IT Specialist (Network/SysAdmin) Job in Hilo, HI

Vacancy No. 25-92 Department Smithsonian Institution
Salary $100,091.00 to $130,124.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/31/2025 Close Date 8/15/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Hilo, HI


Summary

The IT Specialist (Network/SYSADMIN) is responsible for the SMA, Hilo, HI network, system, virtual machine and data storage administration.  The incumbent is responsible for the operation of complex systems in a functioning astronomical observatory.  

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This Merit Promotion position is open to Current Federal Employees and Former Federal Employees with permanent status or reinstatement eligibility. Individuals who are eligible for a special appointing authority may also apply such as Individuals with Disabilities (Schedule A), former Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Vista volunteers; certain Military Spouses, or individuals eligible under various programs for Veterans (VRA, VEOA, 30% disabled).

Duties

  1. Linux Network administration. The SMA relies on complex network infrastructure based on the linux operating system for telescope operations. Linux network administration duties include: oversight of network operations and rapid response to outages; linux terminal command line based configuration of switches, routers, and firewalls to maintain network security; optimizing routing paths; documenting network architecture; planning, designing, and costing network improvements or expansions;  specification, acquisition, and installation of network hardware; maintaining network hardware; network software and security upgrades using linux and command line tools; and coordination with IT staff at other Maunakea observatories, the University of Hawaii, the SAO, and the Smithsonian.
  2. Linux System administration. The SMA is controlled by a heterogenous collection of computers, primarily Red Hat Linux systems. Linux system administration duties include: oversight of computing operations and rapid response to outages; monitoring system status for anomalies or security issues; system configuration via the linux terminal and command line; linux system software and security upgrades; oversight of software license and support contracts; analysis of computing requirements; and planning, designing, and costing improvements or expansions.
  3. Linux Virtual machine administration. The primary SMA linux servers are virtualized and run on linux servers. VM administration duties include: deployment of linux VMs and containers; analysis of server loads and balancing them with VM resources; migration of VMs between physical hosts; system software and security upgrades; maintenance of VM hosts; specification, acquisition, and installation of VM host hardware; and planning, designing, and costing improvements or expansions.
  4. Data storage administration. SMA observations produce data at a rate that can exceed 1 TB per night. Data storage administration duties include: maintenance of data storage servers and backup systems using the Linux command line, including cloud storage; specification, acquisition, and installation of storage hardware; planning, designing, and costing improvements or expansions; and oversight of cloud storage contracts.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Pre- and post-appointment background investigation
  • May be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
  • U.S. citizenship
  • Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
  • Must have a valid State driver's license
  • Passing a high altitude physical examination is a condition of employment.

Must have a valid State driver's license as you must travel between Hilo and Maunakea using SMA (government) vehicles.  You may be required to provide a copy of your driver's license if contacted for an interview. 

Incumbent must pass a high altitude physical examination (condition of employment).

Frequent trips will be necessary to the SMA telescope on Maunakea at 4075 m (13375 ft) altitude, which experiences a broad range of weather conditions, including rain, snow, and high winds. Travel to the telescope over the mountain access road can be hazardous. Some outdoor work is involved, for example to adjust systems in the antenna cabins.

The SMA facilities include laboratory and industrial settings that require cognizance and observance of documented precautions regarding heavy equipment, cutting and welding operations, high voltage, chemicals, LN2 or other cryogens, and other potentially hazardous conditions, materials, or practices. Personal Protective Equipment must be worn when required.

Qualifications

Individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below.

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.

Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

AND

Experience for GS-12 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-11 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience that includes IT support activities such as network administration, system administration, virtual machine administration, data storage administration, user support, or writing or modifying computer software professionally

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Education

Education is not substitutable for specialized experience at this grade level.

Additional information

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.

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.

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above.  The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

  1. Knowledge of and skill in administration of complex data networks comprising Linux systems using Linux command line tools and the Linux terminal.
  2. Experience with and skill in administration of Linux servers. 
  3. Skill in administration of Linux virtual machine hosts sufficient to balance server loads.
  4. Knowledge of and skill in administration using Linux command line tools and Linux shell of data storage systems.
  5. Knowledge of computer programming sufficient for Linux system administration tasks.
  6. Ability to communicate technical information effectively to diverse audiences.  

BASIS OF RATING:  Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA):  If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities:  The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:

Important Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Your application package should include the following documents:

  • Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position.
  • Current and former employees MUST submit a copy of their Standard Form (SF)-50, “Notice of Personnel Action,” that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position title, series, grade, step, salary, type of service (competitive or excepted in block 34), and tenure (1 or 2 in block 24). Please provide a SF-50 that shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade level.  Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Appointments, Reassignments, Within-grade/range increases or Promotion actions.  NOTE: Pay adjustments and award SF-50s do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable SF-50’s on their own. You may need to provide more than one SF-50. 
  • Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying).
  • Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
  • Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
  • A recent performance evaluation is required if you are a current federal employee
  • Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA
  • Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration.
  • Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order.
  • Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here.

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

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page.

Please Note:

  • You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).
  • You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process;
    OR
    You may manually fax required documents.  Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine.  Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date.  Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package.  
  • The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
  • If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

Agency contact information

Mary Hebert
Phone
617 496 7816
Fax
617 495 7263
Email
mhebert@cfa.harvard.edu
Address
SMITHSONIAN
Human Resources
60 Garden Street
MS17
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
United States

Next steps

At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as initial receipt of your application. After the job announcement closes, you will receive an email from the Smithsonian with confirmation of receipt. The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing vacancy.info@si.edu; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed. 

Additional Information:

  • The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses but recruitment incentives may be authorized if eligible. 


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


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