IT Specialist (Network)

This position is located in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Operations, Infrastructure Engineering (IE), Solution Delivery (SD), Office of Information and Technology (OIT) serving as an Information Technology (IT) Analyst with a full range of duties associated with one or more IT specialty areas required to support: Wide Area Networking (WAN)., 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:

• Supports, implements, and recommends improvement to regional policies and procedures. Utilizes experience, discretion, judgment and knowledge in the planning, execution, operation and maintenance of IT systems and infrastructure.
• Participates as a team or project leader with others in a virtual environment accountable to the division chief.
• Creates and maintains documentation on IT systems and infrastructure to include configuration standards, as built diagrams and historical and trending information.
• Undertakes IE and infrastructure-level assignments of a special or critical nature; evaluates the impact of changes in business needs, evaluates feasibility, identifies solutions, and presents recommendations to senior management.
• Performs troubleshooting, maintenance, and other configuration changes in accordance with approved change orders in the WAN environment.
• Plans for and implement WAN monitoring and security tools in the accomplishment of the goals of standardization, accountability, and risk mitigation.
• Assist the division chief in the development and implementation of technology refresh projects, establishment of configuration standards, and execution of project timelines and coordination.
• Knowledge of computer networking concepts and protocols, and network security methodologies.
• Skill in securing network communications. Ability to interpret the information collected by network tools (e.g. Nslookup, Ping, and Traceroute).
• Install and maintain network infrastructure device operating system software (e.g., IOS, firmware).
• Perform troubleshooting, maintenance and other configuration changes in accordance with approved change orders in the WAN environment.
• Conduct routine assessments utilizing various monitoring tools to ensure proper WAN operation, efficiency, and security.
• Plan for and implement new technologies at the direction of the division chief to augment and enhance WAN operation in support of critical applications and business processes.
• Respond to after-hours pages, alerts and phone calls indicating network performance outside established thresholds, and work to rectify the situation until complete or positive handoff has occurred with other technicians as appropriate.

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. Travel Required: Up to 25% travel may be required, as needed, for this position., Physical Demands: The work is sedentary with some physical effort being required. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to to the work, but may involve intermediate periods of walking, bending, stooping, reaching, pulling, lifting, carrying, moving (up to 50 pounds) computer components and supplies. Work is subject to call back outside tour of duty. Working Conditions: The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, residences, or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Some work will be performed in a computer room environment where temperatures are below the office settings. Designated Drug Testing Position: Not applicable., * 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.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest., 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.

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., * Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g., DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.) Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

• When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.).
• If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active-duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation.
• Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.

• If your application is rated as well-qualified (score 85 or above) and you are claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (I/CTAP) submit:

• a copy of your agency notice,
• a copy of your most recent performance rating, and
• a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted., 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: 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.

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 here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Do you have experience in IT?, 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-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience providing technical guidance and oversight to IT personnel designing, building, and supporting data center networks which contain infrastructure such as switches, routers, and firewalls, as well as LAN and WAN optimization technologies.

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., Security clearance Other Drug test No Position sensitivity and risk High Risk (HR) Trust determination process

• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure No Bargaining unit status

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., To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes one or more of the following documents. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included documents required for your application. You will not be contacted for additional information

* Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the two-page resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. * Complete All Required Assessments. * SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility): + Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee + An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade + Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade. + Examples of appropriate SF-50's include: o Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or o Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or o SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old. + If you are a former Federal employee who previously held a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service and separated from the Federal Government over a year ago and you are requesting non-competitive consideration you must submit a copy of your last SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration and a copy of your last Federal Performance appraisal with a rating of at least Fully Successful (or equivalent).