Information Technology Specialist in Washington DC, District Of Columbia

Summary Joining the Secret Service, Information Technology Foresight and Innovation Program will allow you to draw on your technological expertise to maintain and modernize the US Secret Service’s Information Technology and Communications infrastructure, as well as enhance interoperability, information sharing, and collaboration capabilities. For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here. Responsibilities The selectee will serve as an Information Technology Specialist in the Information Technology Foresight and Innovation Program, Office of the Chief Information Officer. Typical work assignments include: Prepare project plans, contingency plans, objectives, schedules, assigns tasks, allocates and assigns resources and liaisons with industry. Evaluate the positive and negative impacts of a variety of technologies (computers, peripheral devices, phones, and tables) prior to acquisition and deployment. Determine the technologies capability to meet agency security policies; scalability and efficiencies gained; and utility in terms of applications or software compatibility. Provide technical expertise and guidance to agency management regarding virtual environments, cloud networks and data architectures, and other agency-wide technology initiatives that impact large end-user populations, multiple-organizations throughout the agency. Oversees planning; research, testing and implementing of current and future technology. Requirements Conditions of Employment You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. Obtain and maintain a top-secret Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page. Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position. Submit to a CI polygraph examination prior to your appointment. One year trial/probationary period may be required. Direct deposit of pay is required. Qualifications Information Technology Basic Requirement: The specialized experience must include, or be supplemented by, information technology related experience (paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training, as appropriate) which demonstrates each of the four competencies, as defined: (1) Attention to Detail – Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include: completing thorough and accurate work independently, even in the most difficult or stressful situations; occasionally reviewing work completed by others. (2) 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. Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include: resolving routine and non-routine problems, questions, or complaints; developing and maintaining strong, mutually supportive working relationships with customers; conducting evaluation of support to determine quality of services and customer satisfaction, and recommending procedural changes based on customer need or changes in policy and/or regulation. (3) 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. Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include: convincingly conveying complex information to customers; presenting thoughts that are well-organized and demonstrating confidence in the facts and ideas; adjusting style when working with individuals with different levels of understanding; using various methods to explain and convey information. (4) Problem Solving – Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include: solving complex or sensitive problems by developing and proposing strategic alternatives; identifying possible conflicts and shared benefits; helping team anticipate problems and identifying and evaluating potential sources of information; providing feedback and coaching to others to help solve problems; engaging appropriate stakeholders when developing solutions in order to understand and incorporate multiple perspectives and needs; evaluating the effectiveness of decisions and adjusting future decisions as appropriate. You qualify for the GS-13 level (starting salary $117,962.00) if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level performing duties such as: provide technical direction in local area network (LAN); research and test new end user computing devices and software; apply proper security practices, procedures, and techniques (e.g., firewalls, intrusion and detection, etc.) to ensure the security posture of the network; operate and maintain servers and local area networks along with an understanding of metropolitan area networks and wide area networks. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet “time-in-grade” requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current competitive service employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50, “Notice of Personnel Action” that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to comply. Qualifications Must Be Met: The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement. 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. 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. Education Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone–no substitution of education for experience is permitted. Additional Information 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.If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. This position will require a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted. The agency’s Telework Policy allows up to 80% telework, which is at the discretion of management and based on roles and responsibilities. Additionally, compressed and flexible work schedules are offered with appropriate approval. More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade and unit occur. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. This position is covered by Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUO) and additional compensation may be paid at the rate of up to 25% of the base salary. 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. The Secret Service prohibits employees from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand and fingers (any area below the wrist bone) (exception: a single conservative and unobtrusive tattoo in the form of a ring is authorized on one finger).