Information Technology Specialist

Summary The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania 's mission is to investigate, prosecute and deter violations of federal statutes, enforce and represent the interests of the United States in civil litigation, uphold civil, constitutional and victims' rights, and foster partnerships with other federal, state and local government agencies and community groups. This position is being announced to applicants under Merit Staffing procedures under 26-PAE-12932514-MP. Learn more about this agency Duties Serves as a district Information Technology (IT) Specialist responsible for providing technical and analytical assistance involving three or more IT specialty areas which support the information management needs of the U.S. Attorney's office (USAO). If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Information Technology Specialist support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focusing in the areas of personal computers, routers, switches, bridges, transmission media, a wide area network and local area network, operating systems, case management systems and litigation support operations. Typical work assignments will include: Provide customer support services, new user training, technical advice, or assistance on a variety of routine software applications in response to user requirements. Support litigation using information technology to develop data and graphic representations of evidence in a courtroom setting. Catalog computerized graphics and other images for use in trials, meetings, and training. Maintain telecommunication systems using knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation. Present and manipulate data in various formats using established procedures for use in litigation. Install, configure, troubleshoot, maintain, and upgrade hardware and software systems, servers, hubs, routers, switches, and equipment used for litigation support. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a United States Citizen or National to apply for this position. Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/). All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing. Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. A probationary period may be required. 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. Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents). You must meet all qualifications requirements by the closing date of the announcement. As needed, additional selections may be made using this announcement. Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. Qualifications MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required basic requirement and specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying: Basic Requirement: You must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below: 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. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying: To qualify at the GS-09 level, you must possess: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (4) of the (6) duties listed below: Maintain network architecture and infrastructure systems including hubs, routers, switches, bridges, servers, and related hardware; Schedule installation of new or modified hardware, operating systems, and software applications working closely with customers to ensure seamless installation and minimize installation problems; Design, develop, implement, maintain, and test internet, intranet, and extranet activities of network systems used to transmit information, data, voice and video format including technical management of websites; Provide customer support services to diagnose, troubleshoot, recover, and resolve recurring incidents of hardware and software problems; Distribute and install new or upgraded software to ensure customers receive current versions of supported software applications; Monitor compliance, functionality, security, and integrity of internet, intranet, extranet, and network account access to systems by maintaining security procedures in accordance with established information system policies and regulations. OR Successful completion a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate 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 previously identified and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks. (You must submit supporting transcripts.) To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must possess: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (4) of the (6) duties listed below: Assist in the configuration, installation, and maintenance of network architecture and infrastructure systems including hubs, routers, switches, bridges, servers, and related hardware; Plan and schedule installation of new or modified hardware, operating systems, and software applications working closely with customers to ensure seamless installation and minimize installation problems; Configure, design, develop, implement, maintain, manage, plan, and test internet, intranet, and extranet activities of network systems used to transmit information, data, voice and video format including technical management of websites; Resolve hardware and software interface and interoperability problems to optimize and identify components to improve overall system performance and develop standards and procedures for software applications; Analyze network traffic patterns, perform network diagnostics, troubleshoot, and install network software fixes, upgrades, and enhancements to resolve problems with the delivery of network services; Implement policies, procedures and programs to prevent and defend against unauthorized access to systems, networks, and data ensuring users are aware of, understand, and adhere to appropriate government standards. OR: Successful completion of a 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 in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management from an accredited college or university or a 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. (You must attach a copy of your transcripts (official or unofficial) to support your claim). IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR 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. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here. Education If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see https://www.ed.gov/ Special Instructions for 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. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.In addition, when reviewing applicant's transcripts, assumptions will not be made. Applicants MUST state which coursework is relevant. Additional information Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Justice requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a clearance as a condition of placement in this Special Sensitive/High-Risk position. This review includes 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility, click here. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about CTAP eligibility, click here. 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: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Expand Hide  additional information 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. 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. Opens in a new windowLearn 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.