Information Technology Specialist (Security)

The Information Technology Specialist (Security) position is in the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Department of Technology Services, Information Technology Security Office (ITSO). The incumbent is a recognized expert in cyber security, digital forensics, malware analysis, and leading forensic investigations in support of cyber and law enforcement operations.

Duties

The Information Technology Specialist (Security) must be proficient in collecting digital evidence, analyzing data for root cause, retrieving hidden or destroyed data, conducting damage assessments, reverse-engineering malware, developing remediation plans, and following proper evidence handling procedures for potential criminal or civil litigation. This role aligns with the knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in NIST Special Publication 800-181 National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework for the roles of Cybercrime Investigation (IN-WRL-001) and Digital Evidence Analysis (IN-WRL-002).

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Participating in the development and execution of security incident response plans.
• Performing network forensics from log files and packet captures, including obtaining data from affected parties, accurately reconstructing incident timelines, and conducting analysis to understand attack vectors and associated impacts.
• Conducting endpoint forensics, including volatile memory, log file, disk, user behavioral, and data integrity analyses.
• Performing malware analysis to disassemble and reverse-engineer potential malware, scripts, and code to identify and create compromise indicators to more effectively detect and prevent intrusion.
• Participating in activities to detect, investigate, and analyze lateral movement, threat persistence, and follow-on activities by threat actors.
• Providing technical direction to contractors and other SOC teams to steer the overall incident response plan and recovery actions.
• Maintaining a digital forensic laboratory including, updating hardware and software tools and performing tool evaluation.
• Identifying, testing, and providing recommendations for adopting and upgrading SOC forensic capabilities and infrastructure to provide the most effective, efficient, and cost-effective service available to the Judiciary.
• Documenting and communicating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure relevant data is provided for sound decision-making and situational awareness.
• Documenting the findings of digital investigations, detailing evidence analysis, methodologies, and conclusions in clear, concise, and legally sound reports. This role requires attention to detail, strong writing skills, and the ability to communicate complex technical information effectively.
• Following all federal and local guidelines for digital evidence collection, processing, and retention in accordance with chain of custody requirements.

Salary

• $101,402 - $190,061/year

Conditions of Employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
2. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statue), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
3. All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.
4. New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
5. All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.
6. You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment.
7. If appointed to a temporary position, management may have the discretion of converting the position to permanent depending upon funding and staffing allocation.

Qualifications Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience is demonstrated experience must demonstrate ALL areas defined below:

• Conducting forensic analysis of digital devices, including computers, mobile phones, and cloud environments, using industry-standard tools like EnCase, FTK, and Axiom.
• Data recovery techniques, file system structures, and operating system internals, enabling the extraction and analysis of deleted, hidden, or encrypted data.
• Preparing detailed forensic reports and providing expert testimony in legal settings, ensuring findings are presented clearly and comply with legal standards and procedures.

Equivalent Certifications Desired, but Not Required:

• GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE)
• GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM)
• EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE)

Education This position does not require education to qualify. Other Information

The AO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Required Documents

For this job announcement the following documents and/or information are required:

• Resume - Any written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications.
• Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
• Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - All applicants outside of the AO must submit a copy of your latest SF-50 to verify current or former Federal employment status.
• Veterans Preference documentation - Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214), if applicable Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) and an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 05/09/2025 to receive consideration.
To begin, click

• Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
• You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
• You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
• To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12719053

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. Learn more about federal benefits.

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