Duties
Computer Systems Architects at NSA use commercial and government-developed hardware, software, networking, and security products to:
- Modernize IT architecture through analysis of research and introducing changes based on evolving project requirements
- Integrate industry trends, emerging technologies and standards and new vendor features - Collaborate with experts in technical and application teams to identify, evaluate and recommend technical solutions to support project requirements
- Produce compliance results for established project requirements and IT architecture
- Define and analyze data requirements, mapping legacy data stores and formats to logical and physical data models
- Propose standard ways for information transport between IT systems and stored within corporate knowledge databases
- Perform architectural alignment of the enterprise logical data model and physical data models
**Please upload a copy of your transcripts from all schools attended prior to applying for this position. Unofficial transcripts are fine at this stage. The minimum qualifications for this position require a degree that demonstrates a concentration of Computer Science (CS) courses in foundational CS areas.**
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564.
Qualifications
FULL PERFORMANCE
Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree and no experience. An Associate's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position.
SENIOR
Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 6 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 4 years of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree and 2 years of relevant experience. An Associate's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position.
EXPERT
Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 9 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 7 years of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree plus 5 years of relevant experience. An Associate's degree plus 11 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position.
Education
The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.
Degree must be in Computer Science (CS). Related fields (e.g., Engineering, Mathematics, Information Technology, Information Systems) may be considered relevant if the programs contain, at minimum, a concentration of courses in the following foundational CS areas: algorithms; computer architecture (not network architecture); programming methodologies and languages; data structures; logic and computation; and advanced mathematics (for example, calculus, discrete mathematics).
Relevant experience must be in the design/development of computer or information systems and include engineering hardware and/or software over their lifecycle (i.e., requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, integration, deployment/installation, and maintenance), programming, computer systems research, reverse engineering, and/or computer/network security. Completion of military training in a relevant area such as JCAC (Joint Cyber Analysis course) will be considered towards the relevant experience requirement (i.e., 24-week JCAC course will count as 6 months of experience).
Additional information
Pay: Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.
Salary Range: $105,262 - $197,200 (Full Performance, Senior, Expert) Salary range varies by location, work level, and relevant experience to the position.
Training will be provided based on the selectee's needs and experience.
Benefits: NSA offers a comprehensive benefits package. Work Schedule:
This is a full-time position, Monday - Friday, with basic 8hr/day work requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
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.
The ideal candidate is a self-starter with a desire for continual learning and strong problem-solving, analytic and interpersonal skills who is able to:
- Work in a team environment
- Adapt to change
- Provide innovative solutions
- Communicate effectively
- Multi-task across multiple projects
The ideal candidate will also reflect specialized skills and experience in one or more of the following:
- System administration with Windows, UNIX, and/or Linux
- Programming and scripting experience (e.g., C, C++, Java, Assembly, Python, Perl, Ruby, Bash, Node.js, Spark, Puppet, SALT, KAFKA, HADOOP)
- Database design/development (e.g., NiFi, MongoDB)
- Network protocols and hardware
- Virtualization fundamentals
- Cloud architecture
- Security architectures and appliances
- Firewalls boundary device solutions/architecture
- High performance computing/data center
Required Documents
The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.
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.