Information Technology Specialist (Security) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 24-DTS-12405039 Department Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Salary $99,200.00 to $185,930.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/2/2024 Close Date 5/16/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

This position is in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) Information Security & Validation Staff (ISVS) in the Department of Technology Services (DTS). The Department of Technology Services (DTS) provides an array of enterprise services to the Judiciary, both for national Judiciary systems managed by the Administrative Office (AO) of the U.S. Courts as well as local systems managed by courts across the country.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to applicants who currently live in the Washington, DC commuting area and/or federal judiciary employees nationwide.

Duties

The incumbent of this position will play a critical role in managing an enterprise grade information security program, ensuring compliance with Judiciary Information Security Framework (JISF), NIST standards and other regulatory compliance frameworks.

The ideal candidate will possess leadership skills, have a strong background in cybersecurity, past experience with InfoSec GRC frameworks, and a proven track record of "hands on" InfoSec activities such as developing and implementing policies, procedures and guidelines, developing system security plans, conducting risk assessments, managing system risks, analyzing and prioritizing risk mitigations leveraging vulnerability scan data, developing vulnerability management programs, and developing information security continuous monitoring programs. Duties of the position include:

  1. Serving as a principal advisor to the System Owner, Business Owners, and other stakeholders on all matters, technical and otherwise, involving the security of information systems under their purview.
  2. Developing, implementing, and maintaining comprehensive information security policies, procedures and guidelines in accordance with federal regulations, including JISF and NIST SP 800 series publication standards.
  3. Leading the development, maintenance, and enforcement of System Security Plans (SSPs) for information systems in the COO IT system portfolio, ensuring adherence to federal regulations and Judiciary policy.
  4. Driving the implementation and enforcement of the Judiciary Risk Management Framework (RMF), akin to NIST RMF, across all phases of the system development lifecycle.
  5. Leading and overseeing the Authority to Operate process for information systems within the COO IT systems portfolio.
  6. Developing and maintaining POA&M documents identifying security vulnerabilities, deficiencies, and weaknesses. Prioritizing remediation efforts based on risk severity and organizational priorities.
  7. Developing, implementing, and maintaining comprehensive information security procedures and guidelines in accordance with federal regulations, and NIST SP 800 series publication standards.
  8. Driving the implementation and enforcement of the Judiciary Risk Management Framework (RMF), akin to NIST RMF, across all phases of the system development lifecycle.
  9. Leading and overseeing the Authority to Operate process for information systems within the COO IT systems portfolio. Coordinating with stakeholders to ensure timely completion of all required documentation and activities.
  10. Developing and maintaining POA&M documents identifying security vulnerabilities, deficiencies, and weaknesses. Prioritizing remediation efforts based on risk severity and organizational priorities.
  11. Developing detailed corrective action plans to address security vulnerabilities and deficiencies identified during security assessments and audits. Defining specific actions, timelines, and responsible parties for each corrective action.
  12. Overseeing the implementation of corrective actions identified in POA&M documents. Collaborating with system owners, IT administrators, and security personnel to ensure timely and effective remediation of security issues.
  13. Conducting assessment and scans of systems, networks, and applications using industry-standard tools to identify security weaknesses, misconfigurations, and potential vulnerabilities.
  14. Analyzing vulnerability scan results, security advisories, and threat intelligence reports to prioritize vulnerabilities based on severity, exploitability, and potential impact to the organization.
  15. Monitoring the deployment of security patches, updates, and fixes to remediate identified vulnerabilities in a timely manner, ensuring minimal disruption to operations.
  16. Working closely with system administrators, and network engineers to remediate identified vulnerabilities through configuration changes, software updates, or other appropriate measures.
  17. Preparing and presenting vulnerability assessment reports, metrics, and findings to senior management, and stakeholders. Maintaining accurate documentation of vulnerabilities, remediation efforts, and compliance activities.
  18. Reviewing and assisting with National Program Office National System IT Security Scorecards; creation of system Common Control Catalogues.
  19. Serving as a member of the Information System Change Control Board, analyzing proposed changes prior to the implementation to determine the impact of proposed changes on the security posture of the information system(s) (performing security impact analysis as required).
  20. Providing technical advisory services to securely design, implement, maintain, or modify information technology systems that are critical to the operation and success of the Judiciary.
  21. Helping to develop, implement and oversee Information Security Continuous Monitoring program and processes to continuously monitor the security posture of the national systems, networks and assets.
  22. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

  1. All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
  2. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statue), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
  3. All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.
  4. New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  5. All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.
  6. You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment.
  7. If appointed to a temporary position, management may have the discretion of converting the position to permanent depending upon funding and staffing allocation.

Qualifications

Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience is demonstrated experience:
  • Conducting System Security Categorizations (FIPS 199 | NIST), Risk Assessments, and Security Impact Analysis (SIA); and
  • A comprehensive knowledge of compliance frameworks/tools (JISF, NIST, FedRAMP etc.).

Desired but not required:
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Certification
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Certification
  • Security+ Certification
  • ITIL Training and Certification

Education

This position does not require education to qualify.

Additional information

The AO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses on the occupational questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, we will evaluate your application package, to assess the quality, depth, and complexity of your accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the requirements listed in this vacancy announcement.

You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume and/or narrative responses, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Failure to submit the mandatory narrative responses will result in not receiving full consideration and/or rating credit. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you, withdrawing an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.

Required Documents

For this job announcement the following documents and/or information are required:

  • Resume - Any written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications.
  • Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
  • Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - All applicants outside of the AO must submit a copy of your latest SF-50 to verify current or former Federal employment status.
  • Veterans Preference documentation - Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214), if applicable Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) and an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation.

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 for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 05/16/2024 to receive consideration.
To begin, click

  • Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
  • You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, 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 Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12405039

Agency contact information

Kymberli Camber

Address

Department of Technology Services
One Columbus Circle, NE
Washington, DC 20544
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.


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