IT Specialist (Systems Administration)

Summary

This position is located in the NIH Business System, Office of Management, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration.

Duties

Serve as technical specialist in evaluating, planning, developing, implementing, and supporting hosting infrastructure technologies, especially in the hosting of enterprise-class systems and storage area networks (SANs). Serve as technical specialist in evaluating, planning, developing, implementing, and supporting hosting infrastructure technologies, especially in the hosting of enterprise-class systems and storage area networks (SANs).

Propose, design, implement, and test modifications to security configurations designed to significantly enhance the secure functionality of applications hosting services.

Design, implement, test, and install modifications to application traffic management appliance configurations to significantly enhance hosting services performance, functionality, security, and scalability.

Participate in the investigation of new and improved server, storage, software, advanced file system and other hosting technologies and/or services and recommend adoption of developments that will enhance effectiveness.

Support hosted applications security in a production environment, reviewing and evaluating hosted applications' security requirements, developing secure architecture and infrastructure configurations, and implement security controls to establish an auditable and FISMA-compliant environment.

Diagnose software faults and troubleshoot problems involving complex technical issues related to the design, development, and administration of critical applications; design, and possibly implement, test, install, and/or document corrective modifications.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.

Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.

The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.

The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.

Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

A one-year probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.

Qualifications

GS-11 level

In order to qualify for an IT Specialist (Systems Administration), GS-2210 position at the GS-11 level, you must:

A. have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management OR a Ph.D. 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 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in one of the areas described above leading to such a degree;

OR

B. have IT related experience demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience obtained in either the private or public sector, and/or completion of specific, intensive training that demonstrates that I possess each of the following four competencies:

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,

AND,

have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector typically gained in the IT field or through performing IT related tasks such as: serving as technical specialist in implementing and supporting hosting infrastructure technologies; utilizing network and system scanning tools to detect security risks and vulnerabilities; participating with other specialists on maintaining enterprise operating systems; providing assistance to customers in support of application systems hosted on an organization's servers, and responding to user inquiries and problem reports regarding supported applications.

GS-12

In order to qualify for an IT Specialist (Systems Administration), GS-2210 position at the GS-12 level, you must have IT related experience demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience obtained in either the private or public sector, and/or completion of specific, intensive training that demonstrates that I possess each of the following four competencies:

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,

AND,

have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector typically gained in the IT field or through performing IT related tasks such as: serving as technical specialist in evaluating, planning, developing and implementing hosting infrastructure technologies; supporting hosted applications security in a production environment; configuring aspects of system administration such as network configuration, file system configuration, advanced file systems management, security, storage area networks, or hardware architecture; building and installing upgrades to the Windows operating system and related utilities; providing assistance to customers in support of application systems hosted on an organization's servers, and responding to user inquiries and problem reports regarding supported applications.

A combination of education and specialized experience that meets the qualification requirements for this position.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings with the information you provide in your application.? We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply:

Education

If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. .

Additional information

This position is designated as a "" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave.

At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities: [telework (work from home on a regular basis or ad hoc basis but reports to the office at least once a week/two days a pay period), compressed schedules, flexible schedules].

A one-year trial/probationary period may be required upon selection/ placement.

If selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450 to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency. This information is required annually. For information, visit the NIH Ethics website:

PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration.

Visit our for helpful information on the application process.

Visit our page and this for a detailed look into the benefits, awards, leave, retirement, and other incentives employees may receive as part of a rewarding work environment.

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: .

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 how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Accountability

Attention to Detail

Customer Service

Decision Making

Flexibility

Influencing/Negotiating

Integrity/Honesty

Interpersonal Skills

Learning

Q1. Infrastructure Design

Q2. Information Systems Network Security

Q3. Network and Server Administration

Q4. Application Support Consultant

Reading Comprehension

Reasoning

Self-Management

Stress Tolerance

Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:

Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria

Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria

Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the and the, you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

Required Documents

Required for All Applicants

RESUME:

Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.

To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the . If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:

Job title

Name of employer

Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)

Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.

Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related