IT Specialist

Summary

This position is in the Office of Information and Technology, End User Services (EUS), Endpoint Engineering (EE)., where the incumbent serves as an IT Specialist within EE and provides central engineering services and management of a technical framework, promoting one technology vision across VA, which supports system optimization, integration and interoperability throughout the enterprise.

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Duties

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority under 5 CFR 337.201 (DA-002) for this occupation.

This is not a bargaining unit position.

Major Duties:

• Responsible for the analysis and development of the integration, testing, operations, and maintenance of systems security.
• Responsible for building endpoint solutions that will be deployed, integrated and used throughout the enterprise.
• Ensures operational capabilities on a variety of mobile and security platforms to ensure that staff understands what the Operations staff may experience using the tools day to day.
• Plan, develop, implement and maintain programs, policies and, procedures to promote the standardization of MTESE technologies as they relate to the current security requirements practiced within EE.
• Provides Subject Matter Expert (SME) evaluation for various sections of EE for the design, acquisitions, and modifications in the use of Endpoint Security Engineering technologies; such as anti virus software, host intrusions, protection systems, and encryption of data transmissions and storage.
• Conducts requirements analysis and validation regarding security products and provides liaison with business components of the organization.
• Works with other EE organizational entities to assist with the evaluation of emergent technologies, vendor and market trend research, candidate solution evaluations based on cost/benefit analyses and solution acquisition preparation.
• Evaluates new security authentication technologies such as public key infrastructure certificates, secure cards and biometrics.
• Participates solution design and solution integration activities; adheres to system design and core engineering principles.
• Coordinates testing activities, regarding MTESE initiatives, including workload and benchmark testing, integration, performance and capacity testing.
• Participates in solution implementation and deployment activities, coordinating closely with OIT Field Operations.
• Protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with all applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policies.
• Plans, develops, implements, and maintains programs, policies and procedures to protect the integrity and confidentiality of systems and data.
• Develops IT security policy, guidelines and procedures for systems that process multiple applications requiring differing security controls and are accesses across the VA enterprise.
• Participates in the security accreditation reviews for installed systems or networks and recommends new or revised security measures and countermeasures based on results of accreditation reviews.
• Works closely with the Director, Endpoint Engineering, in information protection initiatives.
• Develops recommendations on the acquisition, implementation and dissemination of IT security tools, procedures and practices to protect information assets.
• Coordinates and/or participates as a representative in technical conferences and meetings with representatives from other organizational elements within OlT, other government agencies or private organizations.
  
  

Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist / PD18612A and PD18613A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Travel Required: 5% or less. You may be expected to travel for this position.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; Tour of duty will be determined based on organizational needs.

Compressed/Flexible: Available at Manager's discretion.

Virtual: Not Applicable.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Complete the online assessment.
  
  

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/09/2025.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR): This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). As a pre-requisite to the Specialized Experience requirement, you must meet the following basic experience requirements.

• Basic Experience Requirement: The basic requirements MUST be substantiated in your resume. Failure to provide the required information will render your application ineligible for consideration. Read all responses before making your selection. Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below at a proficiency level equivalent to the next lower grade level in federal service.
• Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
• Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
• Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

AND,

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal service) for GS-12; and One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service) for GS-13; experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

• Specialized experience is defined as: Experience developing and implementing knowledge management strategies, processes, and systems to capture, store, organize, and share information across an organization. This includes proficiency with IT systems and tools such as content management systems, document repositories, collaboration platforms, and IT Service Management (ITSM).
• Candidates must demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret data to identify trends and insights that inform knowledge management decisions, as well as experience in marketing to effectively promote and drive adoption of knowledge management programs across an enterprise.
  
  

AND,

PREFFERED EXPERIENCE: Apple Mac Genius Experience. Experience supporting Macintosh operating system in an enterprise environment. Experience creating baseline Macintosh endpoints utilizing (STIG) Security Technical Implementation Guides.

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; religions; 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.

A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Your experience must be clearly stated in your resume. We cannot make assumptions on your experience based on your current, or former, position titles on your resume. Failure to clearly demonstrate your qualifying experience in your resume may result in disqualification for this position and your rating will be adjusted as necessary.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/..

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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• Help Help 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.
  
  

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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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your Qualifications Will Be Evaluated Based On Your Application Materials (e.g., Resume, Supporting Documents), Your Responses On The Application Questionnaire, And Your Responses To All Assessments Required For This Position. You Will Be Assessed On The Following Competencies For This Position:

• Configuration Management - Knowledge of the principles and methods for planning or managing the implementation, update, or integration of information systems components.
• Systems Testing and Evaluation - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools for analyzing and developing systems test and evaluation procedures and technical characteristics of IT systems, including identifying critical operational issues.
• Technical Documentation - Knowledge of procedures for developing technical and operational support documentation.
  
  

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. 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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package to include the documents detailed below. Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified. Failure to submit the documents as specified may result in lack of consideration for this job announcement. You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Resume detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position.
• For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you should also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including documentation supporting Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
• Your experience must be clearly stated in your resume. We cannot make assumptions on your experience based on your current, or former, position titles on your resume. Failure to clearly demonstrate your qualifying experience in your resume may result in disqualification for this position and your rating will be adjusted as necessary.
  

Other Accepted Documents:

• Cover Letter
• Performance Appraisal (for ICTAP/CTAP applicants only)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  
  

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted. You will not be contacted for additional information.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.