Product Owner

Please see announcement on USAJOBS for available locations.

Summary
Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Human Resources Management, Planning, Program Analysis, and Evaluation Directorate, Strategic Transformation Management Division located in: Minneapolis, MN Indianapolis, IN Washington, DC

Duties
Joining Customs & Border Protection (CBP) will allow you to utilize your experience to lead business-driven projects through execution of standard project management principles for the delivery of HR software solutions. This position starts at a salary of $73, GS-11, Step 1) to $115, GS-12, Step 10) with promotion potential to $115,213 (GS-12 Step 10). Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen the Department through continuous improvement of HR processes and systems, leveraging emerging technologies and best practices in product management. GS Salary: Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position. Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts. In this Product Owner (Junior) position you will support business-driven projects by assisting in the definition and execution of HR Information Technology (HRIT) needs, collaborating with stakeholders to gather and refine functional requirements, and ensuring the delivery of high-value solutions. Typical Work assignments include: Working with stakeholders to identify and translate business needs into functional requirements and user stories for HR technology systems. Organizing and prioritizing system enhancements and updates to ensure development efforts align with organizational goals and user needs. Analyzing current workflows, identifying inefficiencies, and recommending or implementing solutions to enhance operational performance. Participating in Agile ceremonies, such as sprint planning and reviews, to ensure timely delivery of high-value system features and updates. Assisting stakeholders in adopting new systems or processes by preparing communication materials, conducting training sessions, and providing ongoing support.

Requiremennts
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 is a bargaining unit covered position, represented under the National Treasury Employees Unions - NTEU. For local chapter contact information see Chapter Websites - National Treasury Employees Union - NTEU.

Qualifications
Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Assisting in gathering and organizing functional requirements for software development projects and documenting them using tools like Jira or Confluence. Supporting the prioritization of product backlogs and participating in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning and backlog refinement. Collaborating with stakeholders to create process maps for HR business workflows using tools such as Microsoft Visio or Mural. Assisting in analyzing performance metrics, such as key performance indicators (KPIs), to identify inefficiencies and support continuous improvement in HR systems. Participating in change management initiatives by helping to develop communication and training materials to facilitate the adoption of new processes. Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Leading efforts to gather and refine functional requirements for HR software solutions by conducting interviews and workshops with stakeholders. Managing and prioritizing product backlogs using Agile frameworks and tools like Jira, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and timelines. Conducting comprehensive business process analyses to identify inefficiencies and recommend solutions that improve operational performance. Leading change management efforts, including developing and delivering training sessions to ensure stakeholders understand and adopt new systems or processes. Developing business cases for proposed HR system enhancements, including cost-benefit analyses and return on investment (ROI) projections, to support leadership decision-making. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements. Education Substitution for GS-11: A Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. degree may substitute for experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work. Combining Education and Experience for GS-11: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements, and may be 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 an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. More information on this qualification standard is located here. 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 12/11/2025. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. 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. 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. 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 agency's 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,