Supervisory IT Specialist

Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent employees (career or career-conditional) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (competitive or excepted), Current permanent Federal employees eligible for transfer, former federal employees eligible for Reinstatement, veterans eligible for consideration under VEOA, Certain Military Spouses, Peace Corps/VISTA, disabled individuals eligible under Schedule A, and those eligible under current Interchange Agreements.

• Lead and supervise platform/product enablement support.
• Manage data management, implementation and maintenance of IT operational management, foundational products and security controls of the platform.
• Manage implementation and sustainment of technical, management, and operational security controls.
• Ensure high availability and reliability of both on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure services.
• Optimize IT processes for performance, modernization, automation, and efficiency across VA enterprise systems.
• Oversee response to incidents involving mission-critical networks, systems, and applications.
• Conduct audits and assessments to ensure compliance with VA and federal IT policies and regulations.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, project managers, and stakeholders to meet evolving business needs.
• Develop, document, and enhance standard operating procedures for infrastructure operations.
• Mentor and train staff in infrastructure technologies and best practices.
• Support digital transformation and innovation initiatives impacting Veterans and their families.
• The Supervisory IT Specialist directs the tracking and reporting of Platform/Product services process management, improvement efforts and manages a list of consolidated, qualified, dismissed and prioritized platform/product Pipeline.
• Directs the development of platform/products policy and strategy including short and long-term organizational goals, objectives, and strategic initiatives, as well as business process transformation initiative.
• Strong leadership skills to negotiate effectively with management officials to accept and implement recommendations where the proposals involve substantial agency-wide resources, require extensive changes in established procedures, or may be in conflict with the desires of the activity.
• Provides oversight and coordination across OIT on platform/products processes and provides expertise and direction on IT and organizational management concepts, practices, and procedures.
• Coordinates and conducts presentations and briefings on platform/product services programs and operations to a wide variety of audiences within VA and other government agencies.
• This position manages, supervises, develops, delivers, and support information technology (IT) systems and services.
• This position also performs high level administrative functions.

This is a Non-Bargaining Unit Position.

This position is primarily aligned to the following NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework work roles:

Cybersecurity Code 431 - Knowledge Manager: Responsible for the management and administration of processes and tools that enable the organization to identify, document, and access intellectual capital and information content.

Cybersecurity Code 411: Technical Support Specialist: Provides technical support to customers who need assistance utilizing client-level hardware and software in accordance with established or approved organizational process components (i.e., Master Incident Management Plan, when applicable).

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

Position Description/PD#: Supervisory IT Specialist/PD175140
Travel Required: Occasional travel may be required as needed for this position.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8 am-4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.


Physical Demands: The work is sedentary, but may involve periods of walking, and standing in conjunction with travel and to attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site. Some employees may carry light items, such as papers, books, or small parts. The work does not require any special physical effort.

Working Conditions: The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions. Some employees may occasionally be exposed to uncomfortable conditions in such places as research and production facilities.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Selectee is subject to background/suitability investigation.
• Selected applicant will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
• To be considered for this position, applicants must complete all required steps in the process.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
  - your performance and conduct;
  - the needs and interests of the agency;
  - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
  
  

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/09/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement.

You must meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements, Specialized Experience and Selective Placement Factors to qualify for this series as described below.

Minimum Qualifications Requirements

EXPERIENCE: To qualify for this position, you must have information technology-related experience demonstrating all of the four competencies listed below. Ensure that this experience is clearly described in your resume:

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 for GS-14: 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. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Such experience is typically gained in the IT field or through the performance of work where the primary concern is IT.

Specialized experience is defined as leading ServiceNow platform enablement strategies and operations; overseeing the development, governance, and maintenance of core platform products such as the CMDB, Discovery, and CSDM aligned data structures; and coordinating day to day platform activities across VA organizations. It should also include directing data management initiatives such as data-lake integration and platform security; ensuring compliance with VA privacy and security requirements; and evaluating platform performance metrics to identify strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities in delivering secure, data driven, and reliable services

-AND-

Selective Placement Factor: In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position: Leading ServiceNow Platform operational functions, including end to end management of the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), enterprise Discovery architecture, Platform multi-instance security, data governance and quality frameworks, and security-aligned data integration across enterprise platforms such as data lakes.


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.

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.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those who have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):


The USA Hire 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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes one or more of the following documents. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included documents required for your application. You will not be contacted for additional information:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the two-page resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position.
2. Complete All Required Assessments.
3. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
   • Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
   • An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
   • Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
   • Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
     • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
     • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
     • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
   • If you are a former Federal employee who previously held a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service and separated from the Federal Government over a year ago and you are requesting non-competitive consideration you must submit a copy of your last SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration and a copy of your last Federal Performance appraisal with a rating of at least Fully Successful (or equivalent).
4. Documentation that you meet Selective Placement Factors, if applicable.
5. College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
6. Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g., DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.) Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.
   • When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.).
   • If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active-duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation.
   • Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.
7. If your application is rated as well-qualified (score 85 or above) and you are claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) submit:
   • a copy of your agency notice,
   • a copy of your most recent performance rating, and
   • a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.

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