The selectee will serve as a Network Intrusion Forensic Analyst in the Office of Investigations, National Computer Forensics Institute. Typical work assignments include:

• Serves as subject matter expert and principal advisor/analyst to senior-level stakeholders and other applicable stakeholders on matters involving the implementation and compliance of the Network Intrusion Forensics Analyst (NIFA) Program to ensure that work efforts and activities meet the overall mission and guidance of the agency; defines, interprets, and implements policy as it relates to investigative methods, evidence recovery, and forensics analysis. 
• Serves as an expert analyst and technical advisor on computer and data forensics management and implementation; serves as a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) in managing awarded contracts and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders on forensics contract management and task orders development. 
• Serves as an Network Intrusion Forensics Analyst (NIFA) and is responsible for providing expert guidance in network and digital forensics, including, but not limited to network intrusion investigations; computer forensics analysis, including imaging and processing digital media; locating and identifying evidence of network intrusions; validating testing of computer forensics hardware and software; and participating in setting up virtualized computer system environments on stand-alone workstations.
• Serves as a technical expert and testifies as a witness (as required) at trials in support of evidentiary findings including, but not limited to responding to questions from counsel, articulating findings, methods and procedures; works under the legal authority of court orders, search warrants and other legal processes to gain access to electronic equipment, files, records, databases, images, and storage devices to prepare pertinent items of evidence for examination obtained from evidence collection procedures and findings.
• Prepares technical and complex comprehensive written reports and presentations outlining forensics findings for internal and external stakeholders including, but not limited to case agents, investigators, senior-level management, attorneys, and prosecutors; make formal presentations to senior-level management on forensics findings; deliver training to include continuous improvement of NITRO training strategies and updates to training material for specific NITRO courses or training modules, and explain complex technical issues to non-technical stakeholders.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. citizenship is required.

Conditions of Employment If selected for this position, you will be required to:

• Obtain and maintain a top secret Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page.
• Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
• If selected you must maintain a TS/SCI clearance and you may be required to submit to a polygraph examination.
• Physical Demands: The incumbent may be requested to perform inventory and process evidence, which requires walking, bending, stretching, crawling and lifting. Additionally, when instructing and supporting the NITRO program, the employee should anticipate being on their feet and/or walking for an extended period of time.
• Work Environment: The work is primarily performed in an office setting, but the incumbent will be requested to assist in the seizure and transportation of electronic evidence as well as providing classroom instruction.
• Overtime work may be required due to the time-sensitive nature of the work performed.
• Work may require incumbent to (occasionally) work for extended hours with relatively short notice.
• Mandatory training is required which must be successfully completed within the first year of employment in the following areas: Computer Forensic and NITRO Training.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific, professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional.  Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. For information on veterans' preference, please click here. 

Qualifications

GS-13: You qualify for the GS-13 level (starting salary $88,712) if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level performing duties such as: conducting computer forensic analysis; conducting network forensic analysis; and mobile device forensic analysis, and providing computer forensic support to law enforcement investigations in the form of evidence seizure and data recovery; managing awarded contracts i.e., serving as a Contract Officer Representative (COR).

Writing Sample: If selected for an interview you will be requested to provide samples of your forensic evidence examination reports.

Interview Requirement: Interviews are required for this position.  Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.

Qualifications Must Be Met: The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, a score will automatically be calculated based on your answers to the vacancy specific questions to place you in one of three categories. All answers provided in the online process must be substantiated by your resume. Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and reflect the one year of specialized experience requirement, in order to be considered.  If the one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level cannot be identified in your resume, you will be considered not qualified. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

• Knowledge of operational programs, policies and procedures of criminal analysis sufficient to participate with analysts/investigators in planning, coordinating, identifying information, and conducting computer forensics analysis.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of project management sufficient to identify goals, objectives and strategies; develop plans and schedules; estimate resource requirements, define technical requirements, establish milestones and identify deliverables, and report on program status.
• Knowledge of computer hardware and software encryption, filing systems, networks, routers, servers, and various operating systems (i.e., Windows, UNIX and Linux) sufficient to identify and seize evidence utilizing various forensics tools.
• Knowledge of applicable laws impacting the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C § 552a), legal authority of court orders and search warrants and other legal processes to gain access to electronic equipment.
• Ability to communicate sufficiently to articulate, write and analyze legal and non-legal documents related to forensics issues.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories: 1. Best Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined in the job analysis. 2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined in the job analysis.  If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP, you must be placed in the Well-Qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.