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IT Specialist (SYSADMIN)

Environmental Protection Agency
EPA
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is in Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM); Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR); Program Implementation and Information Division; Information Collection and Analysis Branch. About: OLEM.

This is an office-centered position*--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.
*EPA offers work-from-home and work schedule flexibilities as described in the Benefits section.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/05/2024 to 06/19/2024
Salary
$82,764 to - $128,956 per year

Salary will be based on the grade level for which you are selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—NOTE: If you are an EPA employee who currently works at a remote work location (i.e., full-time telework), your approval for remote work does not transfer to this position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
EPA-KD-DE-2024-0008
Control number
794234700

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Duties

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At the entry level of this position, you will:

GS-11:

  • Implement and maintain hardware and software systems in a variety of operating system environments, including database systems, application servers, web servers, messaging systems, enterprise tools, network infrastructure, and related business systems.
  • Implement diagnostic and maintenance tools to ensure availability and functionality of systems required in support of organizational objectives.
  • Apply information security policies, principles, and practices to identify threats and correct vulnerabilities.
  • Develop materials to communicate information about system changes to customers, stakeholders and internal and external partners, including states, tribes and the private sector.
  • Serve as Project Officer, Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) with responsibility for assuring contractors perform the technical and management requirements of IT contracts in accordance with contract terms, conditions, and specifications in terms of cost, quality, quantity and schedule.

GS-12:

  • Serve as an advisor in the design and implementation of hardware and software systems in a variety of operating system environments, including database systems, application servers, web servers, messaging systems, enterprise tools, network infrastructure, and related business systems.
  • Develop and implement diagnostic and maintenance tools to ensure availability and functionality of systems required in support of organizational objectives.
  • Develop and ensure rigorous application of security policies, principles, and practices in the delivery of systems administration services to identify new threats and correct vulnerabilities.
  • Develop outreach strategies and materials to communicate information about system changes to customers, stakeholders and internal and external partners, including states, tribes and the private sector.
  • Serve as Project Officer, Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) with responsibility for assuring contractors perform the technical and management requirements of IT contracts in accordance with contract terms, conditions, and specifications in terms of cost, quality, quantity and schedule.

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.

You will spend less than 25% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements.

One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
  • You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.
  • EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen.

#LI-Onsite

If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter.

If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.

This position is designated as High Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.

Qualifications

NOTE:  You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.

In addition to the basic education requirements, you must have specialized experience and/or directly related education as described below:

To qualify for the GS-11 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as installing and maintaining hardware and/or software; diagnosing failed systems and proposing solutions; assisting in managing hardware and/or software installation projects. - OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; degree in an academic discipline described below.

To qualify for the GS-12 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-11 level defined as optimizing the functionality of hardware and/or software systems; diagnosing and recovering failed systems; developing and implementing migration strategies and continuity of operations during deployments.

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Skill in researching specifications to acquire new IT systems and software.
  • Skill in using tools to assess server performance, availability, capacity or configuration problems, and install software and hardware, systems fixes, updates and enhancements.
  • Knowledge of information technology operating systems, database systems, hardware, local area networks, and software applications.
  • Skill in oral communications to participate on inter-agency workgroups or committees involving systems administration issues or changes.
  • Skill in written communications to prepare presentations, systems documentation, and reports.
  • Knowledge of contract management sufficient to oversee requirements of IT contracts in accordance with terms, conditions, and specifications.

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.

*If you have part-time work experience, read this: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

Education

You must have one of the following:

-bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or degree that provided a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems, or networks;

OR

-IT-related experience demonstrating each of these four competencies: 1) Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail; 2) Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services; 3) Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately; 4) Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations

For information about accreditation requirements, visit EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

Additional information

This position is in the bargaining unit.

Are you a Displaced Federal Employee? If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information on the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures
NOTE: To be entitled to selection priority, you must be rated well-qualified (i.e., you must fall into the Well Qualified category or higher--see the How You Will Be Evaluated section).

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA.

EPA participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.

Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section.

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 resume and required documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. Your resume must address the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in the Qualifications section. If you meet basic qualification requirements, your application will be further evaluated based on your answers to the online assessment. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for the position. You are being evaluated under the category rating method which means, if you are determined to be qualified, you will be placed into the ‘Best Qualified’, ‘Well Qualified’, or ‘Qualified’ category. NOTE:  Preference eligible veterans must be selected, or decline further consideration, before applicants who are ineligible for veterans’ preference can be selected (to learn more, visit Veterans' Preference).

We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. We will evaluate your qualifications and eligibility and notify you if you meet minimum qualification requirements. If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, structured interview, etc.).

NOTE: We do not require a separate statement responding to the competencies, also referred to as Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). However, your resume should clearly show possession of these competencies.


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