Summary

This position is located at Office of the Chief Information Officer, Infrastructure Operations Division.

This is not a remote position. You will be required to be in your duty station office per CEC telework policy.

This job is open to

The public

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

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

(1) U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; or (2) CTAP/ICTAP eligibles. No prior Federal experience is required.

Duties

As an IT Specialist, you will:

Administer and manage core Microsoft 365 services ( examples include Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Entra ID ).
Perform configuration, monitoring, policy administration, and system level maintenance across the USDA Microsoft 365 enterprise.
Implement configuration changes and feature updates following established change control procedures to ensure secure, compliant, and consistent platform operations.
Provide proactive monitoring and Tier 2/3 troubleshooting for authentication issues, Conditional Access, MFA enforcement, service outages, identity failures, and workload to workload integration problems.
Administer identity and access management functions including role assignments, PIM, Conditional Access policies, and least privilege governance. Support records management, retention, eDiscovery, and compliance workflows in alignment with federal and USDA security requirements.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
CEC offers alternative/flexible/telework schedules for eligible position.
All new hires will be required to comply with federal ethics laws. A review of financial or other interests may be conducted to determine if they create any real or apparent conflict of interests with official job duties.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé. USAJOBS Help Center - How to supply work experience

Specialized Experience for the GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

- Managing and maintaining enterprise applications and infrastructure services supporting the end user environment in an Information Technology organization; AND
- Demonstrating systems administration across the Microsoft Government Community Cloud (GCC) enterprise with experience in IT disciplines (such as routine configuration, installation, and reconfiguration of database and related products); AND
- Demonstrating the ability to Identify and investigate in depth problems/issues and recommends corrective actions AND
- Supporting incident resolution (examples include using service desk ticketing tools, troubleshooting and resolving problems directly and when needed, assisting and providing direction to junior support staff for escalated issues)

In addition to specialized experience, individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below.
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. 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.
4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

OTHER INFORMATION:

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
This is a non bargaining unit position.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.
A one year probationary period may be required.
Must successfully complete a background investigation.
Pass a pre-employment security investigation
Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required.
Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System
or are exempt from having to do so.
Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
Must obtain a valid state driver's license and maintain a valid license while you occupy the position.
Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds.

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.

Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a compliant or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to SM.OCIO.CEC.HumanResources@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

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.

Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes:

Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.

Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - 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 evaluations required for this position.

Rating: You will be evaluated on 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, and Teamwork

The USA Hire evaluation 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 evaluation. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online evaluation may also result in your removal from consideration.

Your evaluation results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same evaluations.

Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates, based upon your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories:

Best Qualified (highest quality category): Highly proficient with an overall comprehensive level of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the job.
Well Qualified (middle quality category): Has a solid and comprehensive understanding. Can perform the required tasks efficiently and is proficient in applying the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position.
Qualified (minimally qualified category) An overall basic level of knowledge, skills and abilities of the job.

Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that category. Qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan(CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

Optional Essay Questions:
Applicants may choose to respond to four short essay questions (200 words max each) to help us better understand your alignment with the agency's mission. These responses are optional and will not affect the applicant's eligibility.

Required Documents

A complete application includes:
1. A résumé: All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.)

Please limit your resume to two pages. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé.
It is suggested that you preview the online questionnaire to ensure that your resume thoroughly describes how your skills and experience align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and support your responses to the online questionnaire.
For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?

2. Vacancy question responses: All applicants are required to complete vacancy question responses by clicking the apply online button of this vacancy announcement.

3. Submission of any required documents identified below, if applicable. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). Please ensure all required documents, including any required work samples, narratives, or other materials as stated in this announcement, are attached to your application package.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION:

If you are claiming veterans preference, please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be considered for veterans preference, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.

How to Apply

CEC has partnered with Treasury's Common Services Center (TCSC) to provide certain personnel services to its organization. TCSC's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.

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, evaluations, 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:

Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
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 evaluations, 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 access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your evaluations. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the evaluations should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire evaluations; however, most applicants complete the evaluations in less time. If you need to stop the evaluation and continue later, you can re-use your unique link.
Your responses to the USA Hire evaluations will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an evaluation. If future applications you submit require completion of the same evaluations, 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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) 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 evaluations, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based evaluations and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based evaluations. Decisions on requests for RA 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 Evaluations, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all evaluations within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based evaluations, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online evaluations: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information

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.

For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position. For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.

To preview the application questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12946013

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center

Phone: 304-480-7300
Email: ITSINQUIRIES@fiscal.treasury.gov

Address: Infrastructure Operations Division
Treasury Common Services Center
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US

Next steps

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online evaluations. The online evaluations must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the evaluation should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.

We will review your résumé and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.

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