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Information Technology Specialist (Computer Specialist)

Department of Justice
Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Why work for the Federal Bureau of Prisons?

You can have a meaningful career with an agency that truly values a diverse workforce. You will find a diverse workforce employed from entry level jobs to senior management positions. We protect public safety by ensuring federal offenders serve their sentences of imprisonment in facilities that are safe, humane, and provide reentry programming. Employees at correctional facilities perform correctional work regardless of their specific occupation.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/14/2019 to 04/04/2019
Salary
$78,482 to - $102,027 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Grand Prairie, TX
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training and/or work related issues.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Reimbursement is authorized for travel and transportation for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
SCR-2019-0115
Control number
527374000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

• BOP Employees nationwide • DOJ Surplus and Displaced (CTAP) Employees in the local commuting area. • Duty Location: South Central Regional Office, Grand Prairie, TX

Duties

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The incumbent provides training and technical support in basic and advanced uses of personal computers (PCs), telecommunications and SENTRY. Emphasis is to be placed on Windows, GroupWise, WordPerfect, Lotus spreadsheet, X-base compatible database programs and Population Monitoring transactions in SENTRY, and some instances may require DOS and DBASE IV skills.

In conjunction with the local training officer, develops annual and special training programs for regional and institution staff.

Serve as the Information Security Officer (ISO) or Assistant Information Security Officer (AISO) whose responsibilities include: (a) the Regional office security program for all Local Area Networks (LANs), SENTRY terminals, personal computers and other computer based systems; and (b) the requirements of Program Statement 1237.13 (Information Security).

Advise staff on the means of improving the efficiency of regional office operations by automating repetitive routine functions. Improve the access to and sharing of information by training staff to use GroupWise and the Internet to exchange ideas and files with colleagues in institutions, Central Office and other regional offices.

Provide guidance to staff in the purchase of computer hardware and software. Ensure its suitability to the task it is to support and ensure its compatibility with Bureau standards.

Serve as the systems administrator for Regional Office LANs. Maintain their security, control access and train staff in their use.

Serve as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Coordinator for the Regional Office, whose responsibilities include: (a) Ensuring appropriate use of and access to NCIC and National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) and (b) provide training and certification to NCIC users in the Regional Office and CCM Offices.

The incumbent conducts periodic reviews and evaluations of the computer services programs at various institutions in the region through on-site visits to ensure programs are adequately implemented and maintained.

Incumbent is considered an authority and resource person in computer services matters for institutional computer services staff. The incumbent provides guidance, oversight and direction as a subject matter authority on specific computer services issues encountered at the institutions within the region. As such, this position is responsible for maintaining familiarity with all necessary laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures, ensuring consideration and applicability to the work at hand.

Reviews proposed BOP regional and national regulations or policies and provides recommendations for changes, additions, or deletions in order to best meet the needs of the agency and intent of the policy.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP eligibility, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: Click Here

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet either the requirements specified in the section titled Education OR the requirements specified in the section titled Experience.

Basic Requirements

Education: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at this grade level.

OR

Experience: You must have IT related 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 judgement to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

AND

Specialized Experience

GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience at the next lower GS-grade (or equivalent). 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.

Some examples of qualifying experience:

  • Experience conducting periodic reviews and evaluations of computer services programs to ensure programs are adequately implemented and maintained.
  • Experience providing guidance, oversight and direction as a subject matter authority on specific computer services issues.
  • Experience reviewing proposed regulations or policies and providing recommendations for changes, additions, or deletions in order to best meet the needs of the agency and intent of the policy.
  • Experience providing guidance to staff in the purchase of computer hardware and software, and ensuring its suitability to the task it is to support and ensuring compatibility with applicable standards.
  • Experience advising staff on means of improving the efficiency of operations by automating repetitive routine functions.

Credit will be given for experience gained in community, cultural, social service, and professional association on the same basis as paid work experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Additional information

This position IS NOT included in the bargaining unit.

The representative rate for this position is $86,331 per annum ($41.37 per hour).

Special Conditions of Employment Section:

The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency.

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.  All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.

The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application.  You may be required to provide proof of residence.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees:  

Individuals selected who are under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and who have not had three years "primary" law enforcement retirement coverage, will not be covered by law enforcement retirement while in this position.  To regain coverage, individuals must return to a position with "primary" coverage.

How you will be evaluated

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

If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment questionnaire responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement.  If you rate yourself higher than what is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:

  • Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
  • Your responses to the eligibility questions;
  • Your responses to the online assessment questionnaire;
  • Your supporting documentation, if required.

Time-in-Grade:  Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration.  You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Knowledge of network systems.
  • Ability to troubleshoot computer problems.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to plan and organize work.

To preview questions please click here.

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