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Computer Engineer

Department of Defense
Defense Media Activity
Mission Support

Summary

This position is part of the Department of War, War Media Activity (WMA). The incumbent will be responsible for providing policy and procedures for Department of War (DoW) audiovisual and visual information activities and operations such as combat camera operations, and for newspapers and print media throughout DoW such as the European and Pacific Stars and Stripes.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
WMA-27-13091127-DH
Control number
889899300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to All U.S. Citizens and is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense. Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612)(NonComp Mil Sp), Retained Grade Preference (RGP), and Military Reserve and National Guard Technician eligibles may also apply.

Duties

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As a Computer Engineer at the GS-0854-13 some of your typical work assignments may include:

  • Responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining complex hardware and software systems to support critical War Media Activity broadcast radio and television missions.
  • Perform professional engineering and scientific work involving the design, construction, and operation of computer systems, including hardware and software and their integration
  • Prepares statement of work for equipment and systems requirements, performance work statements, and contracting documents for complex technical acquisitions.
  • Develops sole source and brand name justifications and defends requirements when required.
  • Monitors and adjusts acquisition and provides progress reports to senior management and operational managers.
  • Research and develop provisioning plans and equipment capabilities, systems design, and industry proven system architectures.
  • Develops and evaluates complex equipment specifications and requirements, conducts tests, and determines the suitability of off-the-shelf electronic equipment, and complex, sophisticated electronic systems to ensure compliance with agency technical and operational requirements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Occasional Travel
  • Work Schedule: Full-time
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Overtime: Occasionally
  • Tour of Duty: Set Schedule
  • Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
  • Financial Disclosure: Not Required
  • Telework Eligibility: This position is situational telework eligible
  • Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug screening test, and periodic testing thereafter.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance. Failure to obtain or retain a secret Security clearance may result in termination of employment.
  • Must be able to lift and carry support equipment, up to approximately 50 pounds, for extended periods of time.
  • Must be able to travel to contingency or hostile fire zones to install equipment, or for surveys and broadcast operations may be required.
  • Occasional TDY is required to attend meetings and conduct staff assistance visits.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS-13, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next grade level in the Federal service as listed below:

  • Designing, developing, and integrating complex hardware and systems software across specialized Radio Automation and Audio over IP (AoIP) networks, leveraging state-of-the-art architectures and Agile methodologies to ensure scalable, high-performance, and secure war media operations.
  • Engineered and maintained high-definition television, satellite, and digital switching systems, diagnosticating complex technical vulnerabilities and conducting readiness inspections of CONUS and OCONUS bureaus to guarantee operational compliance with original equipment manufacturer and military standards.
  • Drafting legal binding Statements of Work (SOW) and Performance Work Statements (PWS) for complex technical acquisitions, defending sole-source justifications and managing contractor performance in strict compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

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.


In addition to meeting qualifications, your application package must reflect the applicable experience to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 0854, series as listed below:

A. Degree: Professional Engineering. A bachelor's degree or higher in professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional Registration: Current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

2. Written Test: Evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional registration, which is administered by the Boards of Engineering Examiners in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

3. Specified Academic Courses: Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum.

4. Related Curriculum: Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least one year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions.

NOTE: This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

NOTE: All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Other Notes: This position has been identified as covered by DoW 8140.1-03, Cyberspace Workforce Qualifications and Management Program. As a condition of employment, the incumbent must Obtain a cyber-related certification listed in the DoD 8140 qualification repository within 6 months of employment. Failure to obtain/maintain certification(s) according to its requirements and comply with background investigations may result in the termination of employment.

DCWF Category 1: 803 - Product Support Manager (PSM): Advanced

RE-EMPLOYED ANNUITANT: This position DOES NOT meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/140025_vol300.PDF?ver=LQ7feWw-8-5DI2tceUpmgA%3d%3d

All applicants must meet qualifications and eligibility criteria by the closing date of the announcement.

This position is subject to an initial drug screening, and random testing thereafter. A negative drug test result must be received by HR within 30 calendar days after the EOD (i.e., start date). The selectee's inability successfully pass; or refusal to conduct the test may result in: 1) the tentative or FJO being withdrawn during the recruitment process; or 2) subsequently being removed from Federal service for failure to meet a condition of employment.
You may be required to sign a "Drug Test Statement of Understanding" if you are selected for this position.

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Who Needs to Register | Selective Service System : Selective Service System (sss.gov))

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documents, to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified below, required for this position.

Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements.

Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency.

For information on entitlement see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx

Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the " Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp)" eligibility. If you are claiming Military Spouse eligibility and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager. Information and required documentation for claiming Military Spouse eligibility may be found at the General Applicant Information and Definitions link below.

Defense Media Activity

This position is in the Technology Support Office Component, of the War Media Activity (WMA), a Department of War Field Activity reporting to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) (ATSD (PA)). The WMA is a worldwide media organization charged with informing Department of War (DoW) audiences, managing the Department's visual information records, training the Department's public affairs and visual information workforce, and
providing broadcast radio and television to DoW personnel overseas operating from multiple locations in the United States and overseas, including deployed combat and contingency forces worldwide.

This position is being filled under the memorandum from the Under Secretary of Defense. Title 5, United States Code, Section 9905, "Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense."

Agency contact information

WMA Servicing Team
Phone
614-693-6200
Fax
215-516-6069
Email
DHRC-DDMAHR@dla.mil
Address
War Media Activity
6700 Taylor Ave
Ft. Meade, MD 20755
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Defense Media Activity, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.dma.mil

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