IT Specialist (INFOSEC) Job in Portsmouth, NH

Vacancy No. DE12631678-25JR-HRC0919146 Department Department of State - Agency Wide
Salary $119,355.00 to $155,164.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/2/2025 Close Date 1/8/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Portsmouth, NH


Summary

The position is at the National Visa Center, part of the Visa Office, Domestic Operations in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Portsmouth, NH.

As an IT Specialist you will participate in network and systems design and/or implementation, including to ensure appropriate systems security policies & procedures are contemplated & introduced into designs. You will coordinate development work with higher-echelon information security organizations, end-users within & outside the Bureau and Department.

Duties

  • Apply advanced IT principles, concepts, methods, standards, and practices to develop and interpret policies, procedures, and strategies governing the planning and delivery of services.
  • Prepare and present briefings to senior management officials on complex /controversial issues, and communicate complex technical requirements to non-technical personnel.
  • Use expert skills in applying interrelationships of the Bureau’s IT architecture to new IT developments and applications, and/or emerging technologies and their applications to business processes.
  • Assist the Departmental Office of Inspector General and law enforcement organizations of all jurisdictions by facilitating the gathering, analysis, and preservation of evidence used in the prosecution of computer crimes.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/
  • Annual Confidential Financial Disclosure required within first 30 days.
  • Must be available for overtime.
  • This position requires occasional travel, including potentially overseas.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:
To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies and the specialized experience for the grade level to which you are applying:

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; 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; and
  • Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the grade level to which you are applying:

GS-13
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one full-time year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) performing ALL of the following duties:
  1. Coordinating with processing stakeholders to identify, develop, and implement systems improvements or innovations required for mission success;
  2. Providing technical advice, guidance, or recommendations to non-technical management and technical specialists on mission-critical IT issues in the consular or immigration fields;
  3. Using project management skills to oversee long-range projects (i.e.: determine milestones, define deliverables, or monitoring activities); and
  4. Developing systems and processes that meet current and future business requirements for the global visa enterprise.
There is no education substitute for specialized experience at the GS-13 level.

Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume must support your application responses.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work performed 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor.

A recruitment incentive may be authorized.
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) / Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible surplus and/or displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP/ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and have a final assessment score of 85 or better. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility click here.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Veterans' Preference does not apply when selecting individuals under a Direct-Hire Authority (DHA). When agencies select individuals under DHA, the law allows agencies to hire them without regard to sections 5 U.S.C. 3309-3318, which eliminates the requirement for applying veterans' preference. Qualified candidates with veterans' preference can be selected as they are found, just as any qualified non-preference eligible candidate would be.

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.

This announcement is being used to recruit qualified individuals under the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Direct Hire Authority authorized by 5 United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 3304 and 5 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 337, Subpart B. Therefore, category rating, veterans' preference, and traditional rating or ranking of applicants do not apply to this public notice. For more information about Direct-Hire Authority click here.

Once the announcement closes, a review of your resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the assessment questions to determine if you are qualified for this job. Note: Responses to questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Your resume, transcripts (if applicable), and all supporting documentation you submit, to include your responses to the questionnaire, will be used to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications (specialized experience) listed in this announcement. If you rate yourself higher than what is supported by the documentation you submit, you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet the minimum qualification (specialized experience) requirements, you will be referred to the selecting officials. Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority, category rating and veterans' preference do not apply; therefore, your responses to the questionnaire will not be used to determine a scored rating. Instead, all applicants who are determined to meet the minimum qualifications (specialized experience), as defined by this announcement, will be referred to the selecting officials for consideration.

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority. Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

To preview the Application Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12631678.

Required Documents

All required documents listed below must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

You must submit a complete Application Package including:

  • Resume showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the following for each position: Company or agency name, Start and end dates (from month/year to month/year), total hours worked per week, position title, duties performed, and if the position is/was Federal, include the pay plan-series-grade level. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions.
  • A complete Assessment Questionnaire.
  • Other Supporting Documents, if applicable to you:
  • Although veterans' preference does not apply under Direct Hire Authority, applicants are encouraged to provide documentation of their eligibility. Veterans' Preference Documentation:
    • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans' Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
    • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement date from active duty, 2) your discharge will be under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
    • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF-15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
  • CTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, RIF separation SF-50 personnel action, certification of expected separation, etc.). Visit our agency's ICTAP and CTAP eligibility information sites for more information and required application documentation.
Carefully read and follow the instructions outlined in this announcement. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility to be considered for this announcement and/or qualifications for the position. Failure to submit a complete Application Package may result in an ineligible rating.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin your application. To apply for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the Required Documents section. You must submit a complete Application Package by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date to be considered. The application process is as follows:

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit your resume. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

STEP 5: Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.

To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency's Civil Service selection process site.

To verify your application is complete: Log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

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 see your application and job status: After you apply for the job, return to your USAJOBS account where you can check your application status by clicking the Track this application link. Your application status page is where you can view your application status and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. USAJOBS shows the job status on your Dashboard.

It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume, veteran's documentation, completed assessment, and SF-50's) is received and accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. If a document is not in legible format, applicant will not be able to view it in Application Manager which means applicant must again upload by the closing date of this announcement.

NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 5MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact Midwest Services Branch. You must submit a complete application by the close of the announcement.

Agency contact information

Midwest Services Branch
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After all application packages are received, we will review applications and evaluate applicants' qualifications. Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position as described in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status.

Your application status will be updated up to four times during the following hiring phases:

  1. After applications are received.
  2. After applications are assessed to determine qualifications.
  3. After candidates are referred to the hiring manager.
  4. After a selection is made.
For the selected candidates who receive a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation that generally takes an average of at least two to six months.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions (same series and grade) in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.


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


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