We're Hiring!
Drive mission impact, responsible AI use, and innovation at DHS
DHS leads in the responsible innovation and public protection missions at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and homeland security. At DHS, our people keep us on the forward edge of this rapidly evolving intersection. Join us.
Your Skills + the DHS Mission
Have you delivered product to market or delved into technology governance or policy issues where precedent doesn’t exist? Can you talk artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) at a technical level to a variety of audiences or incorporate user insights into technical decisions? Many missions await!
Join DHS to work at the forefront of innovative and responsible use of AI to improve delivery of services to the public and impact the homeland security mission, while safeguarding privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. Work in high-performing, cross- functional teams to deliver and integrate AI-based solutions across the enterprise. Use your expertise to:
- Develop solutions and responsibly implement AI/ML technologies using industry best practices, principles, concepts, and standards.
- Ensure data security, data management, and risk assessment and management.
- Understand relevant laws, policies, and ethical considerations and apply them to the DHS mission.
- Employ agile product lifecycle management.
Work Remotely, Advance the DHS Mission
DHS is the largest civilian federal agency with a vital mission to secure the nation from the many threats we face. DHS employees are harnessing the potential of AI to:
Enhance Border Security |
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) uses AI to automatically identify objects in streaming video and imagery at ports of entry and enhance awareness of threats at the border. AI/ML technique: Machine Vision |
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Make Air Travel Easier and Safer |
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) uses AI to power its contactless airport security lines. AI/ML technique: Facial Comparison |
Combat Online Child Exploitation |
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses AI for document analysis, language translation, phone number normalization, and facial recognition to identify and rescue victims. AI/ML techniques: Facial Recognition, Machine Vision, Natural Language Processing, Object Detection |
Enhance Customer Service |
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses AI to deliver immigration services to their customers more efficiently by eliminating redundant paperwork. AI/ML techniques: Clustering, Criteria Based Identification, Ensemble Learning, Natural Language Processing |
Support Disaster Survivors |
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses AI -powered computer vision to assess the severity and extent of damage to homes and buildings. AI/ML techniques: Machine Learning, Machine Vision |
Defend Against Cyber Threats |
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is using AI to collect and sort vulnerability data in our nation’s critical infrastructure like power plants, pipelines, and public transportation. AI/ML techniques: Description Analysis, Natural Language Processing, Visualization |
Lead AI Research, Development, and Deployment |
The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) support multiple DHS missions with its AI research and development efforts. AI/ML technique: research and development |
Combat the Malicious Use of AI |
DHS combines leading cybersecurity methods and proven AI-powered applications to protect networks and critical infrastructure from AI-enhanced attacks, including researching new risks and creating an AI risk register. AI/ML technique: research and development |
Be part of DHS’s first hiring wave of AI Talent! We're looking to hire 50 people with subject matter expertise in product development and integration with substantive knowledge of AI/ML technologies, models, applications, and/or policy. These AI Technology Experts will work on a variety of projects across DHS advancing AI innovation and use. This new cohort of AI-literate professionals will be the DHS AI Corps.
The DHS AI Corps is part of the DHS Office of the Chief Information Officer. The DHS AI Corps will provide expertise in AI/ML, data science, data engineering, program management, product management, software engineering, cybersecurity, and safe, secure, and responsible use of these technologies. They will also provide critical supporting skills related to procurement, privacy, and civil rights and civil liberties.
Apply once through this posting to be considered for one of these approximately 50 AI Technology Expert roles with the DHS AI Corps. Specific projects may be discussed if you're determined to be qualified.
These AI roles will be hired into DHS at the GS-15 grade level with a salary offering range of $123,000-$191,900. Salary is based on step within the GS level and the locality rate. Job locations are remote with some travel and onsite presence required for project-based needs.
Prior government experience, active security clearance, or a government-style resume are not required.
Your Career + Public Service at DHS
DHS employees are the front line of our nation’s homeland security. This gives DHS employees unique career opportunities because of DHS’s broad and diverse mission.
DHS technologists and other skilled talent enable responsible and safe AI use, development, and practices at DHS. DHS employees are behind each AI use case at DHS, including the technology, data, cybersecurity, and ensuring protection of privacy and civil rights and civil liberties. AI talent at DHS work with interdisciplinary and cross-functional teams to increase mission impact.
First-Class Benefits
DHS employees also receive first-class benefits packages.
Federal benefits programs available to federal employees include:
- Paid Time-Off (separate annual and sick leave balance + 11 paid federal holidays)
- Health Insurance
- Dental and Vision Benefits
- Long-Term Care Insurance
- Retirement Savings and Investment Plan (Thrift Savings Plan)
- Federal Retirement Plan (retirement benefits from three different sources: Basic Benefit Plan, Social Security, and the Thrift Saving Plan)
- Flexible Spending Account (tax-deferred savings account for eligible out-of-pocket medical or dependent care expenses)
- Group Life Insurance
- Other Benefits and Perks (flexible work schedules, telework and remote work, health and wellness programs, training and development).
Tips for AI Talent
There are similarities – and significant differences – between applying to jobs in private industry and applying for a job in the federal government. Understanding the requirements and processes specific to federal hiring and employment will help with applying for an AI role at DHS.
- DHS uses USAjobs.gov, the government’s official job board, to post job announcements and accept applications. To apply for an AI role at DHS, you need to use USAjobs.gov and must first create an account for Login.gov.
- Job announcements for DHS jobs follow a standard format. The format ensures consistency in the type of information provided for each job announcement.
- Overview: appears on the right side of the job announcement and gives pertinent details about the role including location, salary, clearance, and more.
- Summary: explains the AI role DHS is hiring for.
- Duties: describes at a high level what a person in the AI role will do.
- Qualifications: describes basic competencies and years of experience required for the AI role.
- Specialized Experience: describes the specific skills and the level of experience applying those skills required for the AI role. This is especially important for DHS’s AI roles.
- Longer is not better. The job announcement on USAjobs.gov will specify that DHS only reviews the first few pages of a resume. Make sure the resume you submit with your application does not exceed the page number indicated for the announcement.
- Be explicit. Include details about your experience and the length of time (month and year) spent applying skills, engaging in a specific experience, or serving in a particular job. Other details to explicitly include are job titles, duties, and accomplishments, and how they relate to the qualifications and specialized experience required for the AI role.
- Show how you fit the role. Match your resume to the job announcement with the facts of your skills and experience that align with the qualifications and specialized experience required for the AI role. The information on your resume is the only information the reviewing human resource specialist has to determine if your resume should be forwarded to the hiring manager – they cannot look at any linked resources like a Git repository or LinkedIn profile!
- Don’t get lost in translation. Some of the requirements and processes of federal hiring use terms or phrases that may be new to you or that have a different meaning outside of federal government. Be aware, don’t be discouraged, and use the information in the Resources for Applying for a Federal Job section to help you.
- Apply for an AI role on USAjobs.gov – you will first need to create an account.
- Application Review and Assessment – human resource specialists and AI subject matter experts review your application to determine whether you move on to the interview round.
- Interviews – the hiring team sets up telephone or video calls between DHS AI subject matter experts and the qualified applicants whose applications show a best fit with the AI role DHS is hiring for.
- Tentative Job Offer (TJO) – selected applicant(s) will receive a tentative job offer that is contingent on clearing a background investigation and a pre-employment drug test. The TJO will include your title, offered salary, and instructions on how to begin the background investigation. It will not have a start date yet. That will be determined after the background investigation completes.
- Background Investigation – prospective federal employees are subject to a preliminary background investigation, which can take 30-60 days. This part of the process starts with you filling out background investigation forms and a fingerprinting appointment. The TJO will contain specific instructions on this.
- Final Job Offer – your new role, title, salary, start date and more!
- Read about how DHS is using AI to secure the homeland.
- Explore AI use cases at DHS including AI techniques.
- Discover more about data at DHS.
- Learn about other jobs at DHS.
- Read more about DHS Employee Benefits.
- Glossary of terms used in federal hiring and employment.
- Breaking down the standard format of a job announcement.
- Why a federal job is an appointment.
- Why public service in the federal government is federal service.
- More resume tips for applying for a federal job.