Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

As an Information Technology Cybersecurity Specialist, you will:

• Deliver cybersecurity guidance, technical advice, and policy recommendations to senior leadership and management.
• Act as the technical lead over federal and contractor IT professionals, coordinating projects, tasks, and daily operational activities to meet agency cybersecurity standards.
• Plan, design, test, and integrate IT systems, ensuring they are continuously maintained, modified, and securely aligned with federal IT compliance.
• Monitor networks to detect and prevent vulnerabilities, evaluate emerging risks, and rigorously apply advanced cybersecurity methods to protect agency data and systems.
• Serve as a representative or leader on standard and ad-hoc IT management boards, committees, and working groups to align organizational plans with agency-wide strategy.
• Prepare and present technical briefings, correspondence, and reports to leadership, and respond to inquiries regarding federal and organizational cybersecurity policies and procedures.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
• If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• You are required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of entering the position and annually.
• This position is not included in a Bargaining Unit.
• Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations.
• This position is not remote, the selectee will be expected to report to the duty station(s) listed. If selected, military spouses, veteran caregivers, and spouses of foreign service employees may be eligible for applicable workplace flexibilities.
• Occasional travel maybe required.
• The position requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain a DOE “Q” Level Critical Sensitive clearance for access to information classified as Top Secret Restricted Data, or top-secret clearance.
• This position is designated as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to testing for illegal drug use. The selectee must test negative prior to being appointed to this position and will be subject to random testing thereafter.
• This position is designated as both Mission Essential and Emergency Essential, requiring the incumbent to report during operational disruptions, such as government shutdowns, natural disasters, and extreme weather.
• Additionally, the position involves critical security-related duties to respond during national security incidents, including terrorist attacks.
• On-Call Status: The incumbent may be required to work outside normal duty hours—including evenings, weekends, and holidays—and must remain available or report to work during emergency situations or inclement weather.
• The incumbent must reside within a 50-mile commuting radius.
• This position requires a valid state issued motor vehicle driver's license (to operate a government vehicle to location sites).

Qualifications

You must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience to qualify for this series as described below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

Applicants must have IT-related education and experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below at a proficiency level equivalent to the next lower grade level in federal service.

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.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
GS-13:
A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 2 of the 3 of the following:

1. Designing, configuring, and testing enterprise host networks and infrastructure components to maintain optimal security posture in alignment with industry-standard frameworks (such as NIST, ISO, or COBIT).
2. Performing independent risk, vulnerability, and compliance assessments on active information systems to identify potential threats and generating technical mitigation plans.
3. Preparing and formally presenting technical threat data, risk analyses, and security recommendations to senior organizational leaders, of varying technical backgrounds.

GS-14:
A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 2 of the 3 of the following:

1. Evaluating and certifying the feasibility, threat resiliency, and policy compliance of enterprise-level IT hardware, software network architectures, and/or information integration systems.
2. Investigating network security incidents, analyzing major technical uncertainties, and rendering final operational decisions to mitigate active threats and protect mission-critical operations.
3. Translating complex executive orders, national policy directives, and industry frameworks (such as NIST or OMB circulars) into unified, long-term organizational cybersecurity programs, security architectures, or project execution plans.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

This position is announced under a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) for Information Technology Cybersecurity Specialist positions in the 2210 series. Under the DHA, applicants who meet the Education and Qualification requirements listed in this announcement will be referred for consideration. Veteran's Preference, category rating, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply under the DHA process.

Appointments made under the DHA are processed as "new" appointments. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).

Successful candidates will possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Computer Network Defense
• Information Management
• Information Systems/Network Security
• Requirements Analysis
• Risk Management

CTAP/ICTAP Eligible Applicants: To receive selection priority, you must submit the following documentation with your application:

1. Proof of Eligibility: A copy of your agency-issued Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice, a copy of your separation SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) noting transition/displaced status, or other official agency documentation confirming your eligible status.
2. Proof of Performance Rating: A copy of your most recent performance appraisal/rating of record, which must include:
   • Your final rating (must be at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent); and
   • The rating scale/guide (explaining what each level/numeric score means), unless the rating scale is clearly defined on the appraisal document itself.

Note: While a formal performance appraisal is highly recommended and requested to expedite your evaluation, if your agency-issued RIF separation notice or other official separation documentation explicitly states that your performance was at least "Fully Successful" (or equivalent) and notes your rating of record, it may be accepted in lieu of a formal performance appraisal. Failure to provide any documentation proving a rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent will result in the loss of your priority consideration.


Shared Certificates: The Department of Energy shares lists of applicants among its internal Departmental Elements and organizations. You may be referred for consideration to other DOE Hiring Managers throughout the Department for more than one position based on this application. By applying to this announcement, you understand your application materials may be shared with multiple Hiring Mangers throughout DOE. If additional positions are filled from this announcement conditions of employment may differ. You will be notified if you are referred for additional positions.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (08/19/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13032064