Summary

This position, Information Technology (IT) Specialist is located in the Connectivity and Collaboration (CCS), Infrastructure Engineering (IE) Core Network Services (CNS), Office of Information and Technology (OIT) and serves as a Senior IT Specialist.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: Provide advice and guidance, within the assigned specialty, of complex IT issues to the customer organizations. Plan and coordinate the design, development, testing, installation, and support of new and modified systems, including state-of-the-art security applications; hardware and software. Use of oral and written communication methods and techniques to accomplish continuing coordination with IT program managers and customers. Ability to manage stressful situations and deal with obstacles within the working environment, which includes peer relations and the demands of handling multiple tasks, and ability to be flexible, creative, showing initiative and being persistent as a team player. Creates and maintains documentation on IT systems and infrastructure to include configuration standards, as-built diagrams and historical and trending information. Works with information security policies, vulnerabilities of computer and data communications systems, and the basic tools and practices for protecting information systems. Plan, execute, operate and maintain IT systems and infrastructure.

This is a Bargaining Unit Position. This position is primarily aligned to the following NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework work role: NCWF Code: 441 Category - Network Operations Specialist. Plans, implements, and operates network services/systems, to include hardware and virtual environments. For more information about these work roles, where they fit within the larger Cyber Workforce, and how they can support your unique career journey, please visit the Cyber Career Pathways tool on the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies website: Cyber Career Pathways.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday; 8:00am to 4:30pm. Compressed/Flexible: Available at managers discretion. Telework: Ad hoc/Situational as determined by Agency Policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#:

Information Technology Specialist/ PD10066A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives:

Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS):

Not Authorized

Physical Requirements:

The work is sedentary, but may involve periods of walking, bending, stooping, lifting, carrying, moving (up to 50 pounds) components and supplies, reaching, pulling, and working at a keyboard and monitor. Subject to call back outside tour of duty.

Working Conditions:

The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The environment involves everyday risks that require normal safety precautions.

Requirements Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (I-9 Acceptable Documents).

Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

All required documents must be uploaded at the time you submit your application. The system supports only one submission. Applicants will not be able to edit their application or upload additional documents once it has been submitted. Applications that are incomplete-including those missing required documentation-will not be considered. Applicants are responsible for reviewing the Required Documents section and ensuring all mandatory materials are included prior to submission. Note: Applicants will not be contacted for missing information. It is the applicant's responsibility to provide all documentation necessary to determine qualification and eligibility.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/15/2026. You must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience to qualify for this series as described below.

Basic Requirement - Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR):

Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below.

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

AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:

At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience is defined as: Configuring and managing switches or routers across multiple vendors; conducting configuration compliance reviews; analyzing changes against approved baselines; and applying configuration, performance, and systems integration skills to ensure enterprise compatibility. Planning strategies to improve network performance and security, tailoring configurations to meet end user needs, and working with wide area network (WAN) routing protocols such as BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP to support WAN.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at OPM Qualification Standards.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

This is not a remote position. OIT has multiple worksites at various duty locations, and the individual(s) selected may be assigned to any federal government work site. This announcement will NOT be used for changing duty locations. If selected, and you are a current VA employee, and not on an approved exemption, you will continue to report to your current duty location. If selected you will be required to report to one of the following locations: Oakland, CA; Washington, DC; Hines, IL; Eatontown, NJ; Albany, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Austin, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Martinsburg, WV; Shepherdstown, WV; Little Rock, AR; North Little Rock, AR; Phoenix, AZ; Long Beach, CA; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Anaheim, CA; Denver, CO; Aurora, CO; Miami, FL; Orlando, FL; St. Petersburg, FL; Tampa, FL; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; North Chicago, IL; Bedford, MA; Boston, MA; Baltimore, MD; Detroit, MI; Minneapolis, MN; St. Louis, MO; Cleveland, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; Nashville, TN; Davidson, TN; Murfreesboro, TN; Arlington, TX; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; San Antonio, TX; Sea Tac, WA.

If space is not immediately available a temporary exception to telework may be granted. If/when workspace is identified, the employee is expected to report to their assigned duty location.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave

Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job.

Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at OPM Career Transition Resources.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. 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 Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.