Summary The primary purpose of this IT Specialist (OP) position is in (2) two branches in the Information Technology (IT) Division: Enterprise Support branch and Security Engineering branch. The descriptions for both program areas are listed under the duties section. Duties This IT Specialist (Operating Systems) position is located in (2) two branches in the Information Technology Division, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to:
- Supports a variety of information technology (IT) infrastructure operations, engineering, and system projects such as installation of new operational technical environments or engineering support of various systems capabilities, patches, upgrades and releases using advanced knowledge and experience.
- Performs technical analysis and reviews a wide range of information systems in terms of design, development, implementation, approval, and periodic evaluation as well as providing a variety of operational systems to TSA with minimal supervision.
- Leads support functions and promotes the protection of the IT infrastructure by incorporating IT security and cybersecurity requirements, technologies, and processes into all engineering projects and activities.
- Collaborates with internal/external organizational offices and agencies to support and maintain the operational environment.
- Performs asset management/inventory of information technology (IT) resources and evaluates cost/benefit, economic, and risk analysis in the decision-making process.
Note: The duties are listed at the full performance level of SV-I band.
Descriptions of Program Areas
- Systems Deployment & Integration Branch: The incumbent serves as IT Specialist (OP) for the Systems Deployment & Integration branch, responsible for performing as a contributing technical specialist supporting the full range of system life cycle activities including planning, analyzing, developing, implementing, maintaining, testing, and enhancing enterprise-wide information systems.
- End User Services Division, Enterprise Support Branch to deliver essential technology support for the TSA Freedom Center and the TSA Continuity of Operations (COOP) facility. In this role, you will ensure the continuous reliability of mission-critical, 24x7x365 Watch Floor operations and collaborate closely with Government Interagency Partners to maintain vital IT and Audio/Visual systems. As a key technical contributor, you will drive the full system lifecycle by actively participating in the planning, procurement, deployment, and maintenance of TSA information systems.
Note: The Government-wide announcement Link: USAJOBS - Job Announcement
Qualifications
FOR ALL IT POSITIONS: To qualify, you must have IT-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.
(SV-I band) In addition to competencies above:
- Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
- Information Management - Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems.
In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position:
To qualify for the SV-H band (equivalent to GS-12), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-G band or GS-11 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Experience supporting the deployment and configuration of IT systems, applications, or infrastructure service for end-users, devices, or locations, helping improve service availability and user access.
- Experience monitoring backup and recovery operations for IT systems or environment, identifying recurring job failures, and helped implement corrective actions that improved backup-success rates.
- Experience collaborating with the technical team, vendor, or program office to troubleshoot an integration or performance issue involving an IT system or service, contributing to a successful resolution.
To qualify for the SV-I band (equivalent to GS-13), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-H band or GS-12 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Experience leading and supporting the installation, configuration, testing, maintenance, patching, upgrading, and release of enterprise IT systems and services.
- Experience contributing to technical projects involving Microsoft-based and UNIX/Linux environments, database platforms, storage, backup and recovery, mobile device management, and data-center infrastructure.
- Experience identifying, documenting, presenting with recommendations on technical and functional requirements for IT systems, including system interfaces, dependencies, performance requirements, and integration considerations.
- Experience creating reports and dashboards by gathering requirements, identifying business rules and reporting criteria to deliver data visualizations and written products to management and stakeholders.
Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.Requirements
- You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
- You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
- You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
- Selective Service registration is required.
- Must obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.
- Must possess a FAC COR Level II certification or obtain certification within 18-months of appointment.
If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.How you will be evaluated You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
As part of the USAHire computer-based assessments, you will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Accountability
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Information Management
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Oral Communication
- Problem Solving
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
- Technical Competence
(For SV-I band only) In addition to the above, the following job-related competencies will be evaluated based upon the information provided in your resume:
- Oral Communication
- Problem Solving
- Technical Competence
- Information Management
These four competencies will be rated by trained raters against pre-established benchmarks. Those ratings will be used to rate and rank candidates. The results from both the USAHire computer-based assessments and the resume rating assessment will be used to determine your overall rating.
This assessment has a cut point that you must meet or exceed to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut point or fail to complete the assessment.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
You may preview the questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13099356Benefits DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; situational telework may be permitted in accordance with departmental policy telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.
Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances. How to apply All of the following must be received in our office by 11:59 PM EST (Eastern Standard time) on the closing date of this announcement. If we do not receive all required information by the closing date, your application may not be considered.
The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. Your application must include:
- Resume
- USAHire-Assessment Questionnaire for this position
- Applicable supporting documents (see Required Documents Section)
To begin, click Apply to access the online application.
- You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Veterans and Persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the documentation that is required, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.Other information Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: www.opm.gov/
To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position.
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence.
More than one position may be filled from this announcement.
If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)