Data Scientist
Riverside, CA - USA
Job Summary
Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security within U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Intelligence in one of the following locations:
- Riverside CA
- Washington DC
In this position you will play a critical role developing new innovative ways to use data to gain insight and strategic advantage through the development of new tools and techniques that will assist analysts in their regular intelligence duties. Incumbent does this through a variety of methods metrics
statistics research and data collection.
This position starts at a salary of $106437.00 (GS-13 Step 1) to $138370.00 (GS-13 Step 10).
Typical Duties Include:
- Serving as a subject matter expert in data science applying advanced techniques to extract clean model and analyze structured and unstructured data to support intelligence and operational decision-making.
- Designing developing and customizing data visualization tools dashboards and applications using Power BI O365 and other platforms to present findings and support business requirements.
- Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to gather requirements translate needs into technical solutions and provide guidance on data governance and management practices.
- Preparing and presenting technical reports briefs and recommendations to management and partner organizations conveying complex data insights in a clear and actionable manner.
- Developing innovative strategies and tools to enhance data-driven processes improve operational efficiency and support long-range research and development initiatives.
- 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.
Basic Requirements:
Degree: Mathematics statistics computer science data science or field directly related to the position. The degree must be in a major field of study (at least at the baccalaureate level) that is appropriate for the position.
or
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major field of study (30 semester hours) as shown in paragraph A above plus additional education or appropriate experience.
ANDYou qualify for this position if you meet the basic requirement listed above and possess the experience as described below:
Experience: You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level performing duties such as:
- Applying advanced data science techniques (such as data extraction transformation cleaning modeling machine learning and AI) to process and analyze structured and unstructured data in support of organizational objectives.
- Conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses using statistical software and programming languages (e.g. R SQL Python) to interpret large and complex datasets and provide actionable insights.
- Developing and customizing data visualization tools dashboards and reports to present findings to stakeholders and support data-driven decision-making.
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to gather requirements design data solutions and implement data governance policies.
- Advising on data management practices including data storage retrieval classification and coding to ensure data quality and compliance with organizational standards.
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 08/27/2026.
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 agencys 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
Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position
The vacancy questionnaire includes four short free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. 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.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Experience:
IC