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Watch Commander

Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The FBI's IT Infrastructure Division is seeking a highly qualified Watch Commander to lead real-time operational oversight of critical IT systems that support our agency's mission. In this high impact role, you will guide watch floor operations, coordinate rapid incident response, and ensure the uninterrupted performance of enterprise networks and services. If you are ready to elevate your career while making a measurable difference, we want to hear from you.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Posted 01/22/26
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$110,847 - $144,102 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
14
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
DESTIMP-12870843-26-VL
Control number
855124900

This job is open to

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens.

Duties

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  • Directs real-time monitoring, coordination, and resolution of IT incidents to ensure operational continuity, data integrity, and compliance with information assurance and privacy standards in accordance with federal and agency directives.
  • Provides oversight of the IT Service Desk operations, addresses customer and technical issues requiring escalation, and identifies and implements improvements in the accuracy and timeliness of services.
  • Leads and manages the planning, development, and execution of IT projects that support the Strategic Information Routing Center's mission critical systems.
  • Coordinates the receipt, routing, and resolution of time-sensitive law enforcement information through secure systems.
  • Gathers, organizes and analyzes data and information on IT problems, advising management and operational personnel on the troubleshooting, resolution, and root cause of issues that hinder the operation of the organization's IT infrastructure and systems.
  • Serves as a liaison between technical teams, law enforcement partners, and leadership to align IT capabilities with operational requirements.
  • Mentors junior IT staff assigned to the watch floor, ensuring adherence to operational procedures and incident reporting protocols.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen.
  • Must be able to obtain a Top Secret-SCI clearance.
  • Able to work weekend, holiday, and on-call shifts.

Qualifications

GS-13: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of SE equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

  • Experience managing and executing IT projects involving the design, implementation, and maintenance of secure, mission critical systems.
  • Experience managing the operations of an IT command, watch, or network operations center by leading incident response activities, monitoring mission critical systems, ensuring compliance with policies, and maintaining situational awareness of IT infrastructure health and performance.
  • Experience providing technical guidance during operational events and emergencies involving complex IT systems, networks, or communications infrastructure.
  • Experience using a ticketing system to track incidents and tasks, resolving routine and complex IT issues and escalating for support as needed.

Education

There are no educational requirements at this level.

Additional information

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and consent to a complete background investigation, urinalysis, and polygraph. You must be suitable for Federal employment; as determined by a background investigation.

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 will be evaluated using the FBI's Candidate Rating Procedures. Your resume and supporting documents will be reviewed to verify that you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement and will be compared against your responses to the online assessment questionnaire. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

If you are found minimally qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.

The competencies will be used in a Structured Resume Review to objectively evaluate applicant resumes. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather you must describe in your resume how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the competencies identified below. Your resume should demonstrate that you possess the following competencies.

Competencies:

  • Communication
  • Customer Service
  • Information Management
  • Problem Solving/Judgement
  • Technology Awareness

Federal Bureau of Investigation

The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. We employ 38,000 people at locations around the globe. In addition to our Headquarters in Washington, D.C., we have 56 Field Offices in major U.S. cities, plus more than 350 satellite offices, called resident agencies, in cities and towns across the nation. In addition, we have more than 60 international offices, called legal attaches (legats), in U.S. embassies worldwide.

Agency contact information

S. Messner
Email
smessner@fbi.gov
Address
Federal Bureau of Investigation
935 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20535
US

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