Information Technology Specialist (Information Security)

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (DOA)

Fort Collins (CO)

On-site

USD 126,000 - 164,000

Full time

2 days ago

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Job summary

The incumbent participates in administering a program that integrates cybersecurity throughout the IT solution development lifecycle (SDLC), provide full lifecycle vulnerability assessment for all MRP-ITD IT systems, and serves as a senior engineer within the Cybersecurity Services Directorate.

Location includes Fort Collins, CO and other US locations; salary ranges from $125,776 to $163,514 per year. This permanent, full-time role requires Top Secret clearance and occasional travel.

Qualifications

FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (GS-13 equivalent) in IT security.
Designing, engineering, and recommending implementation of advanced defensive capabilities for IT applications.
Independently conducting complex analysis, correlating threat intelligence with telemetry, and developing detection logic.

Responsibilities

Serves as a technical authority responsible for designing, engineering, and recommending implementation of advanced defensive capabilities and integrating cutting-edge security technologies.
Conducts complex analysis, correlates threat intelligence with telemetry, and develops detection logic that shapes enterprise-level defensive posture.
Applies authoritative knowledge of federal and industry IT security guidelines.
Provides leadership to IT system owners, investment managers, and project managers to provide full lifecycle vulnerability assessment for all MRP IT systems using a variety of techniques.
Publishes and maintains security engineering metrics on an MRP ITD assessable IT Security Executive Dashboard.

Job description

Summary

Location

Fort Collins, CO
Ames, IA
Manhattan, KS
Kansas City, MO
Raleigh, NC

Salary

$125,776 – $163,514 per year

Pay Scale & Grade

GS 14

Promotion Potential

None

Work Schedule

Full-time

Travel Required

Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.

Appointment Type

Permanent

Occupations and job series

2210 Information Technology Management

Supervisory Status

Federal Service Type

This job is in the Competitive Service

Represented by a union

Drug Test

Yes

Security Clearance

Top Secret

Position Sensitivity and Risk

Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type

Background Check Type

Credentialing
National security

Financial Disclosure Required

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement Number

DH-13105450-27-MR-HYR

Control Number

891241900

The Public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

The duties may include, but are not limited to:
Serves as a technical authority responsible for designing, engineering, and recommending implementation of advanced defensive capabilities and integrating cutting-edge security technologies.
Conducts complex analysis, correlates threat intelligence with telemetry, and develops detection logic that shapes enterprise-level defensive posture.
Applies authoritative knowledge of federal and industry IT security guidelines.
Provides leadership to and coordinates with IT system owners, investment managers and project managers to provide full lifecycle vulnerability assessment for all MRP IT systems using a variety of techniques.
Optimizes the effectiveness and efficiency of the IT security engineering and architecture programs based on meaningful operational and performance metrics.
Develops policies, procedures, and processes to ensure information systems reliability and accessibility and to prevent and defend against unauthorized access to systems, networks, and data.
Conducts risk and vulnerability assessments of planned and installed information systems to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities, risks, and protection needs.
Remains abreast of all applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines affecting information technology security engineering within MRP, including any periodic changes and amendments to those documents.
Publishes and maintains security engineering metrics on an MRP ITD assessable IT Security Executive Dashboard.

Conditions of Employment

You must be a US Citizen or US National.
Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

Designing, engineering, and recommending implementation of advanced defensive capabilities for IT applications.
Conducting manual and automated penetration testing on IT systems.
Independently conducting complex analysis, correlating threat intelligence with telemetry, and developing detection logic that shapes enterprise level defensive posture.
Developing and interpreting guidance for security engineering based on applicable legislation or regulations.

Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

In addition, all applicants qualifying based on experience must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. Applicants must demonstrate possession of these competencies within the body of the resume; no separate statements addressing them are required.

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.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional Information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP applicants must be well qualified, which means having knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies that exceed the minimum qualification requirements for this position. CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100 to receive selection priority.
First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee’s duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
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.

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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

How you will be evaluated for this position is consistent with federal hiring processes.

Additional Evaluation Competencies