Information Technology Specialist

The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia's mission is to serve justice in compliance with federal law by prosecuting federal crimes with diligence, deference, and determination. We represent the United States effectively in civil and criminal cases with the purpose of serving, protecting, and enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of the Southern District of West Virginia.

Duties

This Information Technology Specialist provides technical and analytical support in litigation support (LS) and at least two other IT specialty areas to support the information management needs of the United States Attorney's Office (USAO). This position serves a large and geographically dispersed user population and is responsible for resolving complex hardware and software issues, modifying standard systems when needed, and adapting existing IT solutions to meet user and operational needs.

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Information Technology Specialist support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia, located in Charleston, West Virginia, focusing in the areas of customer support, IT systems/network administration, information systems security, internet, and litigation support services.

Typical work assignments will include:

• Providing litigation support services for trial preparation, courtroom presentations, grand jury sessions, and other USAO requirements.
• Analyzing case needs and developing litigation support and case database specifications to organize, manage, and retrieve case information.
• Installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting litigation support hardware and software, including Electronic Data Discovery workstations, scanners, printers, and trial presentation systems.
• Planning and coordinating litigation support deployments, upgrades, and service restorations, including resolving interoperability and technical issues.
• Administering litigation support systems by performing testing, quality assurance, inventory control, security compliance, and maintaining standards, procedures, and security practices for discovery and trial presentation applications.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

This position is also being announced to all US Citizens and Nationals under 26-WVS-12948362-DE.

Salary

• $68,545 - $97,867/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• A probationary period may be required.
• 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.
• Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
• Time-in-Grade: Current or former Federal employees applying under merit promotion considerations must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements for consideration within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
• As needed, additional selections may be made using this announcement.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Under the updated Competency-Based Qualification Standard for the IT Management Series (2210), applicants must:

1. Meet or exceed all required competencies at the minimum proficiency level for the GS-09 and/or GS-11 grade(s), as described below; AND
2. Have the required specialized experience for the GS-09 and/or GS-11 grade(s), as described below.

You may be considered ineligible and removed from further consideration for the position, if you fail to meet any of the criteria above.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have the knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies which demonstrate the likelihood to perform successfully the duties of the position and are related to the work of the position to be filled. These knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies are normally attained through the equivalent of one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level of the position being filled but may now be obtained through other means. Such demonstratable knowledge, skills, and abilities/competences may be typically gained in the IT field or through the performance of work where the primary concern is IT.

To qualify at the GS-09 level, you must possess (3) of the (4) required specialized experience:

1. Installing, configuring, and maintaining specialized software and hardware systems in a professional office environment;
2. Supporting multimedia presentations and meeting preparation;
3. Applying quality assurance and security practices; and/or
4. Diagnosing and resolving problems in response to customer reported incidents.

To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must possess (3) of the (4) required specialized experience:
COMPETENCIES- The following competencies are required:

For the GS-09:
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. Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations.

4. Reasoning - Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.

5. Teamwork - Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.

For the GS-11:
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. Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations.

4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

5. Teamwork - Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.

6. Technical Competence -Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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

If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible.
One year at the GS-07is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level.
One year at the GS-09is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level.

• You must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted; recommended SF-50s include promotions and step increases (within grade increases).

Other Information Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Justice requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a clearance as a condition of placement in this Special Sensitive/High Risk position. This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility, click here. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about CTAP eligibility, click here. Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouse and Family Members: FedsHireVets - OPM.gov 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: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Required Documents

Note: Failure to submit a resume or supporting documentation may result in elimination for further consideration. You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume: Your resume showing relevant experience, job titles, duties, dates (must include MM/DD/YY for full consideration) of employment and work schedule for each (part-time XX hours per week or full-time). Limit your resume to 2 pages. Only resumes 2 pages in length will be accepted to determine eligibility and qualifications. For more information, view the following link: USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirement
• A complete Assessment Questionnaire
• Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50): If you are a current Federal employee, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status.
  • You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate that you meet time-in-grade requirements.
  • If you are a former Federal employee, you must submit a copy of your separation SF-50 or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status.
  • If you are a former Federal employee who previously held a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service, separated from the Federal Government over a year ago, and your last performance rating on record as a Federal employee was at least Fully Successful (or equivalent), you must submit a copy of your separation SF-50 or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status AND your last Federal performance appraisal plan.
• Other supporting documents:
  • Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable:
    • In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates:1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.g., Honorable); or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
    • In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower if a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" dated October 2013 and all the required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim.
• Veteran applying under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA):
  • You must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing an honorable discharge to be considered. To be eligible, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of continuous active service. NOTE: Current employees applying under VEOA must submit a qualifying SF-50 to show they meet time-in-grade requirements.
• 30% or more Disabled Veteran.
  • You must submit your DD214, a completed SF-15, and letter from the VA dated 1991 or later to be considered.
• Documentation supporting eligibility for non-competitive appointment (severely disabled, eligible veterans, certain military spouses, etc.)
• CTAP/ICTAP Documentation
  • A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
  • A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
  • A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  • Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
• Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
  • Position title;
  • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
  • Agency; and
  • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status:Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.