Information Technology Specialist (INFOSEC) - Recent Graduate

Duties

Summary

• Do you desire to protect American interests and secure our Nation while building a meaningful and rewarding career? If so, the Department of Homeland Security is calling. DHS Components work collectively to safeguard cyberspace, prevent terrorism, secure borders, enforce and administer immigration laws and ensure resilience to disasters. The vitality and magnitude of this mission is achieved by a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of positions. Make an impact, join DHS.

Responsibilities

• This Information Technology (IT) Cyber Security Specialist position is located in within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If selected for this position, you will be serving an appointment under the DHS Secretary's Cyber Honors Program via TSA's Transportation Security Post Graduate Program (TSPGP). The TSPGP provides an entry-level developmental experience designed to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government. Duties include, but are not limited to:
• Conducting trend analysis, designing, developing, and implementing cyber threat data in order to provide situational awareness to the organization, theater customers, and analyzing all source reports on current cyber threats, emerging trends, and zero day exploits.
• Providing advice and guidance in implementing cyber security policies and procedures in the development and operation of network systems to ensure proper protection of evidence used in investigating computer crimes.
• Leading the technical aspect of Cyber Forensic working groups and planning committees, as required, and ensuring the technical exchange of information related to Computer Network Defense (CND) forensic and malware analysis.
• Providing computer forensics support through use of industry standard hardware/software.
• Developing cyber threat briefings in varying formats and for various audiences (multiple classification levels).
• The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay band (G Band) performs the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex.
• The DHS Secretary's Cyber Honors Program is specifically designed for recent graduates and graduating Spring/Summer 2021 students, pursuing a degree in a cyber-related field. Elements of the program include, but are not limited to:
• Cyber-related projects and/or experiences
• Program Orientation
• Networking Events
• Tours of DHS Cyber facilities
• Cyber Panels and Events, including sessions with cyber leaders and executives
• Job Shadowing and Reflections
• Participant Training Plan
• Mentoring partnerships
• Dedicated cohort program manager to increase cohesion and provide assistance to participants
• Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within Transportation Security Administration (TSA) located in Springfield, VA.
• Transportation Security Post Graduate Program
• APPOINTMENT - If selected, your temporary appointment may not exceed 1 year. An appointment may be extended for up to 120 days in rare or unusual circumstances.
• AGREEMENT: All participants must sign a written Post Graduate Program Participant Agreement with the TSA that clearly identifies expectations of the appointment such as duties, length of appointment, work schedule, training, mentorship, etc.
• CONVERSION: Although it is not guaranteed, an intern may be converted from the Post Graduates Program to a permanent or term excepted service position without further competition after successful completion of the required training, mentorship, and other requirements in accordance with the Transportation Security Post Graduate participant agreement.
• TERMINATION: Participation in this program may be terminated at any time.
• TRANSCRIPTS: Must be submitted. If you do not submit your transcripts, your application will be considered incomplete and will not be given further consideration.
• Transportation Security Post Graduate Program applicants must have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Applications will also be accepted from students graduating by June 2021.
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• Exception to the 2 year application eligibility requirement: Veterans who have a military service obligation will have up to six years from degree or certificate completion to apply to Recent Graduates job vacancies.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application. Selective Service registration is required. See additional "Conditions of Employment" and "Other Information" sections. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance. Applicants who obtained a qualifying associates, bachelors, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous 2 years, unless military service interfered with a veterans eligibility to apply during that two year time frame. Veterans meeting the above exclusion may apply within 2 years of discharge or 6 years from the date of receipt of the degree whichever comes first.
• Conditions of Employment
• Selected participants are appointed into an excepted service appointment under the Post Graduate Program and required to serve a one year trial period, and will be evaluated for conversion eligibility into a term or permanent appointment in the excepted service at the end of one year of continuous service, in addition, to meeting all the requirements of the Post Graduate Program.
• Incumbent must obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.

• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Qualifications

• FOR ALL IT POSITIONS: To qualify, you must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below.

1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

• In addition to the requirements above, to qualify for the SV-G Pay Band (equivalent to GS-5/7/9), you must meet one of the qualification requirements (A, B, OR C) outlined below.
• A. Education: You must have a bachelor's degree or higher level degree from an accredited college or university in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or a degree that provided a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks.
• OR
• B. Experience: You must have Information Technology related experience; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate.
• OR
• C. Combining of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements, and may be computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the position; then determining the education as a percentage of the education required for the position; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the position.
• To qualify for the SV-H Pay Band (equivalent to GS-11/12), you must meet one of the qualification requirements (D, E, OR F) outlined below:
• D. Experience: For those qualifying using experience, your application must clearly outline one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-G Pay Band or GS-9 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as:
• Utilizing computer forensics tactics, techniques, and procedures and industry standard tools (software/hardware) to identify cyber-attacks or unauthorized intrusions to IT systems;
• providing technical advice, cybersecurity insights and perspectives to senior IT cybersecurity specialists; and
• applying knowledge of cyber threats and vulnerabilities to support cyber investigations and operations.
• OR
• E. Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related.
• OR
• F. Combining of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education (beyond the second year) and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the band level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the band level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that band level.
• GRADUATE EDUCATION: Education at the graduate level in an accredited college or university in the amounts indicated above meets the requirements for this position. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the one year of full-time study requirement.
• Note: For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree.
• Qualifying Educational Institutions
• Any of the following educational institutions or curricula that have been accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education:
• Technical or vocational school
• 2-year or 4-year college or university
• Graduate or professional school (e.g., law school, medical school)
• Certificate Programs
• A certificate program is post-secondary education, in a qualifying educational institution, equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational or business school curriculum.
• Veterans’ Preference
• Are you a veteran? You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility. The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable. If claiming 10 point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. View more veterans’ information.
• Veterans’ preference applies to selection for positions in the Post Graduate Program. Selections must be made in accordance with the requirements of 5 CFR part 302, veterans’ preference laws.

Education

Additional information

• Salary range listed includes Locality Pay of 30.48%
• This position is located in Springfield, VA.
• Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: http://www.opm.gov .
• To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position. 
• DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
• TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence.

• It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual’s employment experience will be used only to determine the person’s qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual’s personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination. For more information, click here .
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expenses are not authorized.
• Relocation expenses are not authorized.
• More than one position may be filled from this announcement.
• If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement.
• TSA policy requires verification of Selective Service registration for male applicants born after 12/31/59. For more information click here .
• View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.
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How You Will Be Evaluated

• You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
• You will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of the competencies required for this position. We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your category placement may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

• Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Grouping procedures. Under Category Grouping, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
• Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Desirable (Quality Ranking) Factors as determined by the job analysis.
• Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs as determined by the job analysis.
• Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs as determined by the job analysis.
• Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. (This position is not considered scientific/professional.) Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans’ preference.