Job Title: Information Technology Specialist

Duties

Summary

When disaster strikes, America looks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Please visit www.fema.gov for additional information.

The ideal candidate will have excellent customer service skills, be able to work independently or as part of a team, have diverse information technology skills across a variety of disciplines, be flexible, adaptable, and a quick study. This position starts at a salary between $66,110 (GS-11, Step 1) and $103,011 (GS-12, Step 10), with promotion potential to the GS-12. Apply for this exciting opportunity to become a member of the Region 3 team within FEMA.

Promotion Potential: Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.
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Responsibilities

In this position, you will perform work that utilizes knowledge of Information Technology principles, concepts, methods, standards, and practices sufficient to complete duties relating to customer service software development. Typical assignments include:
Diagnoses and resolves complex problems in response to customer reported incidents.Performs a variety of highly technical assignments relevant to the implementation of state-of-the-art customer support requirements.Maintains software databases to record, retrieve, and document customer support requirements and utilizes knowledge-based applications to record historical data for reference purposes.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional non-emergency travel may be required.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

12

Who May Apply

This job is open to...
U.S. citizensStatus candidates may also apply under FEMA-18-BT-223290-MPView common definitions of terms found in this announcement. This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) (Wednesday, April 18, 2018) OR at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date the 200 th application is received, whichever comes first.

Questions? This job is open to 1 group. Job family (Series)

2210 Information Technology Management Requirements

Conditions of Employment
You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. You must successfully pass a background investigation. Selective Service registration required. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card. Please review "Other Information" section for additional key requirements.
Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.

Qualifications

The qualification requirements listed below must be met within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

You qualify for this position at the GS-11 level (starting salary $66,110) if you possess the following:
One full year of specialized experience at the GS-09 level that demonstrates: (1) Providing the technical support required to maintain systems, evaluate problems and take corrective action, (2) Performing analysis of routine applications of information technology (hardware and software),and implementation of information systems to meet organizational requirements, and (3) Analyzing, modifying and integrating a variety of standard and local unique applications, programs and systems.

OR
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
or
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR
Combination of education and experience

You qualify for this position at the GS-12 level (starting salary $79,239) if you possess the following:
One full year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level that demonstrates: 1) Implementing and supporting virtual server and virtual desktop environments; 2) Providing server technical support including cyber security for LAN and support systems; 3)Implementing, planning, and evaluating studies to develop long-range IT solutions; and 4) Developing and interpreting information technology policies, procedures and utilizing the System Change Request process system.

In addition to the above, the following must be met:

If qualifying on education:

Education: All academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions

Undergraduate or Graduate Education: Degree in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or degree that provided a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks.

Or Experience:

Experience must be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate

For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. The employing agency is responsible for identifying the specific level of proficiency required for each competency at each grade level based on the requirements of the position being filled.
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 recommendationsExperience 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 provides valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

NOTE: Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. For a brief video on How to Create a Federal Resume, click here.

Current or former FEMA Reservists/DAE employees: To accurately credit your experience for these intermittent positions, make sure to list the dates (from MM/YY to MM/YY) of each deployment, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.

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.

Education

Additional information

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, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust clearance as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined (Mythbuster), review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit the OPM website at https://www.opm.gov/investigations/background-investigations/.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.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.This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.All candidates must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time.A one year probationary period is required for new Federal competitive service employees and new supervisors and managers.If selected for this position you will be required to attend a one week Emergency Manager Orientation in Leesburg, Virginia. Travel is at FEMA's expense and will occur from Sunday to Saturday.Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, 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.This is a Bargaining Unit position.

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 documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use your responses to the job questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education and training. The competencies needed to perform this job are:
Technical ProficiencyCommunicationCustomer ServiceTeamwork and CooperationIf you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
Best Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.Well Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be placed in the "well-qualified" category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

To preview questions please click here.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance

Public Trust - Background Investigation Required Documents

Your resume. Your responses to the job questionnaire - You will be directed to the online job questionnaire once you begin the application process for this position. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) or a list of coursework with hours completed. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.Are you a veteran? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or other acceptable documentation (i.e., a letter from your Command reflecting rank, dates of service, and type of discharge), which verifies veteran's status and type of discharge prior to the closing date of this announcement. Those applying for 10-Point preference may fill out the SF-15 and/or provide documentation that demonstrates preference eligibility. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty service under honorable conditions, within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. This must indicate your dates of service, expected release dates, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable or general conditions. View more veterans' information. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)? Submit:
a copy of your agency notice,a copy of your most recent performance rating, anda copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty locationAre you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
Position TitleType of Appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee)
AgencyBeginning and ending dates of appointment

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating. Benefits

A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered. How to Apply

To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign into USAJOBS, take the online questionnaire, and submit the required documents. See Required Documents section for more detail.

We strongly encourage you to apply online. If you cannot apply online or do not have access to the internet (e.g., applicant experiencing documented system issues, applicant does not have access to the internet, etc.), you may be able to submit a paper application and the required forms. To do so, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed in the Agency Contact Information prior to the close of this announcement.

Agency contact information

Brandy Tillman

Phone

202-212-3699

TDD

800-877-8339

Fax

999-999-9999

Email

brandy.tillman@fema.dhs.gov

Address

FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency
Please read entire announcement
Please apply online
Washington, District of Columbia
United States

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Next steps

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. We expect to make a tentative job offer within 30 days after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

View more information on applying for federal employment.

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.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), 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.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when: An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job. An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace. An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about disability employment and reasonable accommodations or how to contact an agency.

Legal and regulatory guidance
Financial suitability Social security number request Privacy Act Signature and false statements Selective Service New employee probationary period