System Engineer Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. OSM-2025-01-IT Department U.S. Courts
Salary $81,117.00 to $156,792.00 Grade 28 to 29
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/16/2025 Close Date 4/16/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The incumbent is responsible for the engineering, configuration, installation, maintenance, and upgrade of all windows-based equipment including all servers, storage, and host operating systems on physical or virtual servers; provides technical IT support and training to the court unit staff; works with major national systems and those developed or customized for local use.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens (or persons eligible to work in the United States) may apply to this posting. A Public Trust Background Investigation is required.

Duties

The incumbent works with management in planning, design, maintenance, and support of systems to improve efficiencies. Customer service is a key to the success of the court unit and must be demonstrated by the incumbent.

Responsibilities

The candidate must have IT support experience and a performance history that demonstrates outstanding customer service and troubleshooting skills. The candidate will be responsible for the installation, configuration, and administration of all servers and associated computer center equipment. The ideal candidate will have significant experience and certifications in the areas of VMWare and Microsoft Windows Server/Active Directory. The successful candidate will be a self-starter who is able to work with minimal direction. The ability to create and maintain appropriate system configuration documentation is also required.

  • Design, configure, and implement enterprise class computer system hardware and operating system software.
  • Install, configure, and maintain enterprise storage solutions.
  • Design, install, and maintain server environments using virtualization technology.
  • Provides expert level systems administration of Windows Active Directory including maintaining file servers, group policy, replication, print servers, DNS, DHCP, and VMware with DEM.
  • Install, configure, and utilize enterprise tools for the monitoring and administration of enterprise network and server systems, ensuring efficient operations 24/7.
  • Plan, coordinate, implement, and test system security measures to protect data, software, and hardware. Monitor and optimize hardware, operating systems, and databases to improve system performance and reliability.
  • Develop and implement short-term and long-range system improvement plans for the court unit, ensuring that the changes can be implemented with minimal disruption at the court site.
  • Provides expert level assistance to other IT/Systems Office Staff in areas including system administration, PC configuration, troubleshooting, and management.
  • Provide training on new hardware, programs, and databases to all staff members as well as refresher training as needed.
  • Provide day-to-day system backup, and regularly monitor day-to-day operations of the equipment and systems. Recommend updates to ensure continued operation, and act as the technical expert in solving computer system problems. Install security, operating system patches, and database software upgrades.
  • Other technical duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

The successful candidate must be a self-starter as well as detail oriented. The candidate must be highly organized and tactful, possess good judgment, poise and initiative, and maintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all times. Must have strong prioritizing and problem-solving skills. Must have solid communication skills (written & oral) to communicate effectively with persons within the court of various levels of technology expertise front line staff to chambers, as well as with persons outside the court. A demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with others in a team environment and to exhibit a professional manner is a must.

Qualifications

To qualify at the CL-28 level: Two years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at the CL-27 or the completion of a master's degree or two years of graduate study (27 semester or 54 quarter hours) in an accredited university in information technology or a field closely related to the subject matter of the position.

To qualify at the CL-29 level: Two years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at the CL-28 or the completion of a master's degree or two years of graduate study (27 semester or 54 quarter hours) in an accredited university in information technology or a field closely related to the subject matter of the position.

Specialized experience is progressively responsible experience in or closely related to the work of the position that has provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position successfully.

Preferred Qualifications: Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in information technology or a related field. Five (5) years of specialized experience which demonstrates working knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Systems Engineer may be substituted for the degree requirement.

Education

The court requires a bachelor's degree or five years of specialize experience.

Additional information

Benefits
11 holidays - 13-26 days annual leave (increases with service) - 13 days sick leave - Federal Employees Retirement System - Thrift Savings Plan - Commuter Benefit Program/Metro Transit Subsidy Program - Flexible Spending Accounts - Insurance available for health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The court will conduct an evaluation of each applicant's qualifications and materials after receipt of a complete application package.

IT experience in federal courts, law firms, or other legal environments is highly desirable, as is training in or a working knowledge of the following areas: Office 365, SharePoint, OneDrive, Kace Systems Deployment, and other areas relevant to the position.

Candidates with certifications from Microsoft and VMware are strongly preferred.

Required Documents

Applications must be submitted electronically. The application shall consist of:

  1. Cover Letter (include the Announcement Number and the position title and address your qualifications relating to the duties and responsibilities of this position);
  2. Résumé;
  3. Form AO78 Federal Judiciary Application Form which can be found at: https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/forms/application-judicial-branch-federal-employment;
  4. Three (3) business/professional references with name, affiliation, and contact information;
  5. Salary History for prior three (3) years;
  6. If a current Federal Civilian Employee, your latest Personnel Evaluation and your latest SF-50; and,
  7. If a current or recently discharged or retired military member, your latest Officer Evaluation Report (OER), Enlisted Evaluation Report (EER) or equivalent, and a copy of your DD Form 214.

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

The best qualified applicants will be invited for in-person interviews in Washington, D.C.

Due to the large number of applications anticipated, only those applicants invited for interviews will be contacted by the court.

Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense.

Interview and relocation expenses will not be reimbursed.

Email complete application in one submission (attachments in PDF only) to: uscfcjobs@cfc.uscourts.gov.

Zip files and faxes will not be accepted. Please include the Title and Job Announcement Number in the subject line.

Agency contact information

Human Resources
Address
United States Court of Federal Claims
717 Madison Place NW
Washington, DC 20439
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

  • The court will conduct an evaluation of each applicant's qualifications and materials after receipt of a complete application package.
  • Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. Interviews may commence immediately.
  • The court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the job announcement, and/or to commence interviews immediately, any of which actions may occur without prior written or other notice.
  • This is an "Excepted Appointment" and an "At-Will" position. Federal Government Civil Service classifications or regulations do not apply.
  • All appointments are subject to a full background check including an FBI Fingerprint Background Check, as well as periodic reinvestigation.
  • If offered employment, such employment will be provisional pending the satisfactory completion of a mandatory Fingerprint and Background Investigation. The provisional nature of your employment, however, will not affect your start date, salary, or other benefits.
  • No phone calls please. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
  • The United States Court of Federal Claims is an Equal Opportunity Employer.


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