Clarification from the agency

Open to All U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals

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This IT Specialist (ENTARCH/INFOSEC) position is located within Information Technology (IT), Enterprise Architecture Division (EAD), Applied Architecture Branch (AAB), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to:

• Applies experience and detailed technical knowledge and promotes usage of architectural principles. Understands and reports technological possibilities and limits, supports development of statements of direction, and helps identifies risks and associated mitigation. Contributes to the policies and principles to guide technology decisions for the enterprise architecture. Provides detailed technical advice to the TSA Chief Architect and Enterprise Architecture Division (EAD) management on multiple and routine matters pertaining to the application of Enterprise Architecture (EA) principles, policies, concepts, methodologies, and practices with considerable discretion to develop new and innovative approaches.
• Serves as an individual contributor on solution, segment, or strategic architecture teams while providing detailed information/data architecture knowledge to the teams. Performs architectural reviews of plans, designs, and implementation of enterprise-wide information/data. Provides detailed architectural and engineering guidance to systems development and information/data teams.
• Performs rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices to all components of the enterprise architecture. Ensures that acquired or developed information/data architecture(s) are consistent with organization's cybersecurity architecture guidelines.
• Performs routine, multiple, and varying assignments under limited direction of a manager. Conducts and/or participates in engineering, or IT studies which solve major issues across information/data disciplines. Participates in studies to identify improvements in the way information/data architecture is applied to key business and mission functions for TSA. Identifies opportunities to improve enterprise information/data to support mission and business processes and utilizes emerging technologies.
• Assists the Branch Chief in the areas of architectural analysis, policy development, scorecard compliance, and establishment of architectural principles and standards. Produces architectural products (e.g., conceptual, solutions, and segment architectures). Applies information/data architecture best practices, standards, and patterns. Determines the gaps between the current and the target architecture and develops plans for transitioning to target architecture. Develops components of the enterprise architecture plan including strategic drivers, current and target architectures, the sequencing plan, architectural segments and reference models, and standards.
• Participates in cross-organizational analyses to identify duplicative investments, gaps, or opportunities for collaboration within TSA, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and across Federal agencies. Contacts are primarily internal. Serves as an EAD contributor within TSA on EAD projects, programs, and other work activities. Prepares and presents briefings to obtain consensus and/or approval on policies, procedures, technology, and compliance with requirements of the EAD initiatives and areas of responsibilities.
• Serves as an individual contributor for the planning, development, implementation, and administration of systems for the acquisition, organization, storage, reporting, and retrieval of data.
• Analyzes and defines data requirements and specifications. Develops and administers data standards, policies, and procedures. Develops data dictionaries, data models, metadata repositories, and other data management tools.
• Designs, develops, and maintains data management systems that meet current and future business requirements of the organization and its customers. Diagnoses and resolves data management problems and issues. Participates in projects to develop and implement new data management schema.
• Validates and maintains data sources including authoritative and trusted sources. Applies criteria for authoritative and trusted sources.
• Performs rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices in the delivery of data management services including information sharing. Ensures adherence to TSA information sharing policies including information categorization approaches that enable information protection that is consistent with enterprise cybersecurity requirements.

The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay band (H Band) performs the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex.

Conditions of employment

1. You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
2. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
3. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
4. Selective Service registration is required.
5. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.

If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Qualifications

FOR ALL IT POSITIONS: To qualify, you must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below.

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 requirements for all IT positions, to qualify for the SV-H Pay Band (equivalent to GS-11/12), applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-G (GS-9) in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all the following:

• Detailed technical knowledge of information/data architecture and security concepts along with emerging concepts of predictive analytics, data mesh, and cloud computing; AND
• Technical knowledge of information/data architectures to create a holistic architecture description including structure, properties, behavior, and relationships as well as ability to compose multiple views and layers of individual information/data architectures and the enterprise information/data architecture; AND
• Basic technical knowledge of network and security architecture and impacts to information/data architecture in addition to the knowledge and ability to ensure the rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices to all components of the enterprise architecture.

OR
A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university.

OR
Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE EDUCATION: Degree 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.

To qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS-13), applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-H (GS-12) in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all the following:

• Detailed experience and advanced technical knowledge of information/data architecture and security concepts along with emerging concepts of predictive analytics, data mesh, and cloud computing; AND
• Advanced technical knowledge and experience of information/data architectures to create a holistic architecture description including structure, properties, behavior, and relationships as well as ability to compose complex, multiple views and layers of individual information/data architectures and the enterprise information/data architecture; AND
• Experience and advanced technical knowledge of network and security architecture and impacts to information/data architecture in addition to the advance knowledge and ability to ensure the rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices to all components of the enterprise architecture.

Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.

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.

Resumes must include the following:

• Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including the month and year) for work experience.
• State the number of hours worked in a position (i.e. full-time or part-time). If part-time, state the total number of hours worked per week.
• Performance level (i.e. band or grade)

Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged.

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

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 a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of the competencies required for this position. We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your category placement may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Grouping procedures. Under Category Grouping, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

• Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
• Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
• Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

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 Veterans' Preference.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

• Administrative Procedures and Tasks
• Enterprise Architecture
• Technical Credibility
• Technology Awareness

You may preview the questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12594491