Summary
The incumbent serves as a senior Conference Application Specialist for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OI&T), End User (EUS), Enterprise Command Operations (ECO). EUS provides customer support services and management across VA, which supports conference application operability throughout the enterprise.
The incumbent oversees and assists management, coordinates, manages conference application for all VA.
Duties
Major Duties:
- Administers Identity and Access Management tools and concepts for enterprise implementation. Develops and adopts Information Technology (IT) knowledge sharing concepts and strategies to detect issues, while promoting a more efficient and effective delivery of quality support to the customer.
- Strategizes, consults, and advises others in the capacity of IT Service Management (ITSM) process design, flow, and interaction.
- Interacts with verbal communication, both in person and over the telephone, and with written communication, to provide detailed and technical IT information in a clear, logical, and concise manner to individuals at all organizational levels including director and program management levels.
- Supports the operation of systems applications and engage in pilot testing as required in accordance with customer satisfaction. Evaluates and implements the application of new and/or alternative technology for IT Modernizations. These duties include: baseline compliance; patch management; studying documentation provided with new or revised software and taking appropriate steps to install software; preparing routine workload reports showing system use and available capacity; submitting recommendations to improve the efficient use of system applications; and responding to special requests for system data; maintains and updates system files necessary to control all aspects of system operations and access.
- Reviews proposed changes to the operating environment; suggests resolutions that are most likely to be used on a regular basis; engage in train the trainer mechanics for employee comprehension to subordinate IT Specialists in conference application operation procedures; and investigates and recommends improvements to procedures and technologies to improve responsiveness to customer requirements. Evaluates usage patterns and incorporate customer feedback into suggestions to the Supervisory IT Specialist for improving the functionality or performance of a given system.
- Serves as a point of contact between the servicing division and operational business units for coordination of IT software application problem resolution; including VA users located remotely, coordinating problem resolution, recording suggestions, and providing information and other technical customer support.
- Identifies and breaks down problems using structured problem resolution approaches; and works with network specialists, applications developers, system administrators and security specialists to prevent recurring problems. Documents solutions to problems and recommend fundamental changes to system configurations to prevent recurrences. Engage and lead subordinate IT Specialists in issue resolution with highly complex IT problems and systems issues.
- Provides a variety of IT customer support services essential to the effective performance of VA conference application operation systems. The work involves the planning and delivery of customer service application support, including troubleshooting, installation, systems knowledge assistance and/or training in response to customer requirements. Ensures IT support tracking and asset information is accurate.
This position is primarily aligned to the following NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework work roles:
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 (CUSTSPT)/PD19093A
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; 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: This work is both sedentary and active, requiring movement throughout the facility and between workstations. The work may require some physical effort, such as standing, walking, bending, or sitting. The work may require long hours to meet project deadlines and to devise corrective action and solutions to unexpected technical and/or management crises resulting in sometimes highly stressful work situations. The work requires almost constant use of a video display terminal.
Working Conditions: The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The work environment involves everyday risk or discomforts that require normal safety precautions. Some employees may occasionally be exposed to uncomfortable conditions in such places as research and production facilities.
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 all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/30/2024.
INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR): This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). As a pre-requisite to the Specialized Experience requirement, you must meet the following basic education or experience requirements.
- Basic Education Requirement: If you are meeting the basic requirement based on education, a transcript is required as part of your submission documents. All academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. The degree must be in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or degree that provided a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems, or networks.
- For the GS-11 grade level, you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
- OR,
- Basic Experience Requirement: The basic experience requirements MUST be substantiated in your resume. Failure to provide the required information will render your application ineligible for consideration. Read all responses before making your selection. Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below at a proficiency level equivalent to the next lower grade level in federal service.
- 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, considering 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-09 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:
- Work that involves principles of Identity and Access Management with a focus on streamlining customer submission, workflow management, and governance of access provisioning.
- Work that includes experience with systems related to identity proofing and access management activities. Work resolving a full range of customer problems pertaining to conference application operations and systems including problems that are referred from a lower level.
- Work that involves training customers and less experienced customer support employees in the use of systems and applications supported by the customer support organization.
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.
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For additional information, refer to the U.S. Department of
Education web site at http://www.ed.gov.
Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) or you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the courses.
Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
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):
- Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
- Communication: Effectively expresses information to multiple audiences through clear dissemination of information and ideas; actively listens to others and demonstrates understanding of their comments and/or questions.
- Analytical Thinking: Solves problems/issues quickly and effectively, involving a methodical step-by-step approach to thinking; breaks down complex problems into single and manageable components and considering each part in detail; Makes a systematic comparison of various alternatives; Notices discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information; Identifies a set of features, parameters, or considerations to take into account.
- Analysis & Problem Solving: Applies the process of discovery that involves the diagnosis of a problem or issue, identification and gathering of relevant information, formulation and evaluation of alternative solutions or courses of action, and selection or recommendation of the preferred solution or course of action.
- Customer Service: Works and communicates with clients and customers (e.g., any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit provides, including individuals who work in your agency or in other agencies or organizations outside the Government) to satisfy their expectations. Committed to quality services.
- Information Assurance: Knowledge of methods and procedures to protect information systems and data by ensuring their availability, authentication, confidentiality, and integrity.
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.
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:
- 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 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 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.
- 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.
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.