Information Technology Specialist Job in Buffalo, NY

Vacancy No. DE-25-CSC-12634995 Department Small Business Administration
Salary $75,764.00 to $118,050.00 Grade 11 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/18/2024 Close Date 12/24/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Buffalo, NY


Summary

You will serve as an Information Technology Specialist for the Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of Capital Access (OCA), Customer Service Center (CSC) in Buffalo, New York. This position is responsible for troubleshooting problems, establishing and maintaining remote location communications, train and support end-users and providing support the Center staff in a service-oriented environment.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

United States citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the United States and ICTAP and CTAP

Duties

As an Information Technology Specialist at the GS-2210-11/12, some of your typical work assignments may include:

  • Provides assistance to customers with a variety of PCs and laptops utilizing Windows 10, Microsoft Office 365, SharePoint, or later applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and InfoPath.
  • Troubleshoots IT problems for multiple customers and provides resolutions in a manner that minimizes interruptions to business operations.
  • Administers and supports a hard drive encryption server-based system, such as Microsoft BitLocker.
  • Identifies security vulnerabilities and risks.
  • Presents training for customers on a variety of IT topics related to the benefits, capabilities and limitations of IT systems and applications.
  • Performs network administration functions, such as 1) configuring hubs, switches, and routers; 2) monitoring network performance; 3) performing various diagnostics; 4) analyzing network traffic patterns; 5) installing software fixes and upgrades; and 6) monitoring cloud computing workloads.
  • Advises management on current and future information technology requirements.
  • Uses computer systems and application suites to automate processes.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
  • This is a Permanent appointment in the competitive service with a full-time work schedule.
  • By applying for this position with SBA's Office of Capital Access, you can enjoy challenging but satisfying work and join a highly motivated and diverse team that helps families and businesses rebuild their lives after a disaster.
  • This position is also being announced under Merit Promotion Procedures, announcement # MP-25- CSC-12634996. In order to receive consideration as a status candidate, you must apply to the Merit Promotion announcement.
  • The CSC is located in the heart of Buffalo, New York. It is conveniently located near the city's growing hub of art, history, cultural, and entertainment centers.
  • Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur within 180 days from the closing date.
  • Mandatory Overtime: In order to respond quickly and efficiently to disaster survivors, substantial compensated overtime hours may be required while on assignment (up to seven days a week and ten to fourteen hours a day).
  • This position is not included in a bargaining unit.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. citizenship is required.
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government travel credit card.
  • Favorable background investigation and credit check are required.
  • You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • This position is not included in a bargaining unit.
  • Mandatory Overtime: In order to respond quickly and efficiently to disaster survivors, substantial compensated overtime hours may be required while on assignment (up to seven days a week and ten to fourteen hours a day).

Qualifications

Individual Occupational Requirements

Experience must be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate.

For all positions 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.
  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.
  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.
  4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
Generally, time in Non-Pay status is not creditable towards the specialized experience requirement listed below. You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You may qualify based on experience, education or a combination of both.

Experience: To receive credit, you must indicate the month and year as well as the average hours worked per week for each employer. Average work hours must be stated on the resume to quantify each period of work experience or that experience will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. You must address the specific specialized experience required for each grade level of this position on your resume or application or you will be rated "Ineligible" for that grade level.

GS-11: To qualify you must have at least 1 full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-09 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skill, and ability to perform successfully in this position. This experience may have been gained in a Non-Federal service position. In addition, this Specialized Experience must demonstrate the following:
  • Communicating orally to various internal and external customers to accomplish program objectives and goals, which includes training staff and/or end users via on-the-job training or classroom instruction; and
  • Communicating in writing to various internal and external customers to accomplish program objectives and goals; and
  • Assisting with implementing Information Technology (IT) security requirements, policies, and procedures designed to protect the integrity and vulnerability of systems, networks, and data including Personal Identifiable Information (PII); and
  • Installing and troubleshooting Information Technology (IT) hardware, software, and networks in a variety of local and/or remote locations; and
  • Configuring Windows-based networks; setting up Windows-based accounts; and/or working with Cloud-based technologies such as Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Enterprise Tools, etc.; and
  • Deploying and maintaining mobile devices such as laptops, telephones, etc. for employee use.
GS-12: To qualify you must have at least 1 full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skill, and ability to perform successfully in this position. This experience may have been gained in a Non-Federal service position. In addition, this Specialized Experience must demonstrate the following:
  • Communicating orally to various internal and external customers to accomplish program objectives and goals, which includes training staff and/or end users via on-the-job training or classroom instruction; and
  • Communicating in writing to various internal and external customers to accomplish program objectives and goals; and
  • Implementing IT security requirements, policies, and procedures designed to protect the integrity and vulnerability of systems, networks, and data including Personally Identifiable Information (PII); and
  • Configuring and troubleshooting IT hardware, software, and networking technologies in a variety of local and/or remote locations.
  • Configuring windows-based computer equipment, configuring and utilizing Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and utilizing hard drive encryption standards
  • Utilizing remote access industry standards, such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
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 OPM's Qualifications website

Qualification Standards:GS-2210: Information Technology Management Series (opm.gov)

*Experience that demonstrated accomplishment of computer project assignments that required a wide range of knowledge of computer requirements and techniques pertinent to the position to be filled. This knowledge is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant analyzed a number of alternative approaches in the process of advising management concerning major aspects of ADP system design, such as what system interrelationships must be considered, or what operating mode, system software, and/or equipment configuration is most appropriate for a given project.*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. If qualifying based on related unpaid (e.g. volunteer service) experience, you must provide hours worked per week and beginning/ending dates (mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy)

All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 12/24/2024.

Education

If qualifying based on education, you must submit transcripts by the closing date of this announcement or you will not be found eligible.

GS-11: PH.D or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field or 3 full years of related progressively higher level graduate education leading to a PH.D or equivalent doctoral degree.

OR

A combination of experience and education as indicated above.

GS-12: There is no educational substitution at this grade level..

All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 12/24/2024.

Additional information

If selected for this position, you will be eligible for benefits. The above link is provided for your reference to explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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.

For this vacancy, the Office of Capital Access will use a Category Rating system to refer qualified applicants for consideration. This is a three-step process. First, your resume or other application is evaluated to determine if you meet the Qualifications, including the Specialized Experience described above, for the grade level(s) that you are applying for. Secondly, if you meet the minimum qualifications requirements, your responses to the questionnaire, including narrative responses, if applicable, will be compared to your resume or other application. If your resume does not support the answers you gave on the questionnaire, you may be rated "Ineligible," or you may be placed in a lower category. Third, your name will be placed in one of the three following categories:

  • Best-Qualified - highly proficient with an overall comprehensive level of knowledge, skills and abilities related to this position.
  • Well-Qualified - competent in the position with an overall accomplished level of knowledge, skills and abilities related to this position.
  • Qualified - an overall basic level of knowledge, skills and abilities related to this position.
Application of Veterans' Preference: The Category Rating process protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-veterans within each quality category. All the veterans must be selected before any non-veterans within each category.

For this position, disabled veterans who meet minimum qualifications for this position and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% (CPS & CP) are placed at the top of the Best-Qualified category regardless of which category they would otherwise be assigned to.

Preference eligibles who do not have a service-connected disability of 10% or more (XP or TP) are placed at the top of their quality category.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Network Management
  • Oral Communication
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence
  • Written Communication


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Required Documents

Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume showing hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed.
2. Completed Questionnaire

3. Other supporting documents, such as:
  • College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
    • Unofficial transcripts may be submitted during the application process; however, official transcripts will be required if selected.
  • Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 or other Member Copy showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
  • Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
4. If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.(https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire)

DO NOT SEND YOUR RESUME OR ANY APPLICATION DOCUMENTS TO THE AGENCY CONTACT.

Your latest resume submitted for this position will be used for qualification determinations and supersedes previous submissions.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:
1. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP):If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, provide a copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (which must show at least a "fully successful" rating or equivalent), and proof of eligibility, i.e., a RIF separation notice or Certification of Expected Separation, and SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location.In addition to meeting all qualification requirements and selective placement factors (if applicable), CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the Well-Qualified criteria with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above for the position in order to be given priority consideration. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is also on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: CTAP/ICTAP. http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
2. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.
3. If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

  1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
  5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements)
  6. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page.

The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment. 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/howto/application/status/.

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Agency contact information

Stacey Thomas
Address
Customer Service Center - CSC
130 South Elmwood Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14202
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.

SUITABILITY, CLEARANCE & REQUIREMENTS: A background investigation may be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.


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


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