Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist

About the role

This position is located in Region 3, National Preparedness. The ideal candidate has strong GIS and spatial analysis experience, including creating static and interactive map products for steady-state and disaster operations.

They can manage complex datasets, lead technical teams, communicate effectively with partners, coordinate mission-critical projects, and deploy for disaster support. Preferred experience includes Esri tools, ArcGIS Hub, Experience Builder, and Python/ArcPy.

What you will do

• What will I do in this position if hired?
• In this position, you will serve as the lead Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data analysis for Region 3.
• As GIS Section Supervisor, you will be responsible for developing geospatial analytical strategies, planning and prioritizing tasks to align with Region and Agency priorities, tracking and reporting on progress towards priority goals, and providing input to leadership as requested to ensure that GIS-specific considerations are included in steady-state and disaster planning.
• Typical assignments include: Leading project management for the GIS Section, delegating as appropriate based on skill level and experience; setting standards for proper use and interpretation of geospatial data and decision support tools; delivering GIS data products to meet Regional needs.
• Serving as data steward for Region 3 geospatial data, managing access and ensuring that all GIS data products and standard GIS reports are maintained to be accurate, relevant, and up-to-date.
• Regularly verify that GIS data and products in Region 3 analytical workspaces are organized and compliant with metadata standards and FEMA data security policies including guidelines set by the FEMA Data Governance Council.
• Work with the Data Management Team and IT to establish plans and procedures for data management and backup.
• Leading internal and external coordination on GIS-related matters, including organizing FEMA-State coordination calls with GIS/analytics counterparts in State and Local offices, coordination with GIS leads in other FEMA Regions and FEMA Headquarters, and communicating with other federal agency stakeholders as required for mission priorities.
• What else do I need to know?
• At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, and every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management.
• Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites.
• All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description.
• Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

Requirements

• To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy.
• To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Moderate Risk as a condition of placement into this position.
• This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of 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 (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information).
• For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations.
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.
• If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
• Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.
• Key Requirements: You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• Selective Service registration required.
• Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
• You must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time.
• Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.

Education

No Educational Substitution: There is no educational substitution for this position, and you must meet the qualifications listed in the "requirements" section of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.

If you meet the basic qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using USA Hire Assessment that is based on the following competencies needed to perform this job: Communication Customer Service Representing the Agency Teamwork & Collaboration Technical Proficiency Leadership Assigning, Monitoring, and Evaluating Work Accountability Customer Service Decisiveness Flexibility Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Resilience Based on the review of your resume for the specialized experience required for this position and the results of the USA Hire Assessment, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

We recommend that you review USA Hire Applicant Resource Center before you start the application process. CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and, 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility (see "Required Documents" section of this announcement).

Well-Qualified is defined as those applicants who are rated with a minimum score of 80.00 for this position. After FEMA completes its hiring, the resumes of the remaining candidates referred for selection consideration may be shared with other DHS Components.

During the application process, you may choose to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results to be shared. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements. Interview Requirement: Interviews may be required for this position.

Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

Human Resources Specialists and Subject Matter Experts will review your two-page resume (starting with your work experience) to determine your qualifications for the position based on the required competencies and specialized experience statements. In describing your experience, be clear and specific and include start and end dates for each position.

We may not make assumptions regarding your experience. Based on the review of your resume for the specialized experience required for this position, you may be referred to hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Documents you must provide

• Do not include photos, personally identifying information (PII) (including birthday and social security numbers), or personal information such as age, sex, medical history, etc. Resumes that include any of this information will be disqualified.
• You must provide the following supporting documentation for your application package, including: Resume.
• Limit your resume to no more than two pages.
• The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• Your responses to the job questionnaire.
• You will be directed to the online job questionnaire once you begin the application process.
• Are you eligible for appointment based on current or previous competitive status eligibility?
• We need to verify your competitive status eligibility and qualifications at the next lower level.
• You may need to upload multiple SF-50's, one that shows your competitive eligibility and another for time in grade: Competitive Eligibility: Submit an SF-50 that demonstrates your current or previous appointment to a permanent or conditional competitive service position, including your current or highest grade level, career or career conditional tenure and status in the competitive service, or proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement.
• We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50, current SF-50, or within-grade increase SF-50.
• Time in grade: If you are applying for a higher grade, you may need to provide an additional SF-50.
• We recommend submitting a promotion with an effective date more than one year (1) year old or Within-Grade-Increase at the highest grade held.
• Are you a current or former FEMA Stafford Act employee who is eligible for appointment based on the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA)?
• You may be eligible if you have served as a FEMA Stafford Act employee for three or more years since August 1, 2014, without a break in service.
• Upload the following documents (you may be found ineligible if both documents are not uploaded): DRRA Eligibility: Submit a copy of your "Notice of DRRA Eligibility" provided by OCHCO.
• If you believe that you may be eligible, but have not received your notice, please reach out to the HR Specialist listed in the announcement.
• Reservist Stafford Act Employees will be required to submit a copy of their most recent SF-50 as well as a copy of the "DRRA Notice of Eligibility" issued by FEMA.
• Applicants who believe they are eligible, but have not received a "Notice of Eligibility," should contact the FEMA representative listed in the "Agency contact information" section of this announcement.
• Experience at the next lower level: Submit a copy of your most recent (or highest grade) SF-50.
• We recommend submitting a promotion with an effective date more than one year (1) year old or Within-Grade-Increase at the highest grade held.
• You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and or incentive awards.
• Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) and/or documentation of service connected disability.
• If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification.
• Certifications must be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service (e.g. honorable, dishonorable, general etc.).
• View more veterans' information.
• Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)?
• Submit copies of your: Agency Notice Most recent performance rating, and Most recent SF-50, Notification of personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level and duty location.
• Note 1: Examples of applicable SF-50's for submission include appointment, promotion, and with-in-grade/range increases - award SF-50's will not be accepted.

Benefits

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays.

Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities.

For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service- connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

What to expect next

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Interviews may be required for this position.

Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

If you are selected, you will be notified by phone or email with a tentative job offer. If you fail to respond, fail to meet the conditions of employment, or fail any other pre-employment requirements (such as the background investigation), we may rescind a tentative job offer. For information on the Federal employment application process, please visit the USA Jobs Help Center.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Additional information

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, prior to entry on duty.

False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment.

In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to ***.

DHS uses E-verify, an internet based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707.

Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs.

To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

A one-year probationary period is required for new Federal competitive service employees and new supervisors and managers.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions.

Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.