Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Historian
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Summary
Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS 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. Basic Requirements (IOR): Degree: history; or related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in history, or a major in a related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Evaluation of Graduate Education Graduate study in the social sciences or humanities may also be credited when such study included training in historical research methodology; or the thesis approached the subject from an historical viewpoint and used professional historical research methodology and techniques in its preparation. ADDITIONAL Requirement: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, in addition to the Basic Requirement above, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education below for the grade level for which you are applying. You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-14 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as: Designing and conducting a multi-year research project(s) that included primary source research in the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans/Europe, or Latin America; Participating in academic peer review, OR participating in a role overseeing research work products; Assembling and/or presenting authoritative human rights information for formal distribution or review, meticulously presenting original research findings and conclusions; and Organizing, tracking, citing, and accounting for documents and sources reviewed or collected in a large-scale research project. If applying as a Middle East specialist, proficiency in Arabic is highly desirable for completing research-related tasks and may enhance the applicant's ability to perform the duties of this position. If applying as a specialist in other geographic regions (Africa; Balkans/Europe; Latin America), proficiency in relevant language(s) is highly desirable for completing research-related tasks and may enhance the applicant's ability to perform the duties of this position. Applicants who possess language skills are encouraged to include relevant details in their application. Note: Applicants should indicate their region of expertise and relevant language proficiency in their resume. 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. Note: One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
Major Duties
The selected historian will join the Human Rights Violators Law Division(HRVLD) as a regional specialist and be part of a team that investigates and prosecutes human rights violators and war criminals. HRVLD historians are experts on the history of twentieth century conflicts or regimes in which human rights abuses were perpetrated and have broad knowledge of relevant historical literature and of domestic, foreign, and international archives, and similar repositories containing records pertinent to the investigations of human rights violations and war crimes. HRVLD is recruiting a Middle East expert; candidates with desired expertise in Africa, the Balkans/Europe, and Latin America are also encouraged to apply. HRVLD historians conduct case-related investigative research as part of regionally focused teams at the Homeland Security Investigations led Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. The teams work to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal and immigration cases against individuals in the U.S. who have been involved in persecution, genocide, extrajudicial killing, torture, severe violations of religious freedom, female genital mutilation, the use or recruitment of child soldiers, war crimes or other human rights violations, as well as to seek the subsequent removal of these individuals from the United States. As a Historian, you will perform the following duties: Demonstrate a high degree of resourcefulness, ingenuity, tenacity and creative thinking in conducting research. Synthesize and contextualize research findings for varying audiences. Organize, track, and account for documents and sources reviewed or collected on a large-scale research project. Analyze primary source materials to prepare status reports detailing progress in investigative research. Mentor, guide, and monitor the work of junior researchers or program analysts.
Required Documents
2-Page Resume showing relevant experience, education and training. Work experience must include: job title, duties, employer's name, employer's telephone number, employer's address, starting and ending dates (MM/YY), hours worked per week, and indicate whether or not we may contact your current supervisor. Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. 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. (for more information, see the How do I write a resume for a federal Job-Two-Page Resume Limit). Education Requirement Documentation Needed. 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. Are you a veteran? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or notice form. Those applying for 10-Point preference must fill out the SF-15 and provide documentation that demonstrates preference eligibility. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. View more veterans' information. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Plan (ICTAP)? If so, submit a copy of your agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting your current position, grade level, and duty location. Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held; your current promotion potential and proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions. 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. Failure to submit required documents will result in disqualification for this vacancy.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the Occupational Questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13084396, and submit all the required documentation as specified in he HOW TO APPLY and the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section. The complete initial Application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/09/2026. 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. PLEASE NOTE: If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application. To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. We encourage you to apply online. Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on 11/09/2026. It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application. One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.