Summary
This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics (OEDA), Data & Analytics Strategy Group (DASG).
As an IT Specialist (Security), also known here as a Security Engineer, GS-2210-14, you will serve as a senior technical advisor leading efforts toward achieving the tactical and strategic objectives of the CMS Information Security Program.
This job is open to
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Clarification from the agency
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) eligibles only within the Local Commuting area of Denver, CO, Kansas City, MO, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, or Woodlawn, MD. CTAP, ICTAP, RPL eligible applicants may only select the local commuting area from which they were separated.
Duties
- Serve as an IT security expert, advisor, trainer, and mentor who guides highly skilled interdisciplinary teams to ensure secure application development in government healthcare technology while maximizing program objectives.
- Functions as the lead Information Systems Security Officer for OEDA, providing comprehensive guidance and oversight to contractors while enforcing all policies and requirements of the Information Security program across OEDA operations.
- Lead efforts to achieve the tactical and strategic objectives of the CMS Information Security Program, identifying and mitigating risks while developing innovative solutions for complex security challenges where precedents may not exist.
- Responsible for all aspects of the CMS Information Security Program for CMS' data resources, applying expertise to data sharing initiatives while promoting information security and privacy awareness to protect beneficiary data.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
- You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
- Management may designate this position as mission-critical/mission-essential or mission support. At the supervisor’s discretion, this position may be required to continue operations from an alternative worksite in the event of an emergency.
Qualifications
ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
Your resume must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from receiving further consideration.
In order to qualify for this GS-14 position, you must clearly demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include:
- Implementing security controls and monitoring systems to ensure compliance with federal cybersecurity standards and regulations.
- Administering network protocols, operating systems, and cloud computing platforms to support enterprise IT infrastructure and security operations.
- Conducting risk assessments, incident response activities, and penetration testing to identify and remediate cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
- Developing software solutions using languages such as Python, Java, and C++ to automate security processes and integrate system requirements.
In addition to the qualifications listed above, you must have IT-related Basic Requirement experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below:
- Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
- 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.
- 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.
- Problem-Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
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.
Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12836498
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
Locality Pay Range GS-14:
Denver, CO: $138,850 to $180,504
Kansas City, MO: $126,563 to $164,531
San Francisco, CA: $155,679 to $195,200
Seattle, WA: $139,967 to $181,956
Woodlawn, MD: $142,488 to $185,234
Bargaining Unit Position: Yes-American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1923
Tour of Duty: Flexible
Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized
Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Not Required
Workplace Flexibility at CMS: This position has a regular and recurring reporting requirement to the CMS office listed in this announcement. CMS offers flexible working arrangements and allows employees the opportunity to participate in alternative work schedules at the manager's discretion.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
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. A Subject Matter Expert will assist in the resume review process to help determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Accountability
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Oral Communication
- Problem Solving
- Reading
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
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.
You will be placed in one of the following categories based on category rating and selection procedures if you meet all of the requirements outlined in this job opportunity announcement:
- Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
- Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
- Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements
If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
This is a competitive vacancy announcement advertised under Delegated Examining Authority. Selections made under this vacancy announcement will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given new appointments to the civil service; however, benefits, time served and all other Federal entitlements would remain the same.
The category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of professional or scientific positions at the GS-09 level or higher).
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/yyyy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include.
Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the information provided in the resume. Failure to include ALL of the information listed below on your resume WILL result in a finding of ineligible.
- Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
- Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
- Employer's name and address
- Supervisor name and phone number
- Start and end dates in the month and year format (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Salary
2.
CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Required documents may be necessary to be considered for this vacancy announcement.
Click here for a detailed description of the required documents. Failure to provide the required documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.
3.
RPL Eligibility Required Documents: The following documents are required to verify your RPL eligibility: 1) Your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), or equivalent, as stated in the job announcement that shows position occupied (block #34 of your SF-50), tenure, grade and step, salary, and full performance level; 2) Your SF-50 showing Separation - RIF. If that is not available yet, then official documentation of your Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a proposed removal/separation notice;
AND 3) Your latest performance rating and rating of record (if separate documents) showing your rating score as at least fully successful or equivalent.
4.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please
click here to review the
Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/28/2025. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/28/2025.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Visit the
USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at
https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your
USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click
Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Commissioned Corps Officers (including Commissioned Corps professionally boarded applicants) who are interested in applying to this position must send their 1-page cover letter and 2-page
ONLY professional resume (not PHS Curriculum Vitae) to
CMSCorpsJobs@cms.hhs.gov in lieu of applying through this announcement. The resume should specifically explain how you are qualified for this position and draw specific attention to your skills and experiences that demonstrate these qualifications. Also, send any transcripts, licenses, or certifications as requested in this announcement.
Please send all documents in 1 PDF file. In the subject line of your e-mail, include
only the Job Announcement Number. In the body of your e-mail, include your current rank name and serial number. Failure to provide this information may impact your consideration for this position.
Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.
When the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) completes its selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with other federal agencies. You will have an opportunity to opt in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results shared for consideration of employment with additional agencies. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.
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.
Within 30 business days of the closing date, [Close Date Data Insert], you may check your status online by logging into your USAJOBS account (https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/). We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed.