Clarification from the agency

These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority for the occupation and is open to all U.S. citizens.

This announcement closes on08/04/2026 for receipt of applications. Applications received the first 10 days of the announcement being opened will receive first consideration. Applications received beyond the first 10 days, may be considered, upon management's request.

The incumbent must be a customer service professional who can work in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment. Things happen quickly and continuously in this position, and the incumbent will find the need to move from one task to another without much time in between or juggling multiple duties at the same time.

This position is located within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Human Capital (OHC), Human Resources Operations Center (HROC), Staffing Unit. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a Human Resources (HR) Assistant (Recruitment & Placement) providing a full range of recruitment and staffing support and assistance. As a Human Resources Assistant, at the full performance level, you will perform the following duties:

• Review and process a full range of personnel actions and requests including reassignments, career ladder promotions, change to lower grade;
• Conduct basic research and complete various administrative requests and personnel actions to ensure they are consistent with legal and regulatory requirements;
• Utilize various HR tools and systems to include USASTAFFING, Onboarding Manager, Electronic System for Personnel (ESP) and Position Description Library to initiate recruitment and hiring actions;
• Maintain and track recruitment and placement information, reports, records, and documents;
• Provide excellent customer service and respond to actions in a timely manner and in accordance with hiring procedures and timelines;
• Apply a comprehensive body of human resources rules, procedures, and technical methods concerning recruitment and placement sufficient to: conduct recruitment/examining activities for common lower-grade positions; make appropriate modifications to standard announcement(s); review applications to assess applicants' basic qualifications; prepare appropriate certificate; take appropriate action upon selection.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must successfully pass a drug screen.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
• Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Probationary Period: This is a full-time permanent position (Career/Career-Conditional appointment). Upon appointment to this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required

Qualifications

GS-05: You qualify for the GS-05 grade level if you possess one of the following:

Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level in the Federal service performing these duties:

• Utilizing office automated systems to enter, retrieve, and manage data;
• Completing, tracking, and maintaining electronic files and records; AND
• Responding to customer issues and concerns.

OR

Education: Four years of successfully completed education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed education and experience maybe used to meet the total qualification requirements for the GS-05 position. Combinations are computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable.

GS-06: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service performing these duties:

• Providing assistance and responding to questions regarding human resources related topics;
• Utilizing electronic tools and systems to maintain and track recruitment and placement information (i.e. checklists, spreadsheets, reports, records, or documents); AND
• Conducting basic research on personnel actions.

GS-07: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service performing these duties:

• Utilizing electronic tools and systems to research information and resolve basic staffing and recruitment issues;
• Assisting employees in preparing and submitting a variety of personnel forms;
• Reviewing personnel actions to ensure they are consistent with legal and regulatory requirements; AND
• Processing routine personnel actions (i.e. reassignments, career ladder promotions, details, changes to lower grade, etc.

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 you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

If you are qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. The "Rule of Three", Category Rating, and Veterans Preference will not apply to this vacancy. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.

Veterans: Although the Direct Hire Authority permits hiring without regard to Veterans Preference, applicants who are eligible for Veterans Preference are still encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). Staffing Policy View information on veterans' preference.

Federal Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP/RPL/ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not eligible for consideration as a CTAP, RPL, ICTAP candidate. Visit the OPM website for information on eligibility and how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP candidate. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements, specialized experience, all selective factors, and be placed in the well qualified category for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564, and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions (testing designated positions) are subject to random drug testing. Moreover, other drug testing of employees (e.g., reasonable suspicion drug test) may be conducted in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All applicants tentatively selected for employment at ICE are subject to pre-employment drug testing and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.

1. Resume Note: For what to include in the resume, click the link.
   • Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
   • In describing your experience on your resume, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumption 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.
2. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) or a list of coursework with hours completed. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
3. Are you a surplus or displaced employee claiming special priority selection rights under CTAP, RPL, ICTAP? You must submit a copy of your agency Reduction in Force (RIF) notice or Certification of Expected Separation; a copy of your RIF separation SF-50 or your most recent SF-50 noting your current position, grade level, and duty location; and a copy of your most recent performance rating. For RPL candidates eligible based on compensable injury, you must also submit documentation showing injury compensation benefits cease or the Department of Labor denies an appeal for continuation of injury compensation benefits.
4. Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title, type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee), agency and beginning and ending dates of appointment.

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