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Election Security Advisor

Department of Homeland Security
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Integrated Operation Division (IOD)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Who May Be Considered:

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/04/2023 to 08/14/2023
Salary
$117,518 to - $152,771 per year

The salary range indicated reflects the GS base pay. The salary will be adjusted to include the locality pay for the selected duty location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
10 vacancies in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection,
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 up to 7-10 nights per month.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
IOD-ST-12078016-23-AP
Control number
741648000

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Duties

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The ideal candidate will serve as an Election Security Advisor (ESA) performing typical duties and responsibilities that may include:

  • Lead the Region's election security engagement strategy to support state and local election officials and their offices.
  • Recommend new products, training, assistance, and services based on detailed knowledge of election infrastructure stakeholder requirements and knowledge of emerging approaches to assess and mitigate cyber, physical, and operational risks.
  • Communicate the value of election security throughout all levels of internal and external stakeholders, mainly through direct engagement and public speaking (i.e., panelist participations, resource briefings, and keynote addresses).
  • Support CISA service delivery and assessments to prepare and protect critical election infrastructure assets in coordination with established Regional structures and CISA headquarters elements.
  • Participate in partnerships with election infrastructure partners. Promote collaborative efforts to reduce risks and threats to critical information, enterprise, communications, and control systems. Raise awareness and improve coordination with state and local governments on CISA's support to election infrastructure.
NOTE: The selected candidate(s) must reside within one of the regions identified in the announcement. Locality pay will be based on the duty location.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service see http://www.sss.gov/
  • All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
  • DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
  • This position has been identified as a drug testing designated position (TDP) for purposes of the CISA's Drug-Free Workplace Program. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use prior to receiving a final offer of employment. A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result. After appointment, you may be subject to periodic random drug testing.
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
  • Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).
  • This is a full time telework position. Due to frequent travel requirements, selectee must reside within one of the regions identified in the announcement. Locality pay will be based on the duty location.
  • Driver's license is required.

Qualifications

To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying. You qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following duties:

  1. Identify and understand physical, cyber, and operational risks to the security and integrity of the elections process.
  2. Develop, implement, evaluate, and/or improve election security processes; and
  3. Experience working with IT systems in the election process (i.e. voting systems, auditing tools and technologies, vote tabulators, registration systems).
Selective Placement Factor: In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet one of the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position:
1. Experience in the administration of state or local level elections including the promotion of available election resources and the development and implementation of election management processes, guidelines, and best practices.
OR
2. Demonstrated experience and technical expertise with Information technology (IT) systems, software, tools, and technologies used in the election process such as voting systems, auditing tools and technologies, vote tabulators, registration systems, vote certification, etc.

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.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying).

Time After Competitive Appointment: By the closing date specified in this job announcement, current Federal civilian employees must wait at least 90 days after their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive service referral certificate before promotion, transfer, reinstatement, reassignment, or detail.

All qualification requirements, including Time-in-Grade, must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification AND Time-in-Grade claims will be subject to verification.


Shared Certificate: When CISA completes their selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with other DHS Component agencies who are hiring for similar positions. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application materials, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with other DHS Component agencies. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

Education

No substitution of education for experience is permitted for this announcement.

Additional information

  • Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expenses will not be paid.
  • Other incentives may be authorized (Recruitment incentive, Student Loan Repayment, etc.).
  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
  • This position has been designated excluded bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 U.S.C. 7112(B)(6).
  • The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum base pay up to maximum base pay. The salary will be adjusted to include the locality pay for the selected duty location. General Schedule (GS) locality pay tables for all areas may be found on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website at: Salaries & Wages.
The selected candidate(s) must reside within one of the regions identified in the announcement. Locality pay will be based on the duty location.
  • Region 1 - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut.
  • Region 2 - New York, New Jersey, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico.
  • Region 3 - Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland.
  • Region 4 - Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida.
  • Region 5 - Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio.
  • Region 6 - New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana.
  • Region 7 - Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri.
  • Region 8 - Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado.
  • Region 9 - Nevada, California, Arizona, Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
  • Region 10 - Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, contact the CISA Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (OEDIA) by sending an email to CISAOEDIAFO@cisa.dhs.gov and accommodations@hq.dhs.gov with the subject line, "Reasonable Accommodation Request @CISA." In the email itself, you must include your name, vacancy announcement number(s), and state your intent to seek a reasonable accommodation. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. For more information, please go to the Reasonable Accommodations at DHS website.

Current or Former Political Appointees: 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 qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
  • Decision Making
  • External Awareness
  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating


For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

For Non-competitive Appointment Eligibles: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

If you are determined qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. The interview process may consist of in-person or phone panel interview.

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (I/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under I/CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must 1) be a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement. (Note: Veteran's preference does not apply under Merit Promotion procedures.)

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

To preview the application questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12078016

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