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Computer Engineer (CYBER), GS-0854-12/13

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Coast Guard
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Coast Guard (USCG), Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber and Intelligence Service Center (C5ISC), Infrastructure Services Division (ISD), Transport Services Branch (TSB), Deployed Connectivity Section (DCS) or Network Section (NET), located in Alexandria, VA.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Posted 01/31/24
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$99,200 - $153,354 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Promotion potential
13 - Position may be filled at the GS-12 or GS-13 level. Promotion potential to the GS-13 level.
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - This is a full-time position.
Travel Required
75% or less - Occasional travel is required.
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a permanent appointment.
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
24-2055-HQ-NP-DHA-R1
Control number
773753600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens. Subject position(s) will be filled through Direct Hire Authority. All applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for further consideration. The "Rule of Three", Category Rating, Veterans Preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy

Duties

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In this position you will collaborate with a Team of Network Professionals, and serve as a Computer Engineer (CYBER), for Information Technology Network Infrastructure, responsible for the planning, analysis, design, development, testing, configuration, installation, implementation and integration of networked systems used for the transmission of information in data, voice and/or video formats throughout the Systems Engineering Life Cycle (SELC).

Being a CG civilian makes you a valuable member of the CG team.  Typical work assignments include:

  • Configuring and maintaining network hubs, switches and routers, that support both wide-area and local-area networks, troubleshoot problems ranging from common to complex, and evaluate and recommend upgrades and enhancements to the current network infrastructure. 
  • Identifying, supporting or directing the remediation of technical problems encountered during testing and implementation of new systems (e.g., identify and find work-arounds or solutions for communication protocols that are not interoperable).
  • Analyzing design constraints, trade-offs, and detailing system and security design, and consider life cycle support.
  • Developing system testing and validation procedures and required SELC documentation.
  • Developing architectures or system components consistent with technical specifications.
  • Providing guidelines for implementing developed systems to customers or installation teams.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • See "Other Information" section for mandatory training.
  • Telework is in accordance with existing Agency policy.

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

Qualifications

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience may include the following:

  • Applying expertise in advanced computer/network engineering or computer architectural theories, principles, concepts, standards, and methods sufficient to: apply experimental theories and/or new applications or developments to extend or modify theories, concepts, and assumptions and resolve unique or novel problems;
  • Working with Cisco products such as routers and switches and experience with network operating systems such as CISCO IOS;
  • Networking fundamentals and experience in the application of IP protocols as well as network analysis and troubleshoot skills;
  • Providing advice and guidance in implementing IT security policies and procedures in the development and operation of network systems. Uses judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness in deviating from established methods in order to modify, adapt, and/or refine broader guidelines;
  • Overseeing the execution of project plans, schedules & technical installation/ implementation plans to procure, configure, deploy and maintain IT systems;
  • Establishing criteria; formulating projects; assessing program effectiveness; and/or investigating/analyzing a variety of unusual conditions, problems, or issues. 

To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience may include the following:

  • Applying expertise in advanced computer/network engineering or computer architectural theories, protocols, principles, concepts, standards, and methods sufficient to: apply experimental theories and/or new applications or developments to extend or modify theories, concepts, and assumptions and resolve unique or novel problems;
  • Working with Cisco products such as routers and switches and network operating systems such as CISCO IOS;
  • Planning design and support of Wi-Fi / Wireless Networks and Software Defined Networking solutions;
  • Conducting in-depth analysis of new and emerging IT Infrastructure technological, operating and other improvements to support continuous improvement in networking and computer environments such as wireless technologies and software defined networking;
  • Proposing new policies and practices in order to resolve specific complex and/or intricate issues and problems or research trends and patterns in order develop new methods and criteria;
  • Building collaborative work teams in a matrixed environment and leading integrated product teams focused on organizational strategic issues and initiatives. Be prepared to describe the environment and your level of involvement;
  • Communicating with users, other technical teams and senior management to collect requirements and describe technical designs and strategy.

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.

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.

Education

This position does have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

  1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
  2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
  3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
  4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor’s degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

Additional information

Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 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, or imprisonment.

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 at click here

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

If selection is made below the full performance level, the incumbent may be promoted up to the target grade without further competition, if all legal and regulatory requirements are met and when recommended by the supervisor. However, promotion to the full performance level is not guaranteed and is dependent on successful performance at the lower grade level(s).

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

Mandatory training is required which must be successfully completed and other training may occur as necessary for success in the position.

For the GS-12/13 Grade Level:

  • Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officers Representative (COR) Level II (FAC COR-II) within two years of entry into the position.
  • Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers Level II (FAC P/PM-II) or management determined equivalent within two years of entry into the position.
  • Information Assurance Management Level II (IAM-II) or management determined equivalent within two years of entry into the position.

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. VeteransPeace 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.

More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 1 (888)992-7387. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your résumé and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be referred for consideration. The following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed to perform this job:

  1. Knowledge of cybersecurity and privacy principles and organizational requirements (relevant to confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication, non-repudiation).
  2. Knowledge of information technology (IT) security principles and methods (e.g., firewalls, demilitarized zones, encryption)
  3. Knowledge of system life cycle management principles, including software security and usability
  4. Skill in designing security controls based on cybersecurity principles and tenets.
  5. Ability to apply cybersecurity and privacy principles to organizational requirements (relevant to confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication, non-repudiation)

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

U.S. Coast Guard

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

Apply for this exciting position to support U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) missions of safeguarding our Nation's maritime interests in the heartland, in the ports, at sea, and around the globe.

Agency contact information

USCG Applicant Support
Phone
866-656-6830
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
mgshelp@monster.com
Address
United States Coast Guard
2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE
STOP 7120
Washington, District of Columbia 20593
United States

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