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Telecommunications Specialist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.

These positions are located within the Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, Idaho State Office, and Oregon State Office. Information about the area can be found at: Susanville CA, Twin Falls ID, Medford, OR

We expect to fill 3 vacancies at this time, 1 vacancy in each location. Additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/22/2022 to 09/05/2022
Salary
$54,727 to - $86,074 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
3 vacancies in the following locations:
Susanville, CA
Twin Falls, ID
Medford, OR
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Travel and relocation expenses will be paid consistent with the Federal Travel Regulation, Chapter 302, and Departmental policy. Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. See "Other" section for additional information on 2017 Tax Cuts as related to PCS.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CADE-22-11604029-JB
Control number
672789900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • May climb communication towers to provide installation and maintenance of antenna and coax/heliax/waveguide runs to radio system equipment.
  • Develops detailed plans based on long-term plans and objectives, and user requirements, for telecommunications and weather collection systems, equipment, and services.
  • Analyzes electronic systems for the State and District Offices to determine the most effective and economical equipment and services to meet established standards.
  • Responsible for radio frequency management within the assigned area inclusive of maintaining records and licensing of all existing frequencies. Coordinates all frequency use agreements between the Bureau and others within the assigned area.
  • Resolve complex telecommunications and data collection issues, such as linking incompatible equipment and systems, telephone equipment, and linking different kinds of voice and/or data requirements through automated processors and modems.
  • Monitors and makes configuration changes to statewide voice and data communications systems. Develops procedures for diagnostic testing, error recovery, traffic re-routing, problem isolation and identification, and gathering and analyzing data.
  • Install, repair, and maintain a wide variety of complex electronics equipment including VHF, UHF radio equipment and telephone equipment including single line and PBX systems.
  • Conducts diagnostic testing, error recovery, traffic re-routing, problem isolation and identification, and gathers and analyzes data.
  • Maintains inventory and applicable records for each piece of assigned tele-communications equipment.
  • Provide input for the annual work plan, State Telecommunications Plan for design, development, construction, implementation, and maintenance of all voice and data communications systems and networks. Prepares a variety of telecommunications reports.
  • Prepare specifications and requirements for proposals and contracts, reviews bids for vendor availability, and monitors vendor performance to ensure equipment and service requirements are met.
  • Position located in Medford, OR does not require tower climbing.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Be sure to read the How to Apply and Required Documents Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
  • You must pass a pre-employment physical. Medical evaluations are to be conducted as a pre-placement exam for all individuals with climbing duties, and every three years thereafter.
  • An applicant appointed to this position must possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
  • May require a one year probationary period.
  • This is a Bargaining Unit position.
  • Incumbent must be able to obtain certification to climb towers as outlined in BLM Manual 1292 and BLM Handbook 1291-1.
  • You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factor applies to positions located in Susanville, CA and Twin Falls, ID: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not certify they are physically capable of performing the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified:

  • Physically capable of climbing towers and installing antennas. Able to install and perform maintenance of repeater and base station radios on mountain tops ranging in elevation from 3,000 to 12,000 feet.
Position located in Medford, OR does not require tower climbing.

This position has an individual occupation requirement that must be met in order to be considered. Please read the Education section to ensure you meet these prerequisites.

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

In addition to the individual occupation requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples:

To qualify for the GS-9, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7. Examples of specialized experience may include: Experience in programming, repairing and/or installing Digital handheld radios, mobile radios, VHF repeaters, dispatch consoles; experience in grounding telecommunications systems; experience with repairing, installing, testing network and phone cabling; OR A master's degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or related LL. B or JD. OR A combination of specialized experience and education. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify

To qualify for the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9. Examples of specialized experience may include: Evaluating, analyzing, troubleshooting, developing, managing, or improving communications systems, procedures; experience in programming, repairing and installing Digital hand held radios, mobile radios, VHF /UHF repeaters, VHF /UHF base stations, dispatch consoles; experience in grounding telecommunications systems; experience with repairing, installing, testing network and phone cabling; OR A Ph. D or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or related LL. M. OR A combination of specialized experience and education. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: Work may be sedentary, although requires continuous field work for the maintenance/installation of communications equipment. Considerable and strenuous physical exertion is required to work in high elevations and in inclement weather conditions. Other demands such as climbing, walking, bending, pulling and lifting heavy equipment weighing over 50 pounds is required. May be required to climb towers.

Work Environment: Tower climbing is performed under varies and unpredictable working conditions in many locations, sometimes in inclement weather and high altitudes, May be exposed to radio frequency hazardous, high voltages, noise, and slippery or uneven surfaces. Some work is completed in voice and data equipment rooms or computer rooms. Travel is required to field/remote communication sites in the desert, mountains, mud and snowy areas using 4x4 vehicles, all terrain vehicles, aircraft, or other means of travel. Incumbent is expected to comply with all safety policies.

Education

This position has an individual occupation requirement that must be met to be considered. Applicants must meet one of the below criteria to be considered.

  1. Undergraduate and Graduate Education with a major study in 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.
  2. 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.
If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

Additional information

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

Tax Law Impact for PCS: Moving expenses reimbursement is a taxable benefit. However, the Federal Travel Regulation 18-05 issued by General Services Administration has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance and Relocation Income Tax Allowance to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals.

This position is not eligible for Telework.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number CAMP-22-11604030-JB, for status candidates and special hiring authority eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document, you do not have in electronic form; view the following link for information regarding an Alternative Application

The COVID-19 vaccination requirement for federal employees pursuant to Executive Order 14043 does not currently apply. Click here for more information.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: Manages and Organizes Information, Problem Solving, Technical Problem Solving, and Telecommunications
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

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