Computer Scientist (Cybersecurity) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. CA-2025-0055 Department Department of State - Agency Wide
Salary $163,964.00 to $191,900.00 Grade 15 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/8/2025 Close Date 1/16/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is located in Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology (CA/CST). CST provides a full range of systems support for the Consular function worldwide through the planning , design, development, implementation, installation, and ongoing support of automated systems.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This public notice is to gather applications that may or may not result in a referral or selection.

Duties

  • Provides authoritative scientific and technical leadership within CST and CA in the research, development, design, and implementation of state-of-the-art advances in computing science and information management.
  • Recognized as a government-wide expert computer scientist, researches and develops and leads other scientists/engineers in investigating innovative cybersecurity strategies and methodologies for protecting CA's IT infrastructure.
  • Explores and investigates emerging trends and developments in computer science, computer engineering, information management, knowledge management, cybersecurity and develops recommendations for research priorities.
  • Represents the Bureau and Department in developing partnerships with other USG agencies, academic institutions, and private research organizations to advance the state-of-the art in computer science, computer engineering, and information technology.
  • The incumbent performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. 

Applicants MUST meet the required basic entry qualification requirements described below:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

Have a Bachelor's degree in computer science

OR

bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.

Evaluation of Education - Applicants should have sufficient knowledge to understand the fundamental concepts and techniques of computer science. Courses designed to provide an introduction to computer science techniques and methodologies, to problems of system design, and to other specialized fields are acceptable.

NOTE: Courses or experience in teaching elementary, business, or shop mathematics are NOT acceptable.

Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

IN ADDITION to meeting the basic entry qualifications requirements listed above, the applicant MUST have at least one year of specialized experience that has equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience is related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience providing authoritative technical leadership and consultation to executive IT leaders regarding new and emerging developments in the computer science, computer engineering, cybersecurity, and information management fields particularly applied to technology modernization and service delivery.
  • Experience leading the formulation and implementation of policies, standards, and practices within computer science/engineering areas, delivering measurable mission/business outcomes through the advancement of data management and protection, distributed and cloud computing, biometrics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), and/or cybersecurity solutions.
  • Experience developing and communicating, to executive audiences, short- and long-range computing science/engineering goals and program objectives, overall IT strategies for complex organizations, and quantitative measures of success.
  • Experience guiding the planning, coordination, and evaluation of an organization’s information architecture, applying advanced theories and concepts of computer science and computer engineering.
  • Experience reviewing and evaluating system architectures and cybersecurity strategies and providing authoritative guidance on proper use of new and evolving concepts and techniques. 

Applicants applying for the GS-15 grade level must meet the following requirements: Have IT-related experience demonstrating EACH of the four competencies AND specialized experience listed below:

  1. Attention to Detail - experience reviewing my own information technology-related work or data and have been responsible for reviewing the work of others to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency with standards.
  2. Customer Service - developing and maintaining relationships with customers, anticipating, and assessing the current and future information technology needs of customers, and developing or identifying information technology products or services that are tailored to meet customer needs.
  3. Oral Communication - briefing senior-level management and IT staff on the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the communication of complex technical information to a non-technical audience.
  4. Problem Solving - identifying alternatives to address unique, highly complex, or sensitive information technology-related issues. I have anticipated information technology-related problems and have identified and evaluated potential sources of information to generate alternative solutions.

NOTE: In order to qualify for this position, your experience MUST be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-15 position.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov.
  • If eligible, telework and/or remote work agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Please note that any approved remote work arrangement is subject to the locality pay area of the alternative telework worksite.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. 

This serves as public notice for the use of OPM's Direct Hire Authority. Applicants who meet the qualification requirements will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

Benefits

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.

Review our benefits

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.

Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority, veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply. For this announcement, all applicants will be assessed to determine if they meet the qualifications for this position, specifically the education, specialized experience, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the work of the position.  All applications that meet the required qualifications will be referred to the selecting official in the order in which the applications were received.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following KSAs and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

  • Knowledge of strategic planning concepts, methods, and practices.
  • Knowledge of information security and cybersecurity directives, standards, policies, practices, tools, and technologies.
  • Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative analytical and evaluate techniques.
  • Knowledge of program/project management principles, methods, and practices.
  • Knowledge of information technology specialty areas.  
  • Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for selection priority. Candidates are considered well qualified if their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) exceed the minimum qualifications described in the announcement.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

1.  Resume showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions. 

2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education.  See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.

3.  Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans’ preference does not apply to this vacancy. Any supporting documentation received from veterans will be retained to document veteran’s status for appointment purposes, if selected.

  • To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
  • To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.).  If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
  • To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
  • To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.
  • For all preference claims:
    • DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
  • For more veterans’ preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

4.  ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable. Visit our agency’s ICTAP and CTAP sites for required documentation.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Prepare your application in USAJOBS

To start your application, click Apply and we’ll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents.

During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes.  You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit your resume.  Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency’s Civil Service selection process site.

Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

Alternate Application Procedures

If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.

Agency contact information

Jessica Posey
Phone
771-204-2915
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
poseyjl@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
600 19th Street, N.W.
Attn: CA/EX/HRD
Washington, District of Columbia 20520
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the online application package is received, you will be notified through USAJOBS of your qualification status and referral or non-referral to the hiring official for further consideration. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. If a tentative job offer is made, the Department of State will conduct a suitability and/or security background investigation.

You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process: 1. Upon receipt of your application. 2. Upon minimum qualification determinations. 3. After the list of eligibles is issued. 4. After final selection is made.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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