It Specialist (OS)

Summary This position is located in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT) serving as an IT Specialist (OS) providing technical oversight, IT services, systems development and contract oversight in regard to network related issues that ultimately affect the plans, goals, and effectiveness of the VA nationwide. Learn more about this agency Duties OIT Mission: The mission of the Office of Information and Technology (OIT) is to collaborate with our business partners to create the best experience for all Veterans. OIT Vision: To become a world-class organization that provides a seamless, unified Veteran experience through the delivery of state-of-the-art technology. Major Duties: Responsible for setting up and maintaining a system or specific components of a system (e.g. for example, installing, configuring, and updating hardware and software. Managing user accounts, overseeing or conducting backup and recovery tasks. Implementing operational and technical security controls and adhering to organizational security policies and procedures. Provides technical support to customers who need assistance utilizing client-level hardware and software in accordance with established or approved process components. The incumbent performs work that involves planning, installation, configuration, testing, implementation, and management of the systems environment in support of the organization's IT architecture. Supports enterprise core services/applications that utilizes enterprise core infrastructure and help customer to resolve their infrastructure and service-related issues. Providing oversight, direction and support for VA's enterprise client/server systems. Planning, implementation and support of Back Office and other enterprise-level software products and systems that may include but, not limited to: Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM)2005, NetIQ Applications Manager, Network and Service troubleshooting tools, and national DNS Architecture. Evaluating, selecting, verifying, and validating the systems software environment. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; Tour of duty may be subject to change based on organizational needs. Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy. Telework: ADHOC telework may be authorized at management discretion. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. Travel Required: Up to 25% travel may be required, as needed, for this position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: It Specialist (OS)/PD02473A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Physical Demands: The work is sedentary. Some work may require walking and standing in conjunction with travel and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site. Some employees may carry light items, such as papers, books, small parts or drive a motor vehicle. The Work does not require any special physical effort. Working Conditions: The work area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions. Some employees may occasionally be exposed to uncomfortable conditions in such places as research and production facilities. Designated Drug Testing Position: Not applicable Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. This is not a remote position. OI&T has multiple worksites at various duty locations, and the individual(s) selected may be assigned to any federal government work site. Only resumes up to TWO total pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding the two page limit will be removed from consideration. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which you will be evaluated for continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: 1) Your performance and conduct; 2) The needs and interests of the agency; 3) Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and 4) Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/11/2026. Applicants must meet all requirements when a request is received to fill a vacancy. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: 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 five 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 recommendations. AND Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Advanced Systems Engineering & Architecture Experience designing, implementing, and optimizing broad enterprise IT infrastructure, encompassing cloud services, virtualized environments, and diverse technology stacks. Complex Troubleshooting & Incident Resolution Experience diagnosing and resolving highly complex system issues involving interoperability, performance degradation, system failures, and multi component dependencies across servers, networks, and enterprise applications. Work reflects independent technical judgment and the application of advanced diagnostic techniques. System Enhancements, Automation, & Security Experience architecting and deploying system enhancements, automated workflows, and security configurations in alignment with enterprise policy and best practices. Technical Authority & Guidance Experience providing authoritative technical guidance to cross-functional engineering teams on diverse technology stacks, systems integration, and the evaluation of emerging engineering tools. Cross-Functional Engineering & Integration Experience leading adaptable, enterprise-wide engineering initiatives such as cloud transitions, infrastructure-as-code deployments, and full-stack performance optimization across dynamic project demands. Independent Performance at an Expert Level Experience performing assignments requiring mastery of operating systems concepts and analytical techniques typical of GS 13-level work, executed with minimal supervision and requiring adaptation of methods, interpretation of technical guidance, and proactive problem resolution. Customer Service: Experience working with multiple customers concurrently to assess needs, provide information or assistance, resolve technical problems, prioritize efforts, and follow up to provide quality products and services. Communication: Experience expressing information to multiple audiences through clear, convincing, logical oral and written communication, listening effectively to understand requirements, and developing technical documentation. 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Education There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level of this announcement. Additional information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If selected you will be required to report to one of the following locations: Little Rock, AR North Little Rock AR Phoenix, AZ Long Beach, CA Los Angeles, CA San Francisco. CA Denver. CO Washington DC Miami, FL Orlando, FL St. Petersburg, FL Tampa, FL Atlanta, GA Chicago, IL Hines, IL North Chicago, IL Bedford, MA Boston, MA Baltimore, MD Detroit, MI Minneapolis, MN St. Louis, MO Eatontown, NJ Albany, NY Cleveland, OH Philadelphia, PA Pittsburgh, PA Nashville, TN Arlington, TX Austin, TX Dallas, TX Houston, TX San Antonio, TX Salt Lake City, UT SeaTac, WA Seattle, WA Shepherdstown, WV If space is not immediately available a temporary exception to telework may be granted. If/when workspace is identified, the employee is expected to report to their assigned duty location. 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.