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STUDENT TRAINEE (IT MANAGEMENT)

Department of Homeland Security
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Stakeholder Engagement Division (SED)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Who May Be Considered:

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
11/16/2023 to 11/22/2023
Salary
$20,999 to - $42,068 per year

Salary reflects base pay.

Pay scale & grade
GS 1 - 5
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Arlington, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Multiple
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
5
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
SED-DE-12138173-24-KR
Control number
761060800

This job is open to

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Students

Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.

Clarification from the agency

Open to Students enrolled on at least a half-time basis, or accepted for enrollment, and seeking a degree or certificate (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution. Undergraduates must have at least a cumulative (overall) 2.0 grade point average (GPA) or higher on a 4.0 scale, and Master's/Professional degree seekers must have at least a cumulative (overall) 3.0 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale. Students must also remain in good academic standing.

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Duties

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Under the Pathways Internship Program, you must meet the definition of a student during the duration of your internship as follows:

An individual accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a qualifying degree or certificate from one of the following:

  • High school; OR
  • College/university; OR
  • Professional, technical, vocational, or trade school; OR
  • Advanced degree program; OR
  • Certificate in a qualifying and accredited educational institution, on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled), including awardees of the Harry S. Truman Foundation Scholarship Program under Public Law 93-842.
Students need not be in actual physical attendance, so long as all other requirements are being met. An individual who needs to complete less than the equivalent of a half-time an academic/vocational or technical course load immediately prior to graduating is still considered a student for purposes of this program.

Typical work assignments include:
  • Assisting with generation of program source codes using various
    computer languages.
  • Assisting with hardware and software updates to systems.
  • Assist with network monitoring and incident response.
PROGRAM COMPLETION AND CONVERSION:
Pathways Interns may be converted to a permanent position (or, in some limited circumstances, to a term position lasting 1-4 years) within 120 days of successful completion of the internship program. Eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that CISA will offer conversion.

To be eligible for conversion, Interns must:
  • Complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program.
  • Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted.
  • Have completed the degree program with at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale throughout the entire internship appointment if enrolled as an undergraduate or at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale throughout the entire internship appointment if enrolled in a Master's/Professional program.
  • Perform their job successfully.
  • Agencies may waive up to 320 of the required 640 hours of work for Interns who demonstrate high potential as evidenced by outstanding academic achievement and exceptional job performance.
  • In addition, students working in agencies through third-party intern providers may count up to 320 of the hours they work toward the 640 hour requirement.
  • Time spent under previous Internship Program appointments may count towards required work experience hours.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • You must be at least 16 years of age.
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required.
  • 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.
  • The duration of a Pathways appointment is a trial period.

Qualifications


BASIC ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must:
  • Remain in good academic standing as defined by the school, with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate programs;
  • Remain in good academic standing as defined by the school, with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for Master's/Professional programs;
  • Maintain enrollment, on at least a half-time schedule as a student at an accredited college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, or trade school; advanced degree programs (e.g., graduate school, law school); or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a degree or certificate for the duration of the internship, if selected;
  • Sign a Pathways Internship Participant Agreement on an annual basis, if selected and,
  • Meet the DHS developed qualifications standards prior to appointment and any physical, suitability, security requirements and if applicable medical clearance.
Note: Certificate programs must be one academic year in duration.


IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

You qualify for the GS-01 grade level, if you have:
EDUCATION: Enrollment in a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) program.

You qualify for the GS-02 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least three (3) months of general experience at the GS-01 grade level (or equivalent) performing the following duties:
  1. Ability to learn to assist with generation of program source codes using various computer languages.
  2. Ability to learn to assist with hardware and software updates to systems.
  3. Ability to learn to assist with network monitoring and incident response.
  4. Supporting the overall work of the office ensuring smooth operation, proper delivery of services, and effective customer support
OR
EDUCATION: Completion of high school or General Education Diploma (GED) diploma.

You qualify for the GS-03 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least six (6) months of general experience at the GS-02 grade level (or equivalent) performing the following duties:
  1. Ability to work with clients and customers to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations.
  2. Assisting with public-facing cyber outreach and engagement
  3. Assisting with generation of program source codes using various computer languages
  4. Assisting with hardware and software updates to systems, network monitoring and incident response.
OR
EDUCATION: Completion of one (1) full academic year of post-high school study from an accredited institution.
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: To combine education and experience, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage by dividing your total months of experience by 6. Then divide your semester hours of education by 30 (quarter hours by 45). Finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify at this grade level.

You qualify for the GS-04 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of general experience at the GS-03 grade level (or equivalent) performing the following duties:
  1. Researching cybersecurity tools and techniques.
  2. Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information;
  3. Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  4. Identifying problems and determine the accuracy and relevance of information.
OR
EDUCATION: Completion of two (2) full academic years of post-high school study or an associate degree from an accredited institution.
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: To combine education and experience, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage by dividing your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education by 60 (quarter hours by 90). Finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify at this grade level.

You qualify for the GS-05 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-04 grade level (or equivalent) performing the following duties:
  1. Analyzing cybersecurity programs and research new solutions for emerging cyber security threats.
  2. Applying hardware and software updates to systems.
  3. Conducting vulnerability scans and computer forensics analyses.
  4. Assessing cyber-posture and risk mitigation.
OR
EDUCATION: Completion of four (4) academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree from an accredited institution.
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: To combine education and experience, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage by dividing your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your total number of completed undergraduate semester hours by 120 (quarter hours by 180). Finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify at this grade level.


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.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.?

Education

This position has an education requirement. You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent (e.g., letter from the registrar, acceptance letter, unofficial transcripts) showing eligibility for the educational requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Updated enrollment verification documentation will be required if you are selected.

Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements. You must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

Additional information

  • Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expenses will not be paid.
  • Other incentives may be authorized.
  • 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 from 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.
  • When entering a federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Computers
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Problem Solving
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Technology Application


Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Category Rating Procedures: 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 by 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 of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
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 or 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. View information on https://www.fedshirevets.gov

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12138173

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