TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Job in Gulfport, MS

Vacancy No. MS-12918964-AF-26-021 Department Air National Guard Units
Salary $74,678.00 to $97,087.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 3/25/2026 Close Date 4/8/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Gulfport, MS


Summary

THIS IS A NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 5 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION WITH NO MILITARY REQUIREMENT.

This National Guard position is for a TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, Position Description Number PDT5903100 and is part of the Mississippi National Guard.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

National Guard and reserves

Current members, those who want to join or transitioning military members.

Duties

As a TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, GS-0391-11, you will plan and design the Information Technology (IT) networks and telecommunications required to support the ACS Weapon System, specializing in the interconnection and integration of tactical radar sites and other participants of the Weapons System, and to analyze, monitor, and optimize their performance, security, and capacity during peacetime and wartime operations. Performs duties necessary to provide information technology and telecommunications functions and services which support programs essential to Air National Guard daily operations, training, and readiness missions. Incumbent is responsible for planning and coordinating mission accomplishments and training requirements of functionally assigned guard member.

1) Receives information on computer and communication requirements needed, coordinates requirements with internal and external customers involved and analyzes, plans, and designs data, video and voice networks carried over various transmission systems such as multichannel satellite, troposphere scatter systems, Line-Of-Sight (LOS) RF radios, LOS laser radios as well as fiber optic and copper cable systems. Designs, configures, and optimizes router-to-router connections utilizing military and commercial protocols, switch-to-switch trunking, circuit configurations through asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) as well as military and commercial multiplexers. Develops and publishes communication plans, which includes but is not limited to: network priorities, network designs and configurations (IP addresses and phone numbers), secure and un-secure circuits, and equipment architecture and layout for employment of computer and telecommunications systems to support in-garrison and deployed operations.

(2) Relates mission requirements to existing technology, policies and priorities, systems capabilities, available technology and services, operating practices and procedures, equipment and staffing requirements, to provide network services that support operational requirements. Identifies, directs, and/or coordinates the actions required to provide needed services and support with both internal and external agencies (i.e. Army, Navy, Marines, allies, etc.).

(3) Manages local operating frequency assignment and control program. Provides technical guidance and direction for different aspects of radio frequency spectrum analysis. Determines the compatibility of frequency assignments for fixed station and/or mobile radio, radar, satellite links, and other systems used by the military. Coordinates frequency assignments with unit spectrum managers, local Spectrum Managers, ANG Headquarters, MAJCOM Spectrum Management personnel and other agencies such as Federal Aviation Agency. Utilizes automated software tools to manage spectrum for associated squadrons. Conducts transmission path analysis (path profiling) with various computerized programs.

(4) Determines mission requirements and requests hardware and network configuration resources, such as: Internet Protocol addresses, voice switch and data link configurations, etc. from internal and external agencies to support contingency and/or training networks. Contacts Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Major Commands (MAJCOMs), or other agencies to coordinate operations between associated units and the Global Information Infrastructure. Creates and disseminates Gateway Access Request and other formal requests as required.

(5) Identifies and corrects network problems and identifies transmission deficiencies in planned or currently operational networks. Utilizes an overall understanding of the operating characteristics of communications equipment, services, and systems in order to provide guidance and direction pertaining to network systems and circuits of communications equipment/systems.

(6) Coordinates and/or determines operational, technical and support requirements for the location, installation, operation and maintenance of network equipment and systems. Coordinates and conducts operational tests and evaluations of designed networks to monitor and optimize network capacity and performance capabilities. Reviews and analyzes data concerning the network's workload, makes technical judgments, and prepares decisions and recommendations concerning the quality, acceptability, and/or need for changes/improvements. Develops and implements procedures for network backup and recovery. Represents the organization in conferences or with committees to establish standard methods and operating procedures to accommodate mission requirements as required.

(7) Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT & NOTES:

1. Must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position.

2. This position is covered by the Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Amendment (30 Sep 96) of the Gun Control Act (Lautenberg Amendment) of 1968. An individual convicted of a qualifying crime of domestic violence may not perform the duties of this position.

3. Ability to establish effective professional working relationships with coworkers and customers, contributing to a cooperative working environment and successful accomplishment of the mission.

4. Irregular and/or overtime (compensatory) hours may be required to support operational requirements or contingencies or may be required to work hours outside of the normal duty day.

5. The duties and responsibilities of your job may significantly impact the environment. You are responsible to maintain awareness of your environmental responsibilities as dictated by legal and regulatory requirements, your organization, and its changing mission.

6. Wear of the military uniform is prohibited while in technician status.

7. Participation in direct deposit is mandatory.

8. Will be required to successfully complete a probationary period.

Qualifications


GENERAL EXPERIENCE: The following ten basic qualification competency factors are applicable to the GS-0391 career levels:

  1. Skilled in collecting and analyzing data effectively, efficiently, and accurately;
  2. Skilled in presenting formal training presentations and briefings;
  3. Skilled in the operational and performance characteristics of communications equipment, automated control and network management systems, transmission media, and the relationships among component parts of telecommunications systems;
  4. Skilled in applying procedures and directives by reading and interpreting program material;
  5. Knowledge of communications equipment, systems, services, and transmission media;
  6. Knowledge of electronic communications concepts, principles, practices, procedures, policies, standards, and operational requirements;
  7. Ability to clearly enunciate English without impediment of speech that would interfere or prohibit effective communication;
  8. Ability to write English in reports and presentation formats;
  9. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively; and,
  10. Ability to apply specialized communications methods and analytical techniques.
All series personnel must be certified at the next higher level before being eligible for that level. Experiences gained through military technical training schools (restricted to one of the identified/allowed compatible military skills) are included in the one year on-the-job experience. An applicant must have a validated understanding of the basic principles and concepts of the occupational series and grade.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: recovery techniques. Have a full range of competencies and completed training to qualify and serve as the Combat Crew Communications Training Manager and Instructor. Must have working knowledge of mission and training requirements as directed by Air Force Directives and ANG Instructions for Combat Crew Communications and Support of Nuclear Planning and Operations training within the organization. Skilled to serve as the principle COMSEC Responsible Officer (CRO) within a strategically-tasked Air Refueling (KC-135, KC46) Operations Group. Experiences included researching and interpreting communications security requirements for all peacetime and wartime tasked and contingency missions. Skilled in operating a communications security (COMSEC) sub-element; and, maintaining a ready-library of printed and electronic cryptographic media equipment as required to support the organization's primary assigned aircraft and crew complement. Skilled abilities include providing detailed information to the wing's combat mission folders (CMFs), and worked as a CMF validation team member. Competent in preparing kits of specified communications security materials that are utilized during in-flight missions. Skilled in presenting pre-launch briefings to crews, providing mission-specific communications, identification, authentication, and safe passage instructions for conventional or strategic missions. Skilled in debriefing aircrew members and investigating reports on events such as, communications deficiencies, equipment malfunction, spectrum interferences, or evidence of suspected tampering, loss, theft, disclosure, or other vulnerabilities to U.S. cryptographic systems or classified national security information. Must be competent on Communications Security (COMSEC) material training, access, storage, and usage. Experiences included work as a Cryptographic Access Program (CAP) administrator. Skilled in granting and withdrawing access to U.S. cryptographic and national security information on behalf of the Commander. Knowledgeable of national security and strategic policy needed to develop and implement formal training curriculums for all users. Skilled in the interpretation of directives and guidance concerning the administration of all training programs. Experienced in developing and implementing proficiency training and certification programs for aircrew members, Combat Crew Communications members, and augmenters. Skilled in writing unit operating procedures, restrictions, and clarifications. Skilled in providing authoritative interpretations to Commanders and leaders in regard to emergent requirements, procedures, or obstacles to success. Experienced in performing work within secured/locked areas using both common and uncommon office automation equipment, that included classified and unclassified computer systems, secure telephone equipment, satellite telephone equipment, media destruction devices, storage vaults, security containers, and intrusion detection systems. Skilled in operating specialized portable computer systems, software programs, and electronic key management system (EKMS) cryptographic key delivery systems. Able to analyze the communications and Flight Information Publication (FLIP) unit missions.

NOTES TO CANDIDATES:
a. Include any volunteer work experience in your resume. 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).
b. Final selection will be based upon qualifications, suitability, and available manpower resources.
c. This employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.
d. Multiple vacancies may be filled from this announcement.
e. If this announcement results in a temporary promotion for the selectee, it may become permanent at any time without further competition dependent on funding and manpower requirements.

If your resume does not include a narrative description of how you meet the GENERAL, SPECIALIZED experiences, and OTHER requirements, you may lose consideration for this position. Ensure that the Questionnaire is completed online in Application Manager.

Education

You must provide transcripts or other documentation to support your Educational claims.

An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university or from an equivalent professional military education school supports a well-qualified result.

Additional information

If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency (https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).

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.

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Resume
Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualifications determinations your resume must contain SALARIES, HOURS WORKED PER WEEK, AND THE DATES OF EMPLOYMENT FOR EACH JOB.
Example:
$55,000 per year; 40 hours per week, January 2001-July 2009 or January 2001-present.
If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.

2. TRANSCRIPT

3. DD 214
(if applicable):
If you have recently retired from military service in the last 180 days, you must upload your retirement DD 214 with your application. Block 24 must show character of service.

4. Veterans' Preference (if applicable):
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. 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" AND required proof as stated on the form. You must provide a legible copy of your MEMBER COPY 4 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. Documentation is required to award preference. An SF-50 is not sufficient to adjudicate preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

5. SF 50 (if applicable):
If you are a CURRENT OR FORMER Federal employee, a copy of your most recent SF-50 is required. The SF-50 must indicate proof of status (for example, whether you were a career or career-conditional employee); proof of duty station location, and identifies your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). If you have previously held a higher grade and are applying based on that grade, you must provide a copy of the SF-50 showing you held the higher grade IN ADDITION to your last or most recent SF-50 indicating proof of current status. If you are a prior Federal employee, you are responsible for enclosing a copy of at least 2 SF-50's to determine Time-in-Grade. For example, a WGI/WGI SF-50 showing that you went from a step 1 to a step 2 would prove that you held the grade for at least 52 weeks. Do NOT submit an award SF 50, Tenure change or a General Adjustment SF-50 for proof of Time in Grade. Award/General ADJ SF-50's do not show a step change and do not prove you held the job for more than 52 weeks. Current MSNG applicants can verify your eligibility, by retrieving a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF 50) from MyBiz, https://compo.dcpds.cpms.osd.mil OR eOPF, https://eopf.opm.gov/nationalguard/.

6. SF 15 (if applicable):
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" AND required proof as stated on the form.

If you are unable to provide the required documents, it is your responsibility to inform the hiring agency before the job closes. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

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/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12918964~

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.

Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

STEPHEN JOHNSTON
Phone
601
Email
stephen.johnston.11@us.af.mil
Address
MS 255th ACS
312 - 47th Street
Gulfport, MS 39507-4313
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.