The Department of Commerce ranked top 5 in the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government amongst large agencies for the 12th year in a row! The ranking showcases the Department's continued commitment to increasing our employee engagement, employee satisfaction, and positive perceptions towards diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.
This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates.
Summary
The Department of Commerce ranked top 5 in the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government amongst large agencies for the 12th year in a row! The ranking showcases the Department's continued commitment to increasing our employee engagement, employee satisfaction, and positive perceptions towards diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.
This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates.
The Engineering Laboratory (EL) promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology for engineered systems, which enhances economic security and improves quality of life.
The EL's Data, Security, and Technology Group is looking for an Information Technology Specialist (Security) to join our team!
If selected, your responsibilities will include:
Continuous Monitoring and Security SupportProcess:
Implement ongoing continuous monitoring for EL Information Technologist Security Officers (ITSO's).
Review daily reports, prioritize findings, and plan mitigation based on impact and criticality.
Write procedures for researchers and staff to follow to self-mitigate specific vulnerabilities.
Collaborate with researchers and staff to apply necessary patches or updates, ensuring compliance with DOC mandates.
Collaborate with other support groups to recommend security improvements.
Provide technical support to researchers trying to follow mitigation procedures.
Identify false positives and potential accepted risks and report to ITSOs for formal reporting.
Provide progress updates to ITSOs for reporting to the CISO.
Implementation of Vulnerability and Configuration Management:
Address vulnerabilities across Windows, Mac, Linux, and research devices by working with researchers to determine appropriate mitigation actions.
Provide security upport for laboratory video endpoints, video conferencing systems, printers, and other networked devices.
Support configuration management based on NIST requirements for all hardware and software types.
Develop and execute remediation strategies with the technical team.
Patch and update software and operating systems.
Provide scanning support to update reports and remove findings.
Address vulnerabilities on both on-premises and AWS server systems.
Remediate vulnerabilities in client, server, and specialized research hardware, including legacy systems and localized networking.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment
Bargaining Unit Position: No
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
This standard allows eligibility through meeting either the requirements specified in the section titled Undergraduate or Graduate Education or the requirements specified in the section titled Experience. All academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions
A. Undergraduate or Graduate Education: Degree in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management OR a 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.
B. Experience: Experience must be 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. For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. The employing agency is responsible for identifying the specific level of proficiency required for each competency at each grade level based on the requirements of the position being filled.
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.
In addition to the basic requirements listed above, applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level (ZP-II at NIST). Specialized experience is defined as experience with:
- Administering and troubleshooting Windows, Mac, and/or Linux client systems.
- Managing Linux and Windows server systems.
- Supporting research devices like sensors, network equipment, and Raspbian devices.
- Performing patching, vulnerability remediation, and/or secure configuration.
- Writing procedures and providing technical support to technical and non-technical end-users
- Diagnosing and troubleshooting patching and OS update issues.
OR
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
OR
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done. We will credit all qualifying volunteer experience in your application.
The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook.
This position allows applicants to qualify with education. Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, an official copy will be required prior to a final offer of employment.
Education completed outside of the U.S. must be evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that it is comparable to education received in accredited institutions in the U.S. Click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with a course by course listing) is required with your application.
Additional information
This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS). The APMS is a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Find out more about the APMS here!
Your application package may be shared with other selecting officials at NIST for similar opportunities and additional selections may be made from this vacancy.
Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions.
All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible in order to make qualification or eligibility determinations.
A probationary period may be required.
We may share your application package with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like this one. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy.
NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities such as:
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.
We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documents to assess your qualifications for this position. Please be sure that your resume and supporting documents include detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient and/or legible evidence in your resume or supporting documents may result in a "not qualified" determination. You MUST also selected at least ONE eligibility (i.e., how you wish to be considered) in order to receive consideration for this position.
REFERRAL
All applicants that meet the minimum qualifications will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Under Direct Hire Authority, applicants are not rated and ranked and veteran's preference does not apply.
CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must be determined eligible and rated as well-qualified to receive special selection priority. "Well Qualified" means that in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective placement factor(s), if applicable, you must receive a score of 85 or higher. Please review the following site regarding required documents to support CTAP or ICTAP eligibility and additional information regarding this authority - CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility
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.
The documents required vary based on how you're applying (i.e., as a veteran or disabled veteran, current or former Federal employee, etc.). Please review the Required Documents for this position to find out if there are any documents required with your application. Failure to submit required documents, based upon how you apply, may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
A COMPLETE APPLICATION INCLUDES: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, or if the documents submitted are illegible you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. Cover letters are optional. To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please refer to the Resume Guidance on how to build an effective resume.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Click 'Apply' and we'll walk you through a four-step process on how to attach a resume and any required documents. While working an application, you may review, edit, delete and update information. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time the closing date of the announcement unless an applicant cut off has been identified (see the SUMMARY section, as appropriate). If an applicant cut off has been indicated, the announcement will close by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the date the cut off number has been met.Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
NEED HELP?
-If experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button): please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between normal business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number. If necessary, we will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance.
- If having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST.
- If experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply on-line, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during normal business hours to discuss your situation.
Engineering Laboratory
100 Bureau Drive
Building 226/Room B216
Mail Stop 8600
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
US
Next steps
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/.
We will update applicant statuses when:
A qualification determination is made. If found not qualified/eligible, no additional updates will be provided.
Applications are referred to the selecting official.
A selection decision has been made.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The documents required vary based on how you're applying (i.e., as a veteran or disabled veteran, current or former Federal employee, etc.). Please review the Required Documents for this position to find out if there are any documents required with your application. Failure to submit required documents, based upon how you apply, may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
A COMPLETE APPLICATION INCLUDES: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, or if the documents submitted are illegible you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. Cover letters are optional. To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please refer to the Resume Guidance on how to build an effective resume.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Click 'Apply' and we'll walk you through a four-step process on how to attach a resume and any required documents. While working an application, you may review, edit, delete and update information. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time the closing date of the announcement unless an applicant cut off has been identified (see the SUMMARY section, as appropriate). If an applicant cut off has been indicated, the announcement will close by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the date the cut off number has been met.Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
NEED HELP?
-If experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button): please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between normal business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number. If necessary, we will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance.
- If having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST.
- If experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply on-line, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during normal business hours to discuss your situation.
Engineering Laboratory
100 Bureau Drive
Building 226/Room B216
Mail Stop 8600
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
US
Next steps
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/.
We will update applicant statuses when:
A qualification determination is made. If found not qualified/eligible, no additional updates will be provided.
Applications are referred to the selecting official.
A selection decision has been made.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
