Industrial Control System Specialist - Experienced Level (Maryland) Job in Fort Meade, MD

Vacancy No. 1245922 Department National Security Agency/Central Security Service
Salary $104,219.00 to $190,848.00 Grade 11 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 2/27/2025 Close Date 3/13/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Fort Meade, MD


Summary

NSA is in need of skilled/experienced Industrial Control System (ICS) Specialists/Engineers to ensure the proper operation and cybersecurity of NSA's and Department of Defense (DoD) ICS, from concept to operation.

Duties

The National Security Agency (NSA) currently has opportunities for highly motivated Industrial Control System (ICS) Specialists/Engineers to provide expertise in the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of new and renovated electrical and mechanical infrastructure. This position has two areas of focus, one within Design and Engineering (D&E) and the other with Operations and Maintenance (O&M).

As an ICS Specialist/Engineer within D&E, you will work closely with multidisciplinary teams encompassing project managers, stakeholders, and contractors throughout the entirety of the project life-cycle, including close coordination with O&M. You will also be responsible for the development and review of designs, specifications, technical reports, and cost estimates for power monitoring and control of electrical and mechanical infrastructure, energy management monitoring, and ICS cybersecurity.

As an ICS Specialist/Engineer within O&M, you will work closely with ICS Specialists who support many facets of the Industrial Control Systems in the Facilities Control Center (FCC), which is a 24/7 operations center where facilities systems can be effectively monitored and maintained. The ICS team supports power monitoring and control, energy management monitoring and control, the transport network and various Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) hardware, components, software, and applications to ensure a robust secure operation of the overall system.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.

Qualifications

The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.

Degree must be in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related STEM field (for example, Building Automation Systems, Control Systems, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, Computer Security).

Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: industrial or commercial control systems; information technology or information systems; or in the operation, maintenance, design, or modification of facilities-related control systems.

FULL PERFORMANCE
Entry is with an Associate's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience.

SENIOR
Entry is with an Associate's degree plus 10 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 6 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 2 years of relevant experience.

Education

The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.

Degree must be in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related STEM field (for example, Building Automation Systems, Control Systems, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, Computer Security).

Additional information

Pay: Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.

Salary Range: $104,219 - $190,848 (Full Performance, Senior) Salary range varies by work level and relevant experience to the position.

On the job training, internal NSA courses, and external training will be made available based on the need and experience of the selectee.

Benefits: NSA offers excellent benefits to include relocation assistance, flexible work schedules, generous leave programs, paid personal fitness time, training and continuing education classes, health and life insurance, Federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and a Federal retirement plan.

Work Schedule: This is a full-time position, Monday - Friday, with basic 8 hr/day work requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).

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.

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.

Support for Industrial Control Systems require a variety of skills. The successful candidate shall have knowledge/skills in at least one of the following areas and the drive and passion to master many of these functions:

- ICS Power Control - Provide support in the area of electrical power control and monitoring systems also known as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. The candidate should be knowledgeable about or interested in learning about electrical power systems, configuring Schweitzer protective relays, integrating power devices into Real-Time Automation Controllers (RTAC) as well as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) programming. Knowledge of the protocols used by these devices, including mirrored bits, Modbus, DNP3, and SNMP, is desired.

- ICS Building Automation - Provide support to a variety of technical areas that include HVAC and chilled water distribution systems, coordination of utility outages that impact the ICS and to minimize disruptions to mission systems and support of the ICS installation and oversight of ICS commissioning. Knowledge or interest in learning about the field of building automation and the variety of components used by such systems is preferred. This includes devices such as Direct Digital Controls (DDC), DDC Logic, seniors, and end devices such as, but not limited to Variable Frequency Drives (VFD), dampers, actuators, and valves.

- Networking Technologies - The candidate should be knowledgeable about or interested in learning about configuring and troubleshooting Cisco switches and routers. Knowledge of and experience in routing protocols, Port Security, Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), Domain Authentication, and VLANs is desired. Additionally, knowledge of best security practices is desired.

- Firewalls - The candidate should be knowledgeable about or interested in learning about Cisco firewalls, including Firewall Management Center (FMC) for deployment and management of firewalls.

- Information Technology (IT) Management - The candidate should be knowledgeable about or interested in learning about Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM), Microsoft Active Directory (AD), and similar tools used for managing access controls, patch deployments, configuring policies, troubleshooting application issues, and developing/deploying software images.

- Network Security - The candidate should be knowledgeable about or interested in learning about multiple topics including, but not limited to, System Information and Event Management (SIEM), including creating anomalies alert dashboards; management of Antivirus (AV) and malware protection; access controls to include Identification, Authentication, Authorization, and Accountability (IAAA), as well as Multifactor Authentication (MFA); cybersecurity framework and policies; Network Discovery and asset management; Network Intrusion Prevention and Detection Systems (IPS/IDS); ICS/SCADA network protocol and vulnerability analysis; ICS/SCADA recovery & mitigation and signature development and implementation; and network penetration testing. A working knowledge of assessment and analytic tools and techniques is a plus.

For additional competencies, please visit: https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1245922

Required Documents

The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.

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

To apply, please visit: https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1245922

Agency contact information

NSA POC

Next steps

To apply, please visit: https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1245922


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