Information Technology Specialist (Network Services)

This position is located in the Department of Technology Services (DTS), Enterprise Operations Center (EOC), Infrastructure Operations Division (IOD), Infrastructure Operations Branch (IOB) in Washington, DC.

Duties

The Enterprise Operations Center (EOC) Infrastructure Operations Division is seeking a highly skilled and adaptable Automation Engineer to join its Network Operations Center (NOC). This role is critical in enhancing the efficiency, reliability, and security of the judiciary's network infrastructure through advanced automation and orchestration solutions. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in networking, security use cases, and programming, with the ability to problem-solve and develop new automated workflows that streamline network operations and fortify security.
In this position, the Automation Engineer will be responsible for optimizing the judiciary's network and security devices by implementing intelligent automation solutions that improve performance, simplify configuration management, and ensure seamless integration with diverse platforms and services. The role requires a strong background in network engineering across various environments, including Internet Data Centers (IDC), public/private clouds, and WAN/LAN architectures.

The engineer will use automation tools and programming languages to integrate security technologies, streamline data exchanges, and enhance threat detection within the NOC. By designing automated workflows, developing APIs, and refining analytics, they will improve visibility, operational efficiency, and overall network security.

Duties of the position include but are not limited to:

1. Architecting and implementing intelligent automation solutions to seamlessly integrate network infrastructure with diverse platforms and services, driving operational efficiency.
2. Transition manual security workflows into fully automated ones by leveraging new and existing APIs using Python frameworks and libraries.
3. Develop new capabilities and APIs in response to customer requirements for improved data exchanges and analytic workflows.
4. Performing custom application development using Python, JavaScript, JSON, and REST APIs.
5. Developing complex, data-transforming SPL, building Splunk content (e.g., dashboards), and constructing Splunk regex expressions, backend data stores and scripts, integrations, and Rest endpoints.
6. Develop and model new workflows to simplify threat detection and improve analytic capabilities.
7. Visualize data exchanges in the most effective way possible for a given project or question.
8. Create Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and other metrics that communicate the effectiveness of automation efforts to leadership.
9. Collaborating closely with various teams and management to define strategic automation initiatives aligned with business objectives.
10. Leading the design, development, and maintenance of sophisticated automation scripts and workflows to simplify network provisioning, configuration management, and monitoring tasks.
11. Creating, modifying, and automating operational reports.
12. Providing expert-level support in diagnosing and resolving intricate issues related to network automation workflows and scripts.
13. Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure the seamless integration of automation and orchestration tools into the network infrastructure.
14. Identifying gaps in current technology processes and recommend changes.
15. Driving continuous improvement by optimizing existing automation processes and documenting workflows comprehensively.
16. Staying up to date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices related to network automation and orchestration to incorporate new technologies and methodologies into existing workflows.
17. Developing methodologies and operational processes for continuous monitoring of the network to ensure that all EOC managed systems are performing within expected tolerances.
18. Updating and improving skills and networking knowledge through training and self-study.

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 in ALL of the following:

• Working with network and security devices including (but not limited to) Routers, Switches, Firewalls, Intrusion Prevention Systems, automated malware analysis and proxy devices.
• Extended usage of Software development and Python.
• Developing and leveraging APIs for security orchestration. Candidate must have detailed understanding of using JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) for data exchanges between different systems.
• Agile development/security/operations (DevSecOps) and CI/CD repository and pipeline tools.
• Developing unit tests to automatically validate code.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Fundamental understanding of OSI model, basic networking and troubleshooting concepts.
• Security Orchestration & Automated Response (SOAR) or similar orchestration technologies.
• Deep understanding of the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Mapping clients use cases to tactics and techniques.
• Splunk's Search Processing Language (SPL) or Kusto Query Language (KQL)
• Industry tools and frameworks used to build automated testing environments such as Docker or Kubernetes.

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 06/17/2025 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/12736595

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.

Review our benefits