calculus.
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
Experience applying advanced operations research theories, principles, and methodologies, including statistical analysis, mathematical modeling, simulation, and optimization, to solve complex organizational problems.
Experience using advanced analytical tools and business intelligence platforms such as Microsoft Power BI or Tableau to design, develop, and maintain complex analytical models and performance measurement frameworks.
Experience leading the integration and analysis of requirements, business processes, and operational workflows across multiple technology products or systems.
Experience conducting risk identification and probability and impact assessments, and developing proactive mitigation strategies for major technology initiatives.
Experience communicating complex analytical results and strategic recommendations to senior management or diverse stakeholders to influence decision-making and gain consensus.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Applicants not currently employed by CBP must meet the stated residency requirement: physical residence in the United States or its protectorates for at least three of the last five years, unless an exception applies.
Applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements by 10/30/2026 if they are current federal employees.
Applicants must undergo applicable pre-employment processes, which may include a background investigation and drug testing.
A resume must explicitly demonstrate the specialized experience; resumes are limited to two pages.
Applicants must submit college transcripts or a list of completed coursework and hours, subject to the stated exceptions for current CBP employees in the announced series.

Responsibilities

Lead advanced operations research analyses to inform strategic planning and investment prioritization within the HR technology portfolio.
Develop and refine mathematical models, scoring methodologies, and trade-off analyses to evaluate technology initiatives, system enhancements, and competing investment options.
Provide analytical leadership and technical guidance to government and contractor personnel, ensuring methodologies adhere to federal guidelines and best practices.
Design and oversee implementation of performance measurement frameworks and dashboards to monitor processing efficiency, system reliability, and service quality.
Prepare and present data-driven briefings to senior leadership to support evidence-based resource allocation and portfolio management decisions.
Apply operations research methods, including statistical analysis, mathematical modeling, simulation, and optimization, to complex organizational problems.
Integrate and analyze requirements, business processes, and operational workflows across multiple technology products or systems.
Conduct risk identification and probability and impact assessments, and develop mitigation strategies for major technology initiatives.
Communicate complex analytical findings and strategic recommendations to senior management and stakeholders to influence decisions and gain consensus.