IT Specialist (Infrastructure Engineer) Direct Hire

US Social Security Administration; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Social Security Administration is seeking an IT Specialist at GS-13 level under Direct Hire Authority. The role focuses on cloud platform management (AWS/Azure/GCP), infrastructure as code with Ansible, and secure deployment workflows.

You will document architectures, coordinate with teams, and ensure federal standards compliance. Strong communication to both technical and non-technical audiences is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience deploying cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP) and IaC with Ansible.
• Experience leading complex infrastructure projects from planning to delivery.
• Experience with federal security policies (FISMA/NIST/FedRAMP) for IT infrastructure.
• Experience creating and updating technical documentation for infrastructure.
• Strong written and oral communication to technical and non-technical audiences.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Customer Service

Oral Communication

Problem Solving

Tools

AWS

Azure

Google Cloud

IaC (Ansible)

Git

Job description

Positions under this announcement are being filled using a Direct Hire Authority (DHA), open to all U.S. citizens. Selection(s) made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the civil service and may be required to serve a new probationary period. Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and the \"Rule of Three\" do not apply.

Applicants must qualify for the series and grade of the posted position. 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. Your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, abilities, and proficiency of any required competencies to perform the specific position for which you are applying.

To qualify for the 2210 IT Specialist series, the applicant must demonstrate the following competencies:

• 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; know about available products and services; and 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 the information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

Minimum Qualifications: Grade 13 To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-12 level, or equivalent, which is in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience must include all of the following:

• Experience in managing and deploying cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), designing and provisioning infrastructure with IaC tools like Ansible, and maintaining code repositories with Git to support secure, reliable, and collaborative continuous integration and deployment workflows.
• Experience leading and managing complex infrastructure projects from planning through execution, including developing project timelines, coordinating resources, and ensuring successful delivery.
• Experience implementing and maintaining compliance with federal security policies, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements (such as FISMA, NIST, or FedRAMP) for IT infrastructure.
• Experience creating, maintaining, and updating technical documentation for infrastructure systems, including system configurations, procedures, and architectural diagrams.
• Experience communicating complex technical information clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, to technical staff and non-technical audiences, including senior management, through presentations, briefings, reports, and technical documentation.

Selective Placement Factor: Demonstrated hands-on, professional experience architecting, deploying, and managing AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform environments in a business or government setting. Experience must include responsibility for production or enterprise-level systems, supporting multiple users or business functions, and must be a part of official job duties.

Qualification standards and additional information for this position can be found here: Competency-Based Qualification Standard for the Information Technology Management Series, 2210