IT Specialist

Summary Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce. Responsibilities This IT Specialist (ENTARCH/INFOSEC) position is located within Information Technology (IT), Enterprise Architecture Division (EAD), Applied Architecture Branch (AAB), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to: Applies experience and detailed technical knowledge and promotes usage of architectural principles. Understands and reports technological possibilities and limits, supports development of statements of direction, and helps identifies risks and associated mitigation. Contributes to the policies and principles to guide technology decisions for the enterprise architecture. Provides detailed technical advice to the TSA Chief Architect and Enterprise Architecture Division (EAD) management on multiple and routine matters pertaining to the application of Enterprise Architecture (EA) principles, policies, concepts, methodologies, and practices with considerable discretion to develop new and innovative approaches. Serves as an individual contributor on solution, segment, or strategic architecture teams while providing detailed information/data architecture knowledge to the teams. Performs architectural reviews of plans, designs, and implementation of enterprise-wide information/data. Provides detailed architectural and engineering guidance to systems development and information/data teams. Performs rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices to all components of the enterprise architecture. Ensures that acquired or developed information/data architecture(s) are consistent with organization's cybersecurity architecture guidelines. Performs routine, multiple, and varying assignments under limited direction of a manager. Conducts and/or participates in engineering, or IT studies which solve major issues across information/data disciplines. Participates in studies to identify improvements in the way information/data architecture is applied to key business and mission functions for TSA. Identifies opportunities to improve enterprise information/data to support mission and business processes and utilizes emerging technologies. Assists the Branch Chief in the areas of architectural analysis, policy development, scorecard compliance, and establishment of architectural principles and standards. Produces architectural products (e.g., conceptual, solutions, and segment architectures). Applies information/data architecture best practices, standards, and patterns. Determines the gaps between the current and the target architecture and develops plans for transitioning to target architecture. Develops components of the enterprise architecture plan including strategic drivers, current and target architectures, the sequencing plan, architectural segments and reference models, and standards. Participates in cross-organizational analyses to identify duplicative investments, gaps, or opportunities for collaboration within TSA, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and across Federal agencies. Contacts are primarily internal. Serves as an EAD contributor within TSA on EAD projects, programs, and other work activities. Prepares and presents briefings to obtain consensus and/or approval on policies, procedures, technology, and compliance with requirements of the EAD initiatives and areas of responsibilities. Serves as an individual contributor for the planning, development, implementation, and administration of systems for the acquisition, organization, storage, reporting, and retrieval of data. Analyzes and defines data requirements and specifications. Develops and administers data standards, policies, and procedures. Develops data dictionaries, data models, metadata repositories, and other data management tools. Designs, develops, and maintains data management systems that meet current and future business requirements of the organization and its customers. Diagnoses and resolves data management problems and issues. Participates in projects to develop and implement new data management schema. Validates and maintains data sources including authoritative and trusted sources. Applies criteria for authoritative and trusted sources. Performs rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices in the delivery of data management services including information sharing. Ensures adherence to TSA information sharing policies including information categorization approaches that enable information protection that is consistent with enterprise cybersecurity requirements. The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay band (H Band) performs the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance. 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. 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. In addition to the requirements for all IT positions, to qualify for the SV-H Pay Band (equivalent to GS-11/12), applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-G (GS-9) in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all the following: Detailed technical knowledge of information/data architecture and security concepts along with emerging concepts of predictive analytics, data mesh, and cloud computing; AND Technical knowledge of information/data architectures to create a holistic architecture description including structure, properties, behavior, and relationships as well as ability to compose multiple views and layers of individual information/data architectures and the enterprise information/data architecture; AND Basic technical knowledge of network and security architecture and impacts to information/data architecture in addition to the knowledge and ability to ensure the rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices to all components of the enterprise architecture. OR A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university. OR Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. 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. To qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS-13), applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-H (GS-12) in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all the following: Detailed experience and advanced technical knowledge of information/data architecture and security concepts along with emerging concepts of predictive analytics, data mesh, and cloud computing; AND Advanced technical knowledge and experience of information/data architectures to create a holistic architecture description including structure, properties, behavior, and relationships as well as ability to compose complex, multiple views and layers of individual information/data architectures and the enterprise information/data architecture; AND Experience and advanced technical knowledge of network and security architecture and impacts to information/data architecture in addition to the advance knowledge and ability to ensure the rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices to all components of the enterprise architecture. 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. Resumes must include the following: Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including the month and year) for work experience. State the number of hours worked in a position (i.e. full-time or part-time). If part-time, state the total number of hours worked per week. Performance level (i.e. band or grade) Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Education For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree. Additional 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. 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; 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.