IT Specialist Job

Vacancy No. DHA-12654108-25-AL Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
Salary $116,872.00 to $151,929.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/26/2024 Close Date 1/6/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Murfreesboro, TNNashville, TN


Summary

The position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT), End User Services (EUS), End User Operations (EUO). The primary duties and responsibilities include resolving customer related software and hardware problems In accordance with established policies and procedures.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS and current/former Federal employees who are eligible for CTAP/ICTAP. This position is being filled using Direct Hiring Authority 5 CFR 337.201 (DA-002).

Duties

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

Major Duties:

  • Diagnoses and resolves problems in response to IT reported incidents. Manages the movement and installation of IT equipment to assure coordination of IT support and customer service. Documents and provides feedback on trends associated with customer support, including viable recommendations for improvement.
  • Provides support for technology endpoints (personal computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, desk phones, video teleconferencing equipment, etc.) by implementing, maintaining and updating VA standard baseline configurations for these devices. This includes the support of specialized endpoint applications and troubleshooting. Provides support, implements, and manages Desktop software patching and installation, including packet creation, using VA approved processes and tools.
  • Reviews proposed changes to the client operating environment; suggests resolutions that are most likely to be used on a regular basis; performs account management on a regular basis to clear duplicate and outdated entries; trains lower graded IT Specialists in account management procedures; and investigates and recommends purchase of tools and technologies to improve responsiveness to customer requirements.
  • Evaluates usage patterns and incorporates customer feedback into recommendations to the Lead or Supervisory IT Specialist for improving the functionality or performance of a given system. Identifies and breaks down problems using structured problem resolution approaches; and works with network specialists, application developers, system administrators, and security specialists to prevent recurring problems. Documents solutions to problems and recommends fundamental changes to system configurations to prevent recurrences. Coaches junior IT specialist in resolving the highly complex IT problems and systems issues.
  • Provides group and one on one systems/software applications training to customers as required; and provides on the job training to lower graded IT Specialists. Promulgates and assures conformance with VA/OI&T security policies by de-commissioning equipment, completing appropriate paper work and following procedures to surplus outdated or damaged systems and equipment and ensures all data storage media are accounted for, sanitized and destroyed per VA Policy and local procedure.
For more information about these work roles, where they fit within the larger Cyber Workforce, and how they can support your unique career journey, please visit the Cyber Career Pathways tool on the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies website: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/workforce-development/cyber-career-pathways

Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist/PD17041A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
Travel Required: Occasional travel may be required as needed for this position.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm; Tour of duty will be determined based on organizational needs.
Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Remote: This is not a remote position.

Physical Demands: The work is sedentary, but may involve intermediate periods of walking, bending, stooping, lifting, carrying, regularly moving (up to 50 pounds) computer components and supplies, reaching, pulling, and working at a keyboard and monitor. Subject to call back outside tour of duty.

Working Conditions: The work area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions.

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
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
  • 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
  • To be considered for this position, applicants must complete all required steps in the process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) and the Specialized Experience Requirement by the closing date of this announcement, 01/06/2025.

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy

To meet the qualifications for this position,

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR): This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement. To be considered for this position, you must meet the basic requirement and the specialized experience requirement under this section.

  • Basic Requirement: You must have IT-related experience (which may be may be obtained by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate) demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below:
    • 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); 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: Possessing IT experience and having a detailed background with extensive experience in operations, resolving the highly complex IT problems and issues of IT delivery systems and equipment.
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.

Note: 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. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those who have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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

EDUCATIONAL SUBSTITUTION: There is no educational substitution for this position at this grade level.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

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

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.

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.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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/.

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.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
  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.
  3. Operations Support - Knowledge of procedures to ensure production or delivery of products and services, including tools and mechanisms for distributing new or enhanced software.
  4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

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 an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes one or more of the following documents. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included documents required for your application. You will not be contacted for additional information.

  1. 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.
  2. Complete All Required Assessments.
  3. If your application is rated as well-qualified (score 85 or above) and you are claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (I/CTAP) submit:
    • a copy of your agency notice.
    • a copy of your most recent performance rating, and
    • a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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 applicant's 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). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not 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 and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

  1. Click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  4. 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.
  5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  6. 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.
  7. Set aside at least 3 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.
  8. 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.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Agency contact information

Recruitment Team Two B
Address
DAS for Information Technology - 103
810 Vermont Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20240
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.


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


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