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Information Technology Specialist (INFOSEC)

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

Summary

This announcement is issued under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) to recruit for positions for which there is a critical hiring need. Selectee(s) will receive a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service and may be required to serve a one year probationary period.

Must live within MD, VA, DE area.

Who May be Considered:

  • U.S. Citizens
View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
12/04/2023 to 12/18/2023
Salary
$84,546 to - $129,878 per year

Salary range reflects GS base rate (not including locality). Upon selection, salary is adjusted to include locality. Must live within MD, VA, DE area.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection,
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
IOD-DHA-12212577-24-JJ
Control number
763924500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

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Duties

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Typical work assignments include:

  • Participate in cybersecurity partnerships with and across critical infrastructure owners and operators and state, local, tribal and territorial government.
  • Collaborate with critical infrastructure owners, operators, IT security experts, and managers to support organizational cybersecurity objectives.
  • Conduct cyber protective visits and strategic cyber risk assessments to prepare and protect critical cyber infrastructure assets.
  • Participate in the establishment of community-based, regional, and/or statewide cyber security strategies, for state, local, and private partners and stakeholders.
  • Present findings and recommendations on complex issues or problems impacting major programs.
  • Advise senior management on cost-benefit analysis of information security programs, policies, processes, systems, and elements.
  • Measure effectiveness of defense-in-depth architecture against known vulnerabilities.
  • Review approved or proposed policies such as presidential executive orders, which may affect cybersecurity activities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • You must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • You must live within MD, VA, DE area.
  • This is a full time telework position. The employee's home address will be the official duty station. However, this position is ineligible for remote work. Due to frequent travel requirement, selectee must reside within the one of the states identified in this announcement
  • 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.
  • 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).

Qualifications

To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Minimum Qualification requirements as listed below.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

EXPERIENCE:
Experience must be Information Technology (IT)-related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate. You must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below:

GS-13
Attention to Detail - Experience reviewing my own information technology-related work or data and have been asked by others to review their work or data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency with standards.
Customer Service - Experience maintaining relationships with customers, assessing current information technology needs of customers, and developing or identifying information technology products and services that are tailored to meet customer needs.
Oral Communication - Briefing mid-level management and IT staff on the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the communication of technical information to a non-technical audience.
Problem Solving - Identifying alternatives to address complex information technology-related issues by gathering and applying information from a variety of sources that provide a number of potential solutions.

GS-14
Attention to Detail - Experience reviewing my own information technology-related work or data and have been responsible for reviewing the work of others to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency with standards.
Customer Service - Developing and maintaining relationships with customers, anticipating and assessing the current and future information technology needs of customers, and developing or identifying information technology products or services that are tailored to meet customer needs.
Oral Communication - Briefing senior-level management and IT staff on the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the communication of complex technical information to a non-technical audience.
Problem Solving - Identifying alternatives to address unique, highly complex, or sensitive information technology-related issues. I have anticipated information technology-related problems and have identified and evaluated potential sources of information to generate alternative solutions.

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

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
In addition to meeting the qualification requirement listed above, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower GS-grade level (or equivalent). Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Such experience is typically gained in the IT field or through the performance of work where the primary concern is IT.

You qualify for the GS-13 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-12 if outside the Federal service:

  1. Conducting cyber protective visits and strategic cyber risk assessments with the goal of preparing and protecting critical cyber infrastructure assets.
  2. Presenting information at regional local conferences, summits, seminars and symposia relating to cybersecurity initiatives.
  3. Collaborating with organizational managers to support mission objectives.

You qualify for the GS-14 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-13 if outside the Federal service:
  1. Collaborating with critical infrastructure owners, operators, IT security experts, and managers to support organizational cybersecurity objectives.
  2. Advising senior management on the costs and benefits of information security programs, policies, processes, systems, and elements.
  3. Independently evaluating the support for critical infrastructure owners and operators and other industry forums/working groups to provide recommendations for improvement.
  4. Providing advice and guidance to resolve, implement, or manage cybersecurity issues that involve major areas of uncertainty in approach and methodology within the organization.
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

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for a position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. 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. An official transcript 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 Requests: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified applicants and employees with a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, unless to do so would create an undue hardship to the agency (29 CFR 1614.203 (2017)). 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 CISA_ReasonableAccommodation@cisa.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 or inquiries, please contact the CISA Reasonable Accommodation Program at CISA_ReasonableAccommodation@cisa.dhs.gov.

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.

Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority, veterans' preference does not apply.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire.

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): 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 in the well-qualified category 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.

To preview the application questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12212577

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