The IT Specialist/Senior IT Specialist (Information Security Specialist) serves as the primary contact within OTIM for program offices on issues related to the security and privacy reporting controls. Incumbent interprets and applies relevant federal regulation and guidance to the development of new systems or applications, documents processes, and liaises between program offices and OTIM colleagues to support a robust and compliant overall information security regime for the agency.
Summary
The IT Specialist/Senior IT Specialist (Information Security Specialist) serves as the primary contact within OTIM for program offices on issues related to the security and privacy reporting controls. Incumbent interprets and applies relevant federal regulation and guidance to the development of new systems or applications, documents processes, and liaises between program offices and OTIM colleagues to support a robust and compliant overall information security regime for the agency.
Serves as the cybersecurity advisor to FHFA business offices, system owners, developers, vendors and other technical and non-technical stakeholders to ensure all existing and newly developed systems or applications remain appropriately secure.
Defines and establishes security and privacy requirements for agency systems, including planning for Information Security Contingency Planning and ensures compliance with applicable regulations and agency policy.
Interprets NIST security and privacy control requirements and best practices as appropriate to each system. Identify and applies these requirements and practices and consults with system owners and other stakeholders to ensure standards can be implemented with minimal disruption.
Develops and maintains security and privacy artifacts supporting ongoing authorization of internally hosted and cloud-based solutions.
Serves as primary point of contact for security and privacy audits and reviews. Coordinates involvement with control assessors and auditors, providing artifacts and evidence on behalf of FHFA system owners to demonstrating the effective implementation of security and privacy controls.
Develops and delivers annual training to FHFA system owners on their security and privacy responsibilities. Reviews and revises training on an on-going basis to ensure continued compliance with regulations and other guidance.
Supports FHFA system owners in tracking and remediating information system weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Provides guidance and assistance in proactively identifying these issues and coordinates responses.
Advises FHFA contracting officers and contracting officer representatives on applicable security requirements for third-party systems.
Assist in conducting special projects related to information security or privacy on projects across OTIM and the agency as assigned. Stays abreast of changes in policies and procedures of both Federal and private sector to remain current in relevant IT practices and makes and implements recommendations to improve FHFA processes.
Provides advice, guidance, and training to lower-graded IT specialists, and may lead IT project teams working on information security efforts. Oversees project responsibilities within assigned area to ensure the proper resources and plans are put into place and are on target
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
These positions are being filled through an OPM Direct Hire Authority for IT Cybersecurity Specialist Positions and are not subject to veteran's preference.
Qualifications
Qualifying experience for the EL-13 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to EL/GS-12 which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience for this position includes:
Providing expert advice and guidance to staff on information security requirements and best practices for new or recently enhanced applications or systems.
Coordinating security audits or reviews, including serving as the liaison between auditors and both technical and program staff, providing materials and artifacts to auditors, and supporting program and technical staff in responding to audit requests.
Developing and managing a variety of information security documents, plans, and other materials, such as Security Categorization Worksheets, System Security and Privacy Plans, System Contingency Plans, eAuthentication Risk Assessments, Security Impact Assessments, or Audit Log Reports.
Identifying and supporting the resolution of vulnerabilities in systems and applications including the organization's information security program.
Tracking and remediating information system weaknesses and vulnerabilities and coordinating responses to identified issues.
Leading IT project teams working on information security efforts.
Qualifying experience for the EL-12 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to EL/GS-11 which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience for this position includes:
Providing advice and guidance to staff on information security requirements and best practices an application or information system.
Coordinating security audits or reviews, including serving as the liaison between auditors and both technical and program staff, and supporting program and technical staff in responding to audit requests.
Coordinating a variety of information security documents, plans, and other materials, such as Security Categorization Worksheets, System Security and Privacy Plans, System Contingency Plans, eAuthentication Risk Assessments, Security Impact Assessments, or Audit Log Reports.
Identifying vulnerabilities in systems and applications including the organization's information security program and assisting in their resolution.
Tracking information system weaknesses and vulnerabilities and coordinating responses to identified issue.
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.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
Veterans preference does not apply when selecting individuals under this DHA. Candidates with Veteran's preference, who meet the requirements for this vacancy, will be referred to the selecting official just as any qualified non-preference eligible candidate.
Career Transition Assistance Programs: 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 for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position ; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
FHFA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, disability (physical or mental), age (40 years of age or over), genetic information, parental status, marital status, prior protected EEO activity, political affiliation, or other non-merit factors.
REASONABLE ACCOMODATION:
FHFA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, except when doing so would pose an undue hardship on the Agency. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify FHFA. The Agency's decision on granting a reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Ethics: FHFA employees are subject to government-wide ethical standards of conduct, financial disclosure requirements, and post-employment prohibitions. In addition, certain FHFA employees are prohibited from accepting compensation from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for a two-year period after terminating employment with FHFA. Furthermore, to avoid financial conflicts-of interest or the appearance of conflicts-of-interest, FHFA employees may need to divest or sell certain assets they, their spouse, or minor children own or control, including securities issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the Federal Home Loan Banks. Employees who work on Federal Home Loan Bank issues may need to sell or divest financial interests with any of the Federal Home Loan Bank members, which may include stock in bank holding companies, insurance companies, and other financial services firms. Questions regarding these requirements and prohibitions should be directed to the Office of General Counsel at (202) 649-3088.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
This position is being filled through OPM's Direct Hire authority for IT Cybersecurity Specialists.
All applicants meeting the basic and minimum qualification will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration.
Veterans preference does not apply when selecting individuals under this DHA. Candidates with Veteran's preference, who meet the requirements for this vacancy, will be referred to the selecting official just as any qualified non-preference eligible candidate.
If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications, a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be applied.
All of the information you provide will be verified by a review of the work experience and/or education as shown on your application forms, by checking references or through other means, such as the interview process. This verification could occur at any stage of the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for rating you ineligible.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your resume showing hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
2. Other supporting documents:
Cover Letter, optional
SF 50, optional
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. The IT Cybersecurity Specialist DHA will be used to fill this position.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/10/2023 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Janice Obeido at janice.obeido@fhfa.gov or (202) 649-3742 to obtain an alternative application.
FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY
400 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20219
US
Next steps
After all application packages have been received, we will review your materials to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided in his/her resume and the completed Occupational Questionnaire. Applicants deemed best-qualified may be contacted for an interview. We anticipate making a final job offer for this position within 45 days after the deadline for applications. All candidates will be notified of the final disposition.
***There is currently one vacancy available. However, should additional vacancies become available within three months from the opening date of this announcement, eligible applicants for this position may be referred for consideration for the additional position(s).
FHFA may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your resume showing hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
2. Other supporting documents:
Cover Letter, optional
SF 50, optional
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. The IT Cybersecurity Specialist DHA will be used to fill this position.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/10/2023 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Janice Obeido at janice.obeido@fhfa.gov or (202) 649-3742 to obtain an alternative application.
FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY
400 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20219
US
Next steps
After all application packages have been received, we will review your materials to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided in his/her resume and the completed Occupational Questionnaire. Applicants deemed best-qualified may be contacted for an interview. We anticipate making a final job offer for this position within 45 days after the deadline for applications. All candidates will be notified of the final disposition.
***There is currently one vacancy available. However, should additional vacancies become available within three months from the opening date of this announcement, eligible applicants for this position may be referred for consideration for the additional position(s).
FHFA may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
