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Senior Telecommunications Advisor

Department of Commerce
Office of the Inspector General
This job announcement has closed

Summary

We are seeking highly motivated professionals to join our team. If you want challenging work and a chance to make a big impact, come join us at the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Commerce! We improve the effectiveness of the Department's programs and operations. We also investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in the Department and those who do business with it.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
04/01/2020 to 05/12/2020
Salary
$131,239 to - $197,300 per year
Pay scale & grade
SL SL
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Full-time
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
SL
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Announcement number
DOC-OIG-2020-0023
Control number
564435900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All candidates who are: 1. Within the local commuting area and are current or former federal employees qualifying as Status Candidates, Federal employees currently serving on a VRA, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., the Schedule A appointment for persons with disabilities, or covered by an Interchange Agreement), OR 2. Individuals, no matter where you reside, who are VEOA eligibles; OR 3. Land Management employees eligible under Public Law 114-47.

Duties

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As a Senior Telecommunication Advisor, you will:

  • Provide operational direction to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) on wireless, satellite, broadband and spectrum related projects within the Department of Commerce (DOC), providing expert opinion on telecommunications engineering policy and performance issues.
  • Provides data to support oversight planning, audit conclusions, findings, and recommendations and ensure that necessary information is contained within audit working papers.
  • Review contractor and subject matter documentation to build, operate, and maintain the NPSBN.
  • Review system cost studies, which include estimates of engineering costs and construction costs of proposed systems or system upgrades. 
  • Analyze specifications for conformance to contract terms, basic system plans, correct engineering applications, appropriate best practices, adequacy of proposed facilities, and compliance with environmental requirements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  • Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  • Must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals.

This opportunity is also open to the Public under Announcement DOC-OIG-2020-0024. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Mandatory Qualifications Requirements: To meet minimum qualifications, applicants must possess the following professional technical competencies. These competencies would typically be gained through experience, education, and training that reflects progressive development and achievement in managing a Federal communications program for a nationwide organization. An individual’s total experience and education must demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position.

A. Professional Technical Qualifications – All applicants must include a narrative statement showing how their knowledge and experience relates to the following professional technical qualifications. The narrative statement should not exceed two pages for each qualification.

PTQ 1: Describe your skills and knowledge of key technical issues regarding telecommunications engineering policy and related performance issues.

PTQ 2: Describe your ability to meet and reach consensus on complex issues with individuals, groups, and high-level officials within and outside the agency, and the ability to appropriately support the position of the organization when disagreements occur.

PTQ 3:  Describe your knowledge of telecommunications and major systems acquisition, engineering design, modification or maintenance of telecommunications equipment, and state-of-the-art telecommunications technology.

PTQ 4: Describe your ability to plan, manage, and conduct evaluations of telecommunications projects and to work in multi-disciplinary teams. 

In addressing these mandatory qualifications elaborate on your accomplishments, experience, training, education, and awards, highlighting the problems solved and work objectives met, i.e., the results of your effort and evidence of your success. Do not repeat entries from your narrative work history.

IMPORTANT: Structure your PTQ statements in terms of actions you have taken, the context or environment in which the action was taken and the outcome or results of those actions (Challenge - Context - Action - Result (C-C-A-R) Model). 

Challenge-Context-Action-Result Model

Challenge. Describe a specific problem or goal.

Context. Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).

Action. Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.

Result. Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

Time After Competitive Appointment:
Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- electrical or electronic engineering, mathematics, physics, public utilities, statistics, computer science, telecommunications management, information systems management, business administration, industrial management, or other fields related to the position to be filled.

Other Education: Communications/electronics or automatic data processing training in technical institutes or business schools above the high school level or in Armed Forces schools that included advanced instruction in addition to basic courses, may be substituted for general experience on a month-for-month basis.

The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

OR

Experience in evaluating, analyzing, developing, managing, or improving communications systems, procedures, and requirements that demonstrated knowledge of current developments and trends in communications concepts and technology.

Additional information

- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. 
- Relocation expenses are NOT authorized.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- A recruitment incentive may be offered. 
- Student loan repayment may be offered.
- We offer opportunities for telework.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
- A one year probationary period may be required.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9.  Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, responses to the Professional Technical Qualifications, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a “not qualified” determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas:

  • Technical Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • Analytical Skills

Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, you will be evaluated by a panel of senior employees to determine the degree to which you possess the above Professional Technical Qualifications.  As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview and provide a writing sample or written assessment/exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.  References may also be checked after all assessment materials are reviewed.  

We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site. 

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must receive a score of 85 or better to be rated as “well qualified" to receive special selection priority.


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