Information Technology Specialist

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Join VA's Infrastructure Operations (IO) to deliver and maintain secure, high-availability IT and cloud solutions. This Engineering Technician position is located in Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology (VA).

To qualify by 08/27/2026, applicants must meet Basic Requirements, IT-related Experience, Specialized Experience, and the Selective Placement Factor, with competencies in attention to detail, customer service, oral communication and problem solving.

Qualifications

• Basic requirements include an advanced degree or equivalent graduate education with 24 semester hours in STEM/tech fields; degree in listed areas required.
• IT-related experience demonstrating attention to detail, customer service, oral communication, and problem solving at a proficiency level at or above next lower grade.
• Specialized experience: progressively responsible computer project work with design/logic revisions and coordination.
• Selective Placement Factor: one year of appropriate IT/maintenance experience in data center environments following cybersecurity standards.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Customer Service

Oral Communication

Problem Solving

Education

Degree in computer science/engineering/information science/information systems management/mathematics/operations research/statistics/technology management

Job description

Join VA's Infrastructure Operations (IO) to deliver and maintain secure, high-availability IT and cloud solutions. Help protect and modernize mission-critical systems and support quality services for Veterans. Work in a dynamic, innovative environment as an Engineering Technician located in Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology (VA).

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/27/2026. You must meet the Basic Requirements (Individual Occupational Requirement), Specialized Experience, and the Selective Placement Factor to qualify for this series as described below.

Basic Requirements (Individual Occupational Requirement)

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 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 require the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks.

IT-Related Experience

-OR- Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below at a proficiency level equivalent to the next lower grade level in federal service:

• 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.

Specialized Experience

-AND- Specialized Experience: You must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include: Demonstrating the accomplishment of computer project assignments that required a range of knowledge of computer requirements and techniques, i.e., on the basis of general design criteria provided, experience in developing modifications to parts of a system that required significant revisions in the logic or techniques used in the original development. Accomplishments normally would have involved the following, or the equivalent:

• (1) Knowledge of the customary approaches, techniques, and requirements appropriate to an assigned computer applications area or computer specialty area in an organization;
• (2) Planning the sequence of actions necessary to accomplish the assignment where this entailed coordination with others outside the organizational unit and development of project controls;
• (3) Adaptation of guidelines or precedents to the needs of the assignment.

Selective Placement Factor

-AND- Selective Placement Factor: You must have a minimum of one year of appropriate experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service performing technical maintenance and services on IT devices while instituting Information Technology and Cybersecurity standards of practice in a data center environment and executing IT device maintenance, upgrades, logistics, and IT incident response are critical components of this position. This position requires the person to manage critical network infrastructure that directly impacts customers data For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.