IT Specialist (INFOSEC) - Direct Hire Authority PUBLIC NOTICE Job in Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)

Vacancy No. OIG-24-DH-12654434PK Department U.S. Agency for International Development
Salary $104,604.00 to $135,987.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/23/2024 Close Date 12/27/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)


Summary

OIG is responsible for preventing and detecting fraud, waste, abuse, and violations of law, and for promoting economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of USAID programs. OIG provides oversight of the U. S. African Development Foundation (USADF), the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

Duties

THIS IS A PUBLIC NOTICE: This Notice is issued under direct-hire authority (DHA) to recruit new talent to this occupation for which there is a severe shortage of candidates. This means that we can hire any qualified candidate, either from this notice or from any source.
NOTE: Current civil service employees will receive new appointments if selected under this Direct Hire Authority.

For more information on DHA, please visit Direct Hire Authority (opm.gov)

The incumbent is a supervisor and technical expert in digital evidence data acquisition, data preservation methodologies, and digital forensic analysis. The incumbent guides the digital forensics team and supports proactive initiatives related to IT systems security principles, concepts, and methods for the purposes of transforming, modernizing, and enhancing the digital forensics capabilities of the US Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General, Investigations Division (USAID/OIG/I).

Duties include but not limited to:

  • Supervisory subject matter expert and advisor on digital forensics, electronic evidence, and highly technical specialized support functions.
  • Assisting with directing the system-wide forensic activities including, research, policy development, planning and analysis of programs and services, in support of criminal, civil and administrative investigations.
  • Supporting OIG by planning and performing highly complex forensic examinations of digital, electronic, and mobile device data from a variety of sources with the goal of developing forensically sound evidence that is consistent with standards established by USAID OIG, the Department of Justice, CIGIE, and other applicable organizations.
  • Providing expert consultation throughout investigations and prosecutions on matters relating to digital evidence or digital investigative analysis.
  • Employing forensic tools and techniques to support the investigation of complex fraud schemes, cybercrimes, decrypting files and system passwords, detecting and recovering deleted, fragmented, and corrupted data from digital media.
  • Collaborating with other forensic examiners, criminal investigators, and analysts to identify methods and procedures for recovery, preservation, and presentation of digital evidence.
  • Conducting research relating to digital forensics and cybercrime issues and applying industry-accepted principles and practices in retrieving, recovering, and preserving digital evidence.
  • Assisting criminal investigators by providing technical advice concerning electronic media search, seizure and evidence handling and participate in pre-seizure planning to address technical and legal issues associated with executing searches of digital devices.
  • Assisting with transformation efforts for the safeguard of digital forensic evidence and structures and use knowledge of computer science, computer systems architecture and systems software organization to advance the OIG digital forensic program.
  • Developing performance standards for investigative and investigative support personnel and assigns ratings.
  • Providing advice and counsel on investigative work, administrative and performance matters; hears grievances, serious employee complaints, and addresses serious disciplinary problems.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • United States Citizenship is required.
  • Relevant experience (see Qualifications below).
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance.
  • Time in grade must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • Designated and/or random drug testing required
  • Relocation expenses not authorized on initial appointment

Qualifications

OPM Basic Qualifications - 2210 Series Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): 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.

  • Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include:
    • Completing thorough and accurate work independently, even in the most difficult or stressful situations; occasionally reviewing work completed by others.

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.

Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include:

    • Resolving routine and non-routine problems, questions, or complaints; developing and maintaining strong, mutually supportive working relationships with customers; conducting evaluation of support to determine quality of services and customer satisfaction, and recommending procedural changes based on customer need or changes in policy and/or regulation.

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.

Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include:

    • Convincingly conveying complex information to customers; presenting thoughts that are well-organized and demonstrating confidence in the facts and ideas; adjusting style when working with individuals with different levels of understanding; using various methods to explain and convey information.

In addition to OPM Basic Qualifications you must have one year of specialized experience at the level similar, related, or relevant to the work of this job that has given you particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform. Typically we would find this experience in work within this field or a field that is closely related.

To qualify for the GS-14 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level in the Federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) Mastery level expertise serving as a seized Computer Evidence Recovery Specialist (SCERS), a certified digital forensic expert and/or subject matter expert coordinating, synchronizing, and integrating digital forensic analysis operations into an organization's investigative plans and operations; (2) Mastery level expertise supporting international digital forensic programs and highly technical projects that have investigative oversight; (3) Mastery level experience assessing complex investigative data from non-traditional sources to include international service providers and foreign entities and; (4) mastery expertise with system-wide digital forensic activities such as research, policy development, planning, and analysis of programs and services, in support of complex criminal, civil and administrative investigations.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-13).

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement. Therefore, no transcripts are required.

Additional information

This position is eligible for fully remote work anywhere in the United States. The official duty station is the authorized telework location (typically your home address, locality pay is subsequently adjusted appropriately). If required the physical worksite for this position is located in Washington, District of Columbia.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is a part of E-Verify. E-Verify provides an automated link to Federal databases to help employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of the social security numbers. Please note that travel and relocation expenses will not be paid .Additional selections may be made from any certificate of eligibles that result from this announcement.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

TESTING DESIGNATED POSITIONS: These are Testing Designated Positions (TDPs) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.

SELECTIVE SERVICE:The Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that all male applicants born after 12/31/59 who are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, be registered or they are not eligible for appointment to this position. For further information concerning Selective Service requirements, please visit http://www.sss.gov/EEO Policy StatementReasonable AccommodationTeleworkPeople with Disabilities

To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, your latest discharge must be issued under honorable conditions (this means an honorable or general discharge), AND you must be either: (1) a preference eligible (defined in title 5 U.S.C. 2108(3)), OR (2) a veteran who substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. Points are not adjudicated and preference is not applied under this type of appointment.

Interagency Career Transition Program/Career Transition Program (ICTAP/CTAP): This program applies to Federal workers whose positions have been deemed 'surplus' or no longer needed, or an employee has been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. For information on how to apply and what documents to submit as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. ICTAP/CTAP candidates must be rated well-qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority.

Interchange Agreement with Other Merit Systems: An agency may noncompetitively appoint an employee covered by an interchange agreement to a career or career-conditional appointment subject to the conditions listed below. For more information to determine if you meet this criteria, please go to: http://www.opm.gov/hr_practioners/lawsregulations/appointingauthorities/index.asp#InterchangeAgreementsWithOtherMeritSystems

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.

We will review your application package to ensure you meet the job and eligibility requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/ No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "Gold," "Silver," and "Bronze." However, your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "Gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed. Preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (Gold) depending on the position and grade level of the job. (You must provide proof of disability rating with a letter from the Veteran's Administration showing disability percentage rating).

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Oral Communication

Required Documents

  • Resume showing relevant experience.
  • Veterans' documentation, if requesting consideration under any Veterans' hiring eligibilities (veterans' preference and Veterans Recruitment Appointment). To verify the type of veterans' preference you are eligible for, we recommend using the Department of Labor's Veterans' Preference Advisor.
  • ICTAP Eligibles: Must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, an SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a direct reassign or transfer of function to another commuting area. You MUST also submit documentation to reflect your current (or last) performance rating of record of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent, along with your application/resume package.

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

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this online application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you must contact the human resources office no later than two business days before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. Our Office will provide an alternative application method upon approval of the hardship notification. After the advertisement has closed, we will not grant requests to apply via alternative plans.

Please note, we must receive all required documents by the closing date via online or alternative methods. We will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the material received by the closing date.

Step 1 - Review the Job Announcement (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12654434)
Before you apply, we suggest you review the entire job announcement. Pay close attention to the Major Duties section and the How You Will Be Evaluated section, where you will see the areas upon which an HR Specialist or Subject Matter Expert will evaluate your application and a link for previewing online questions.

Step 2 - Create or Upload a resume with USAJOBS (www.usajobs.gov)
Create or upload a resume in USAJOBS. You may wish to customize your resume to ensure it supports your responses to the online questions and addresses the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement. For resume tips, click here.-Although you must enter your Social Security Number (SSN) for USAJOBS, we will only see the last four digits for identification purposes.

Step 3 - Apply Online
Click the "Apply Online" button on this announcement and then select the resume you wish to submit with your application. You will be redirected to the OPM's USA Staffing website to complete the application process.

Step 4 - Answer the Online Questions and Submit Your Online Application
If this is your first time on OPM's USA Staffing website, the system will prompt you to register by answering questions about your eligibility for Federal employment. Select "Take me to the assessment" and click on the "Next" button to answer the job-specific questions. The system will save these responses and take you back to the main screen so that you can answer the job-specific questions. You must answer all the questions and click the "Finish" button.

Step 5 - Review and Confirm Your Submission
You will now have the option to upload a document or print fax cover sheets for documents (see Step 6 for details). Once you click "Done," you will see a summary of your application for your review, and you may also print a copy for your records. When you click "Finish" at the bottom of the page, our system will then direct you back to USAJOBS, where you can confirm that you correctly submitted your application, and you can track your application status.

Step 6 - Submit Documents
You can submit any applicable required or optional documents (see below) by document upload, fax, or e-mail. Whichever method you choose, please include the job announcement number with your records. To protect your privacy, we encourage you to remove your SSN from any documents that you submit.

Document Upload: You may upload documents in one of two ways:

  1. Once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement, the system will prompt you to upload your document(s) to your application. You will be given a choice to either upload the document as part of the application process or select a copy that you've already loaded on USAJOBS. Or
  2. You can upload a document to an existing application by logging into your USAJOBS account profile. Click on "My Applications" and search for the vacancy. Once you've located the vacancy, click on the vacancy and select "Apply Online." Move through your existing application to the Documents page and select upload to add a document to your application. Be sure to review your complete application for confirmation that you uploaded the document.

Agency contact information

OIG HR Operations Washington
Address
OIG - Office of Investigations
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20523
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You must complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below to apply for this position.

You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement's closing date to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you must create one before beginning the application.

Follow the prompts to select your resume and other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

Our automated system will take you to the online application you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and apply.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.


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


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