Senior IT Specialist

Summary

The Office of Inspector General (OIG), works within the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to prevent or stop waste, fraud and abuse in departmental programs. The OIG also consults with the Congress about programs in progress and proposed new laws and regulations. The OIG carries out its mission by issuing audit reports, evaluations, and management advisories with findings and recommendations to improve program delivery and performance.

Duties

This position is located in the Office of Inspector General, Principal Assistant Inspector General for Auditing and Evaluation, Assistant Inspector General for Financial, Information Technology and Procurement Audits. The incumbent is responsible for the planning, leading, supervision of highly complex analyses, assessments, audits and evaluations of sensitive information systems, information technology methods, controls and strategies, policies and procedures, and management practices. This includes providing independent assessments to determine the adequacy of the Department of Transportation's cybersecurity posture for its systems, networks, telecommunications infrastructures, operational practices, utilization of information technology system resources, cyber-security operations to determine its efficiency and compliance with laws, regulations, policies, and/or contract; by conducting activities related to the detection and prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse. As an Senior IT Specialist you will: Provide technical skills, advice, guidance, and recommendations to management and other JA staff on critical IT security issues and makes decisions or recommendations that significantly influence important IT security policies and programs within DOT. The incumbent also provides strategic budget planning and Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) duties including contract administration, conducts risk assessments and penetration testing, prioritizes assets, allocates IT resources, and implements security measures in support of the JA-20 Lab. Be responsible for conducting the performance of audits and serving as the senior IT specialist on an OIG Red Team by leading red team operations/penetration tests, social engineering campaigns and physical penetration of DOT modes to determine the effectiveness of organizations, IT programs and activities, and examining whether an entity is complying with all applicable laws and regulations. Be responsible for performing and supporting team members that perform all phases of audit work in which red team engagements are performed including planning the audit and defining engagement scopes, managing testing timelines, overseeing junior testers and preparing the audit report. The incumbent must ensure that all phases of the audit are done in accordance with generally accepted Government auditing standards. Lead in developing annual and long-range IT audit plans, provides technical advice, hands-on practical training and guidance to subordinate staff for red team/penetration test activities, audit activities and coordination functions, and maintains close liaisons with Department program and management officials in the areas of assigned responsibility. Be responsible for creating, monitoring, renewing, and getting approval of the budget plan to ensure efficient allocation of resources for hardware, cybersecurity software, training, and contracts. Plan and design the architecture of the lab and other services to support secure and scalable operations to include hardware, software, networking (such as routing and switches), security, and virtual machines. Support report preparation and ensures effectiveness of presentation, adequacy of supporting data, and conformance with policies and standards. Conducts site visits to make sure that audits are being performed and supervised in an effective and timely manner. Develop quality technical vulnerability assessments and penetration testing reports to create executive-level summaries for non-technical agency stakeholders. Provide technical supports and serves as an Information System Security Officer (ISSO) for the JA-20 Lab while achieving and maintaining an Authority to Operate (ATO) for the OIG Lab General Support System (GSS) infrastructure. Be required to lead the preparation of Congressional testimony. This includes leading (1) the preparation of the written and oral statements, (2) the research and assembly of supporting documentation, and (3) quality of the product all within established timeframes.

Requirements

Federal employees must meet Time-In-Grade (TIG) requirements for merit promotion consideration. TIG is the 52-week requirement Federal employees in competitive service, General Schedule (GS) positions at GS-5 and above must serve before they are eligible for promotion to the next grade level. Applicants must meet qualifications and time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications and evaluation

All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in two phases to determine how you move forward in the hiring process. Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed. Applicants who do not respond to the application questions may be rated ineligible. GS- 14 Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents). Applicants who do not respond to the application questions may be rated ineligible. Federal employees must meet Time-In-Grade (TIG) requirements for merit promotion consideration. TIG is the 52-week requirement Federal employees in competitive service, General Schedule (GS) positions at GS-5 and above must serve before they are eligible for promotion to the next grade level. TIG requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Supporting documents may either be uploaded or faxed to 571-258-4052. The requested information MUST be received by fax within 48 hours prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement (not including Saturdays, Sundays or government holidays). NOTE: If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration. Applicants who fail to submit all the required documentation listed in the announcement, in addition to their resumes, will be considered ineligible for further consideration for this announcement. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to apply

Applications submitted via WWW.USAJOBS.GOV must be received before midnight eastern time on the closing date of the announcement. No extensions will be granted. If you fail to submit a COMPLETE on-line resume, you WILL NOT be considered for this position. Please make sure that the responses provided in the questionnaire are fully supported by your resume, that your resume is detailed and you have highlighted your most relevant experience for this position (to include starting and ending dates of employment for each position held), and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. If you fail to provide this information, it may result in you being rated "ineligible" or "not qualified" for this position. If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration. Applicants who do not respond to the application questions will be rated ineligible. If applying on-line poses a hardship to any applicant, the Servicing Personnel Office listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted on-line by the closing date. Applicants must contact the Servicing Human Resources Office PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for on-line submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50, current SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks' time-in-grade requirements. https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/service/SF-50/ Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

Required documents

Resume (required) - Your resume must sufficiently describe how your experience fully meets the specialized experience requirements as stated in this announcement for each grade level(s) you are applying (see "Qualifications" section). **Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your qualifications. Your resume must also support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. We cannot assume you have performed the experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. Resume must contain all of the following for each experience/position listed: job title, name of employer, beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year format), hours worked per week, detailed description of duties performed, and if a Federal position, series and grade or equivalent. We will not access web pages linked on your resume to determine your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information. For additional information see: What to include in your resume Resume Writing Transcript(s), if required for the position. See educational requirements section for more information. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL -Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation (documented within the last 18 months of employment) and 2) a list of any awards (e.g., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last three years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is unavailable and indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at a satisfactory or above level. Merit Promotion - All current Federal employees must submit a recent SF-50 documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, current grade level and full performance level of the position held. All reinstatement eligibles/former Federal employees must submit a SF-50 documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, grade level and full performance level of the position. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50, current SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks' time-in-grade requirements. Non-competitive eligibles - If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse or any documentation as applicable. DD-214 and/or Vet Letter/SF-15 or VEOA - To receive consideration, all veterans must submit a copy of their DD-214 (copy Member #4). If you are claiming XP/CP/CPS preference, you must submit your SF-15 (revised 12/04) and Vet letter. If you are a current service member, in lieu of a DD-214, you may submit a statement from your military personnel center certifying the nature and dates of your service and expected date of separation. SCHEDULE A - To receive consideration, you must submit your certification from a licensed medical professional (MD); or any agency that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be printed on the licensed MD letterhead and must have a signature or it's invalid. CTAP / ICTAP - Displaced federal employees may be eligible for CTAP or ICTAP priority consideration. To learn more about your rights, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition. To receive priority consideration, you must be evaluated as well-qualified for this vacancy. This means you must: meet all minimum qualifications for the position and score at least 80 on the assessment. Required Documentation - You must submit all of the following documents with your application package: Performance Appraisal: Your most recent, dated within the last 2 years. Proof of Eligibility: Your agency-issued eligibility letter or Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice showing your official or proposed separation date. Separation SF-50: Your separation or termination SF-50 displaying your job series, grade, duty location, and effective date. Proof of Full Performance Level (FPL): A promotion or highest-grade-held SF-50 that matches the FPL of this vacancy.

Additional information

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL LIKE VACANCIES IN THE ANNOUNCED DUTY LOCATION. Relocation expenses will not be paid. Best qualified candidates will be responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel expenses in conjunction with any required interviews, unless they are already employed by the Office of Inspector General at the U. S. Department of Transportation. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, careers@oig.dot.gov