Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. citizens.

This position is emergency essential. The CPP operates around the clock to provide steam for heating and chilled water for air conditioning to the buildings of the U.S. Capitol including the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court. The specialist is required to report to work during emergencies, failure of plant machinery and equipment and inclement weather situations to support the critical mission of the Capitol Power Plant. The tour of duty is normally scheduled Monday through Friday during the work week.

Performs progressively more complex and responsible duties on a gradual basis leading to the full performance level. The duties listed are a GS-13.

Major Duties

Serves as a specialist in the functional design, implementation, maintenance, and/or operation of CPP ICS for assigned operations. Assists with the development of a plan of action or project plan to develop functional specifications necessary to carry out the requirements of the CPP ICS.

Provides assistance in solving operational issues and implementing organizational and procedural changes. Conducts systematic studies to identify long-term and short-term needs of serviced equipment. Provides guidance on the limitations and capabilities of the equipment infrastructure and how it can support particular modifications or enhancements.

Will routinely perform the following tasks:

• Set up workstations with computers and necessary peripheral devices (routers, printers, etc.)
• Check computer hardware (HDD, mice, keyboards, etc.) to ensure functionality
• Install and configure appropriate software and functions according to specifications
• Develop and maintain local networks in ways that optimize performance
• Ensure the security and privacy of networks and computer systems
• Provide orientation and guidance to users on how to operate new software and computer equipment
• Organize and schedule upgrades and maintenance without deterring others from completing their work
• Perform troubleshooting to diagnose and resolve problems (repair or replace parts, debugging, etc.)
• Maintain records/logs of repairs, fixes, and maintenance schedules
• Identify computer or network equipment shortages and place orders

Makes recommendations to management on nontechnical procedural changes necessary to modify equipment processing to resolve alarms and operational impediments.

Reviews the effect of recommended modifications on other CPP ICS and requirements for external reporting.

The incumbent will assist ITD staff with developing procedures for securing ICS to prevent vulnerabilities and unauthorized access per AOC policy, coordinating with ITD Information Security and CPP staff. The incumbent participates in implementing new technologies to ensure that the ICS and supporting infrastructure are secure, reliable, and accessible. The incumbent takes action to correct and mitigate any risks identified by ITD staff during routine scans and evaluations of the CPP ICS.

Utilizes practical knowledge of systems engineering, project management concepts and methods, best practices, and enterprise architecture concepts and principles. Makes decisions and solves problems regarding the appropriate implementation of new ICS equipment and modifications to existing ICS. Manages, analyzes, and resolves complex issues and problems.

Leverages knowledge of specialized ICS communications hardware, software, and operational processes to make decisions that significantly improve the operations of the infrastructure. Defines, coordinates, plans, and satisfies user requirements for ICS systems by reviewing, developing, or interpreting industry communications policies and procedures.

Works with others to develop supplemental procedural documents required for effective guidance and control of assigned areas.

Tests the operational system's backup and recovery strategies. Serves as a technical focal point for the maintenance and services performed on the ICS. Responsible for planning, coordinating, modifying, implementing, and troubleshooting all aspects of the ICS in order to meet customer needs. Work pertains to maintaining and managing the ICS located at the CPP.

Assists in the development of  quality control criteria, profile reports, alarm reports, and various system queries to perform continuous review of the ICS and maintain accuracy, control, and reliability of data maintained in the ICS.

Coordinate security protocols in accordance with standard operating procedures to implement new security policies. Reviews and implements local policies regarding system access, network rights, and physical access to systems and equipment. Implements policy relating to system storage requirements.

Provides input to the Continuity of Operation Plan (COOP) procedures for ICS disaster recovery.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
• You must be able to pass a drug test.

The work requires the specialist to obtain and maintain Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) training in accordance with AOC policies.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position.  You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.  Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions.  It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards
 

GS-09

Qualifying on Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.  To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
 
Candidates for the GS-09 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. 

Specialized experience is defined as experience in three or more of the following five items: (1) Acting as an expert in two or more of the following areas: design, operation, maintenance, and administration of Industrial Control Systems (ICS); (2) Assisting in the development of control logic and/or graphics of an ICS during installation of new system, or modifying control logic and/or graphics of existing ICS control to accommodate changes to the plant instrumentation and equipment; (3) Updating firmware or system software on all components in an ICS; (4) Performing routine system backups or performing a system restoration from a backup of an ICS; and (5) Communicating complex technical requirements and alternatives to non-technical personnel, including end users and senior management.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related field is required.

Or

• Ten (10) years of experience in industrial control systems (ICS) are required.

The following CompTIA Certifications (or approved equivalent) will be mandatory to have and maintain:

• CompTIA A+

GS-11

Qualifying on Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.  To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
 
Candidates for the GS-11 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. 

Specialized experience is defined as experience in four or more of the following five items: (1) Acting as an expert in two or more of the following areas: design, operation, maintenance, and administration of Industrial Control Systems (ICS); (2) Assisting in the development of control logic and/or graphics of an ICS during installation of new system, or modifying control logic and/or graphics of existing ICS control to accommodate changes to the plant instrumentation and equipment; (3) Updating firmware or system software on all components in an ICS; (4) Performing routine system backups or performing a system restoration from a backup of an ICS; and (5) Communicating complex technical requirements and alternatives to non-technical personnel, including end users and senior management.

Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements of this position at a GS-09 level:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related field is required.

Or

• A certification in CompTIA A+

GS-12

Qualifying on Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.  To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
 
Candidates for the GS-12 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. 

Specialized experience is defined as experience in all five of the items: (1) Acting as an expert in two or more of the following areas: design, operation, maintenance, and administration of Industrial Control Systems (ICS); (2) Assisting in the development of control logic and/or graphics of an ICS during installation of new system, or modifying control logic and/or graphics of existing ICS control to accommodate changes to the plant instrumentation and equipment; (3) Updating firmware or system software on all components in an ICS; (4) Performing routine system backups or performing a system restoration from a backup of an ICS; and (5) Communicating complex technical requirements and alternatives to non-technical personnel, including end users and senior management.

Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements of this position at a GS-11 level:

• A Master's Degree in Computer Science or a related field.

Or

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related field and five (5) years of experience in industrial control systems (ICS) are required.

The following CompTIA Certifications (or approved equivalent) will be mandatory to have and maintain:

• CompTIA A+
• CompTIA Network+

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. 

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

• Skill and knowledge to act as an administrator for CPP ICS used to generate steam, chilled water and electricity.
• Ability to read a variety of engineering diagrams including equipment layout, plan view, flow diagrams, P&ID diagrams, electrical schematics, equipment O&M manuals and service manuals.
• Ability to provide technical assistance related to CPP ICS to Meter Shop and Operations employees and various contractors.
• Ability to interpret instructions, specifications and blueprints.
• Knowledge of the trade occupational hazards and safety precautions while working in confined spaces.
• Practical knowledge of enterprise architecture and administration necessary for analyzing system relationships, making decisions and solving problems regarding appropriate implementation.
• Skill in oral and written communications to present findings and recommendations to all levels; justify and defend decisions and recommendations; and to represent the command at briefings, meetings or other required functions.

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or disqualification for further consideration. 

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information. No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application.

Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC’s Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process. At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection.

If Veterans’ preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form).

Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offers.

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