Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Information Technology Specialist (Computer Specialist)

Department of Justice
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/30/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 30, 2026
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—Telework eligible per agency policy
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training and/or work related issues.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Announcement number
CO-2026-0434
Control number
877756900

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

• THIS IS A DELEGATED EXAMINING ANNOUNCEMENT OPEN TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS. • Division: Information Technology and Data Division, Systems Development Branch, Central Office, Washington, D.C. • Duty Location: Central Office, Washington, D.C.

Duties

Help

This position is located in the Systems Development Branch, Information Technology and Data Division (ITDD), Central Office, Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The mission of the section is to provide Bureau ADP support in addition to providing system software support and technical assistance to the applications programming and computer operations staff. Provide technical support for the SENTRY database management system (DB2), POSGRESQL and telecommunications software such as software installation (COBOL & JAVA), backup and recovery, data dictionary definitions and overall technical control of mainframe computer security.

Designs, implements, and maintains complex inhouse programs and sub-routines, including generalized record selection programs, linkage routines to operating systems, data communications systems and checkpoint/restart procedures.

Responsible for installation of new releases and maintenance of, a complex telecommunications system used to manage the SENTRY Network and the SENTRY database management system (DB2 & POSGRESQL).

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
  • Selective Service Requirement: http://www.sss.gov

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

  • 1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
  • 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
  • 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility:
    • A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter),
    • Most recent performance appraisal, and
    • Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
    • See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP or ICTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements.

Education:

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at this grade level. 

OR

Experience:

You must have Information Technology related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below.

  • Attention to detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

AND

Specialized Experience:

You must have one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Such experience is typically gained in the Information Technology field or through the performance of work where the primary concern is Information Technology. 

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

  • Experience in major operating system software, including the ability to modify code and diagnose and correct problems.
  • Experience in the development, implementation and maintenance of specialized areas, remote job entry, computer security, telecommunications software, on-line systems, intra and inter-governmental transfer of data, database management, backup and recovery and formatted file structure.
  • Experience providing technical expertise on mainframe computer security and monitors overall performance of SENTRY or their major applications and providing trouble shooting to determine cause of inadequate response time.li>
  • Experience evaluating user’s needs, hardware and software options, directing and formulating the design and testing of computerized systems, install hardware and software, and analyze broad system specifications .
  • Experience recognizing and resolving hardware and software problems.

AND

Selective Placement Factor:

  • Applicant must have experience in the last twelve months using one or more of the following language or software development environments: Model View Controller (MVC) Framework, J2EE, Java, JavaScript, HyperText Markup Language (HTML), POSGRESQL and Structured Query Language (SQL).

AND

  • Applicant must have experience with one or more of the following operating systems or system level software: Microsoft Windows, MySQL, Web Servers, and PC utilities.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

Additional information

Special Conditions of Employment Section:

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.

All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees:

A prerequisite of the secondary law enforcement position is the completion of the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II".  If you have not completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II", you are ineligible for secondary law enforcement position(s) and coverage but may still be considered for a non-law enforcement position.

If you are not a current Bureau of Prisons employee, you must submit training records demonstrating you have completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II" to your hiring Human Resource office prior to appointment. 

Individuals selected who are under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and who have not had three years "primary" law enforcement retirement coverage, will not be covered by law enforcement retirement while in this position. To regain coverage, individuals must return to a position with "primary" coverage.

NOTE: Telework eligible per agency policy.

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 and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Based upon your responses to the assessment questions during the application process, your application will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Applications will be reviewed from the top quality category. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are found qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to the responses you provided on the online assessment.

NOTE: Candidates within the top quality category and who are eligible for veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans preference you are claiming on your resume. Although veterans preference points are not assigned under the category rating procedures described under "How You Will Be Evaluated", veterans preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-veterans within each category for which they are qualified.

Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). As noted above, an agency may not select a non-preference eligible in lieu of a preference eligible in the same category unless there are grounds for a passover and the agency has complied with the passover procedures at 5 U.S.C. § 3318(b).

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

  • Ability to analyze, troubleshoot and solve data information and/or program problems.
  • Skill in organizing and managing projects.
  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Agency contact information

CSU
Phone
972-352-4200
Email
BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov
Address
JUSTICE, BUREAU OF PRISONS
Consolidated Staffing Unit
346 Marine Forces Drive
Grand Prairie, Texas 75051
United States

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://www.bop.gov

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.