IT Cybersecurity Specialist

Department of Energy

Western Area Power Administration

Cybersecurity Information Assurance A2102/A2101

Summary

As an IT Cybersecurity Specialist (INFOSEC), you will provide technical expertise and guidance to WAPA functional and project teams regarding cybersecurity technical issues, risk analyses, mitigation plans and continuity of operations planning.

**This is NOT A REMOTE POSITION. The selectee will be required to be physically present at one of the duty location(s) identified.**

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This is a Direct Hire Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

Duties

As a IT Cybersecurity Specialist, you will:

Provide technical oversight of IT operating system security ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems, networks and data.
Develop, review and evaluate information security policies for WAPA.
Employ Defense in Depth principles and technology and other best practices in security engineering designs and implementation.
Evaluate the quality of Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Information Protection (CIP) evidence for the purposes of ensuring WAPA is meeting regulatory requirements and standards common in the industry (e.g. NERC and FERC guidelines). Create and maintain evidence in specific evidence repositories.
Serve as one of WAPA's lead technical experts on systems, network, and cloud security to management and other technical specialists on critical IT issues.
Analyze Information Assurance (IA) security events, including threat model development and resulting security risk analysis of systems.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
Appointments made under the DHA are processed as "new" appointments. Status and Non-Status applicants from outside DOE selected under this authority are required to serve a mandatory one (1) year probationary period. A DOE career status employee selected for this position may be required to serve a new one (1) year probationary period, pursuant to 5 CFR 315.802. Employees serving on a probationary period may be terminated at any time during the probationary or trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.
In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
Overtime may be required on short notice to include nights, holidays and weekends in support of related mission requirements.
On-call (Rotational) - The duties of this position may require the incumbent to be placed in a 24/7 on-call status on a rotational basis. On-call status on a rotational basis is anticipated to be approximately 15% of the year. While in an on-call duty status, required to carry a cellular phone and remain within one-half hour travel time of their primary place of residence (or approved on-call place of residence) and, will sustain themselves in an able to respond and perform work condition.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATION REQUIRMENTS: To qualify for this position, you must meet the minimum qualification requirements as well as the specialized experience requirements outlined below:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADE 12 and Above (GS or Equivalent): The competencies listed in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section will be used to evaluate whether or not you meet the minimum proficiency level established for the 2210 series

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE for Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Architecture (IA): A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level GS-12 in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience for this position is defined as having at least two (2) of the following:

Test, analyze, and/or implement existing and future systems to complement existing cybersecurity architectures; often leading Authority to Operate (ATO) job functions such as control testing and validation, Plan of Actions & Milestones (POAM) tracking or Risk Acceptance (RA).
Analyze security events, including threat model development and resulting security risk analysis of systems.
Design and develop security architecture to execute a company's cybersecurity program to meet Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), North American Electric Reliability (NERC), Critical Information Protection (CIP), or NIST 800-53 Controls.
Perform vulnerability management to include scans, assessments, and remediation in conjunction with other IT business units to reduce company-wide risk.

-OR-

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE for Cybersecurity Operations (Ops): A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level GS-12 in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience for this position is defined as having at least two (2) of the following:

Configure and manage and/or manage the lifecycle of at least 1 (one) of the following cybersecurity systems: Axonius, Carbon Black App Control, Carbon Black Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Corelight, Forescout, Splunk, and Tenable.
Apply the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and assess cybersecurity systems against federal and industry compliance standards, such as NIST SP 800-53, FISMA, or NERC CIP.
Conduct incident response activities, vulnerability assessments, and/or digital forensics, including analyzing security events to understand and mitigate active potential cybersecurity threats.

Education

For this position, education cannot be substituted for experience.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov
The selectee for this position may be eligible to receive a recruitment or relocation incentive. You will need to sign an employment agreement to be eligible for this incentive.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs are not authorized.
This position may be eligible for creditable service towards annual 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. DOE 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.
Applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) when applying or competing for a job due to a medical condition or to exercise religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this vacancy announcement.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.
Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.
- Lakewood/Loveland, CO: $118,675 - $154,280
- Folsom, CA: $117,984 - 153,382
- Remaining locations fall under Rest of U.S.: $106,437 - $138,370

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.

This position is announced under a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) for IT Cybersecurity Specialist positions in the 2210 series. Under the DHA, applicants who meet the Education and Qualification requirements listed in this announcement will be referred for consideration. Veteran's Preference, category rating, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply under the DHA process.

Appointments made under the DHA are processed as "new" appointments. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Offices or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications.

USAHire: To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Successful candidates will possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Accountability
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Influencing/Negotiating
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork

Career Transition Assistance Programs: If you are eligible for career transition assistance, such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the Education and Qualification requirements to be referred for consideration.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (09/09/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13045399

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:

Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).

Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement:

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable(e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.

Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/.
To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Agency contact information

PMA Careers

Email: PMACareers@wapa.gov

Address: WAPA Headquarters
12155 W. Alameda Pkwy
Lakewood, CO 80228
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The status of your application will be updated in USAJOBS as it is evaluated.

You can check the status by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application changes by logging into your USAJobs Account and editing the Notification Settings.

You will be contacted directly if an interview is required.

Additional locations

Billings, MT

Watertown, SD

IT Cybersecurity Specialist Job