IT Specialist (Direct Hire Authority) Job

Vacancy No. SH12607629 Department Social Security Administration
Salary $46,752.00 to $73,652.00 Grade 5 to 7
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/18/2024 Close Date 11/22/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Urbana, MDWoodlawn, MDDurham, NC


Summary

IT Specialist position(s) are being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority, open to all U.S. citizens. Selections made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the civil service. Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and the "Rule of Three" do not apply.

Duties

  • This announcement serves as public notice. Applications submitted be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection as positions become available.
  • Vacancies may be filled for up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.
  • Applications may be gathered from additional recruitment sources. These will be added to the pool created by this announcement.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
  • Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation may be required
  • Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results
  • Selectees may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid
  • All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement

Qualifications

Applicants must qualify for the series and grade of the posted position. Experience must be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate. Your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, abilities, and proficiency of any required competencies to perform the specific position for which you are applying.

To qualify for the 2210 IT Specialist series, the applicant must demonstrate the following competencies:
  • 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; know about available products and services; and 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.
Minimum Qualifications: Grade 5 To qualify at the GS-5 level, applicants must have the following:
  • A bachelor's degree.
  • IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed above. The experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate.
Minimum Qualifications: Grade 7 To qualify at the GS-7 level, applicants must have one of the following:
  • A bachelor's degree AND superior academic achievement. Superior academic achievement is defined as: (1) graduating with at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA; (2) graduating in the top third of the graduating class; or (3) membership in a national scholastic honor society. NOTE: Transcripts are required to substantiate education.; OR
  • One full year of graduate level study, or possess a Master's or higher degree, e.g., LL.B., J.D., LL.M., Ph.D., etc., in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position.; OR
  • At least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-5, or equivalent, which is in or related to the work of the position to be filled which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such IT-related experience includes assisting senior specialists with application troubleshooting, computer programming, hardware or software configuration, etc. Such experience must involve providing input for at least a segment of one technical project.; OR
  • When combined, graduate education and experience total 100% of the requirements.
NOTE: The educational degree must be in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management; or a 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. Transcripts are required to substantiate education.

Qualification standards and additional information for this position can be found here: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/2200/information-technology-it-management-series-2210-alternative-a/

Education

Providing Proof of Education or Substituting Education

For information on providing proof of education or substituting education for experience, visit Information Technology (IT) Management Series 2210 (Alternative A) (opm.gov)

If you are qualifying on the basis of education or satisfying an educational requirement, you must submit a copy of your transcripts that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application. You must submit your transcripts according to the application submission details of this announcement. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail. If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of the personnel action placing you into the new position.

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.

Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide documentation that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

This Direct Hire Authority is to fill IT specialist positions under a term appointment not-to- exceed 4 years. The appointment may be extended for an additional 4 years for a total of 8 years.

This announcement serves as public notice. Applications submitted be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection as positions become available. Vacancies may be filled for up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed. Applications may be gathered from additional recruitment sources.

This Direct Hire announcement may be used to fill the same or similar position in another office.

These positions are bargaining unit positions represented by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.

Salary Range Information: The salary ranges provided at the top of this vacancy announcement show the range of GS-5 Step 1 to GS-7 Step 10 special salary pay. The salary ranges for each individual grade level and location can be found below.

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.

Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

  1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
  2. Transcripts
  3. Other documents supporting qualifications and/or preference, if applicable.
INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP): ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. To receive selection priority, candidates must meet the requirements for Well Qualified. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Candidates must also provide:
  • proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation Notice of Personnel Action, (SF-50); and
  • proof of your most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent.
For more information visit http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

Veteran's preference does not apply under Direct Hire Authority for IT positions.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  1. Your Resume
  2. The Occupational Questionnaire
  3. Additional Required Documents, if applicable (see Required Documents section)

The complete Application Package must be submitted before midnight (EST) on 11/22/2024.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with the application process, please contact OPE Staffing OCIO at OPE.Staffing.OCIO@ssa.gov or 410-965-1234.

Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email or 7-1-1 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services to call the listed phone number. Additional Telecommunications Relay Services options are available in each state: https://www.fcc.gov/general/trs-state-and-territories

Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.

To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log in to your USAJOBS account.

Agency contact information

OPE Staffing OCIO
Address
OCIO Front Office
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once you have successfully submitted your application materials, you can expect to receive at least two or more of the following email notifications concerning your application status: (1) Receipt of application; (2) Qualifications status and whether your application has been Referred/Not Referred to the selecting official; and (3) Selection status for the position.

Selection interviews may be conducted with one or more of the candidates, but there is no requirement that interviews be conducted. The hiring office will contact candidates directly for interviews. Interviews may be conducted via video conferencing software, if technically feasible. Applicants referred for consideration will receive a final disposition notice after selections have been made.


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


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