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IT SPECIALIST (PLCYPLN/ENTARCH)

Department of the Air Force
Department of the Air Force - Agency Wide
25 AIR FORCE AF

Summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below for IMPORTANT additional information.

The primary purpose of this position is to: manage the Air Force Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Architecture (AFSA) Team and serve as the USAF SIGINT Architecture/Capability analysis expert. The organizational location of this position is: Air Force Cryptologic Office (AFCO), Fort Meade, MD.

**Salary ranges include local market supplements**

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/10/2025 to 12/23/2025
Salary
$142,488 to - $185,234 per year
Pay scale & grade
GG 14
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Fort Meade, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
8X-DCIPS-12845728-996445-IF
Control number
852045400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Duties

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  • Performs services as the USAF SIGJNT Architecture/Capability analysis expert. Ensures network architecture accuracy and availability to DoD and National Intelligence Community (IC) customers and the SIGINT R&D community at large of data depicted in the AFSA.
  • Relates US Cryptologic System (USCS), US SIGINT System (USSS), and other IC architectures to the Air Force Cryptologic System and AFSA. The incumbent must fully understand the dependencies, content, uniqueness, and standards of the various National IC and Service ISR architectures.
  • Evaluates information derived from IC, DoD, and USAF meetings, conferences, published reports, surveys, and requirements documents to discern current and future warfighter SIGINT needs.
  • Drafts Air Force lT cryptologic policy related to National and Tactical system interoperability and integration into USAF warfighting requirements. Works with NSA and Air Force components to develop and provide state-of-the-art technology to support National and Tactical SIGINT.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • All new DCIPS employees are required to complete a two-year DCIPS trial period.
  • If authorized, PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. More information on PCS requirements, may be found at: https://afciviliancareers.com/regulatory/
  • This posn is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • Must be registered for Selective Service, see Legal and Regulatory Guide
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments
  • Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit
  • Incumbent is required to undergo a counterintelligence-scope polygraph examination.
  • Mobility is a condition of employment. The employee must sign an Air Force-wide mobility agreement.
  • Overtime may be required as workload demands and in some cases with no notice due to urgency of time¬ sensitive matters.

Qualifications

This is a GG-14 position in the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). The GG-14 duties for the "Professional" work category are at the "Senior" work level and are equivalent to those at the GS-14 level. The selectee's salary will be set within the grade equivalent to a GS/GG grade based on the selectee's qualifications in relation to the job.

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions for the GG-2210, Information Technology (IT) Management Series (Alternative A).

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 meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must reflect quality level experience which demonstrates the possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary for successful job performance required for this position. Quality experience is experience that has equipped the applicant 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. Examples of creditable experience include: knowledge of IT requirements identified in policies, guidelines, and standards, security measures and countermeasures, and the information systems acquisition life cycle across Air Force, DoD, and IC realm. Must possess broad knowledge of the US IC, DoD, Air Force, AF ISR Agency, and NSA missions, functions, requirements, and architectures. Note: Creditable experience may include previous military experience, experience gained in the private sector, or experience gained in another government agency.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  • Knowledge of Department of Defense (DoD), Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and Air Force doctrine; and US intelligence community policies, entities, missions, resources, operations, capabilities, databases, and requirements to perform intelligence research planning, operations collection, target analysis, and other intelligence collection and analysis related activities.
  • Expert technical knowledge of various operating systems (System Architect software [client & server], System Architect Plug-Ins [Publisher, DODAF Template, XT]), Oracle Database and their vulnerabilities and security controls; and intelligence network architectures, security standards, modern IT hardware/software technology, risk management measures; and the DoD Architecture Framework (DODAF) structure and its application to develop a complete, accurate, and useful AFSA.
  • Mastery of the entire SIGINT process (collection, processing, analysis, reporting, dissemination), at the tactical, strategics, and national levels.
  • Knowledge of and ability to perform Contracting Officer Representative (COR) duties as appointed by the respective Contracting Officer.
  • Ability to extract the relevant and salient data to be used in subsequent analysis from meetings, seminars, and technical exchange meetings (TEMS) on technology modernization; and ability to quickly assimilate disparate data and render knowledgeable and accurate assessments of the implications of such data; to make decisions, estimates, and recommendations under conditions of urgency and pressure based on mature judgment, experience and recognized professional standing; and to present and argue for a position effectively. Ability to communicate (orally and in writing) complex technical IT security issues to non-technical personnel.
Conditions of Employment Continued:
  • Position is designated critical-sensitive, and incumbent must be able to obtain and retain a TOP SECRET (TS) security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) to fully perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. A non-disclosure agreement must be signed.
  • This position has been designated by the Air Force as a Testing Designated Position (TOP) under the Air Force Civilian Testing Program. Employees must pass initial and periodic short notice drug testing. Illegal drug use by employees in sensitive positions presents a clear threat to the mission of the Air Force, national security, and public safety.
  • Incumbent must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license. While attending meetings and conducting required coordination with national-level counterparts, incumbent will frequently be required to travel, by vehicle, throughout the metropolitan Washington DC area.
  • Travel by regularly scheduled commercial or military conveyance in accordance with Joint Travel regulations may be required in performance of temporary duty. Incumbents will occasionally be required to travel on temporary duty throughout the world including to remote locations with limited facilities. These temporary duty assignments could range from short duration to 179 days, and longer. While every effort will be made to schedule these assignments well in advance of the travel, travel may be required with extremely limited notice. It is imperative that incumbent have an unlimited ability to perform such travel.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.

Current Federal Civilian employees may apply for temporary and term positions and if selected, a break in service may be required prior to appointment to the position.

120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.

Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here.

If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.

Selectees who physically reside permanently in the U.S., the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or Northern Mariana Islands, and the Possessions of the U.S., during the entire recruitment process (application, selection, and acceptance of a formal job offer) and selected for employment in the foreign area are eligible to receive certain foreign area benefits such as: Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) or government quarters, Post Allowance, Home Leave, etc. (subject to approval)

Selectees who physically reside outside the U.S., the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or Northern Mariana Islands, and the Possessions of the U.S., during any step of the recruitment process (application, selection, and acceptance of a formal job offer) will have foreign area benefits eligibility be determined on a case by case basis.

Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit GSA Bulletin FTR 20-04 here for additional information.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

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