Information Technology Specialist (CUSTSPT) Job

Vacancy No. CCLQ-12415079-24-CLN Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
Salary $62,529.00 to $128,372.00 Grade 7 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/28/2024 Close Date 5/27/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Birmingham, ALHuntsville, ALMontgomery, ALTuscaloosa, AL


Summary

This position is in the Office of Information Technology (OIT), End User Services (EUS), End User Operations (EUO) and is located at a Veteran Affairs (VA) facility. Work involves the planning and delivery of customer support services. The primary duties and responsibilities include providing Point of Care Customer Service, resolving customer related technical software and hardware problems in accordance with established policies and procedures of the specific VA facility assigned.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Duties

You are applying to a public notice to fill current and future vacancies. Please note, there may or may not be actual/projected vacancies when you submit your application. Your resume and any supporting documentation will be retained with other applicants and reviewed as vacancies occur. You will not receive a notice regarding your application's status other than the initial acknowledgment until a request is received to fill a position. We will refer qualified applicants to the selecting official for consideration. The organization's hiring need will determine the referral of additional applicants. Applicants will be notified about their application's status if referred or if we fill all vacancies.

Your application will expire in 3 months from the day of submission. If you are still interested in the position after the3 month period, you will need to re-apply to this vacancy announcement.

This is a bargaining unit position.
This position is primarily aligned to the following NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework work roles:

  • 411- Technical Support Specialist - Customer Service and Technical Support
For more information about these work roles, where they fit within the larger Cyber Workforce, and how they can support your unique career journey, please visit the Cyber Career Pathways tool on the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies website: https://niccs.us cert.gov/workforce-development/cyber-career-pathways

Work Schedule: This Position supports 24/7 operations throughout the calendar year. Work is typically performed on the day shift; however, candidate may be subject to overtime work, shift work, and/or work on rotating shifts to include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Telework: No
Duty Location Status: You will be required to work at a VA owned or leased space. You will have to physically report to the location you are selected for.
Position Description Title/PD#:Technology Specialist (Customer Support)/PD15263A, PD15264A, and PD15265A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
Physical Demands: The work is both sedentary and active, requiring walking through out the medical center. Duties may require lifting, carting and carrying computer equipment such as monitors and printers weighing 20-40 pounds. Asking assistance from other specialist to help with lifting is encouraged. There may be limited crawling under desks and behind areas to gain access to equipment.
Promotion Potential: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-11. At the GS-07grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

Major Duties Include:
  • Resolving customer related technical software and hardware problems.
  • Diagnosing and/or resolving problems in response to a customer reported incident via trouble tickets.
  • Planning and delivery of IT customer support services.
  • Submitting recommendations to improve the efficient use of the system and responding to special requests for system data.
  • Maintaining and updating system files necessary to control all aspects of system operations and access.
  • Performing other related duties and responsibilities as assigned/required.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
  • May serve a probationary period.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • To be considered for this position, applicants must complete all required steps in the process.
  • A pre-placement physical is not be required. The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. This standard allows eligibility through meeting either the requirements specified in the section titled Education or the requirements specified in the section titled Experience.

EDUCATION: Degree in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or degree that provided a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks.
  • For the GS-07, you must have one (1) full year of graduate level study (or law school, as specified in qualification standards or individual occupational requirements) or a Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) (S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. 1. Class standing--Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)--Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. 3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society--Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies ACHS Home (achshonor.org). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.
  • For the GS-09, you must have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree.
  • For the GS-11, you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR Experience - 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.
You must submit relevant transcripts if qualifying based on education.

OR


EXPERIENCE: For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. The employing agency is responsible for identifying the specific level of proficiency required for each competency at each grade level based on the requirements of the position being filled.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.

AND

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
  • For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level that includes applying, IT principles, methods, and practices in the customer service and customer support area to identify and resolve issues and problems.
  • For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level that includes planning and delivering customer support services, including installation, configuration, troubleshooting, customer assistance, and/or training, in response to customer requirements; troubleshooting, recovering, adjusting, modifying, and improving IT systems in order to provide advice and assistance to customers.
  • For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level that includes coordinating customer support activities sufficient to receive, respond to, and ensure complete resolution of complex issues beyond what a help desk can resolve; providing comprehensive software, IT systems or equipment guidance and/or training to enhance customer knowledge, as well as to prevent recurring help desk inquiries; developing clear and concise IT reports and documentation for senior IT management.
Per Office of Personnel Management General Schedule Qualification Policies, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, human resources director, or official documentation such as SF-52, SF-50 documenting an official detail/assignments, or other comparable documentation). The documentation must indicate whether the employee performed the duties full time or, if part-time, the percentage of times the employee performed the additional duties.

To receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your position, you must provide official documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Additional information

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Required Documents

Documents Accepted:

  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Diploma/ GED
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • Other (1)
  • PCS Orders
  • Professional Certification
  • Proof of Marriage Status
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

Documents Required:
  • Resume

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

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

All applicants are encouraged to apply online.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/27/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12415079.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

Cassie Noon

Address

DAS for Information Technology - 103
810 Vermont Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20240
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You will not receive a notice regarding your application's status other than the initial acknowledgment until a request is received to fill a position.

We will refer applicants to the selecting official for consideration in the order in which they are received for any given location.

Applicants will be notified about their application's status if referred or if we fill all vacancies.


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