IT Specialist

About the role

This position is located in Enterprise Command Operations (ECO), End User Services (EUS), Office of Information and Technology (OIT) serving as an IT Specialist responsible for the full range of duties within their assigned roles in the Enterprise Command Center to provide event management services for addressing IT operational events in order to maintain the interoperability of production systems and services.

What you will do

• Event Monitoring Division Shift work duty hours.
• Division conducts 24/7 shift operations to monitor the national IT environment.
• Division has access to all national/district monitoring systems but is not physically together at a physical facility.
• Utilizes experience, discretion, judgment and knowledge in the planning, execution, operation and maintenance of IT systems and infrastructure.
• Participates as a team member with others in a virtual environment accountable to the division chief.
• Assisting in creating documentation on IT systems and infrastructure.
• Assists in implementing new technologies at the direction of the division chief to enhance health systems operation in support of critical applications and business processes.
• Monitoring operations are conducted from local sites across the nation.
• Provides technical support to customers who need assistance utilizing client-level hardware and software in accordance with established or approved organizational process components (i.e., Master Incident Management Plan, when applicable).
• Troubleshoot system hardware and software.
• Analyze incident data for emerging trends.
• Maintain incident tracking and solution database.
• Diagnose and resolve customer reported system incidents, problems, and events.
• Make recommendations based on trend analysis for enhancements to software and hardware solutions to enhance customer experience.
• Monitor and report client-level computer system performance.
• Develop a trend analysis and impact report. ***Additional duties required, within scope of the position description.*** This position is primarily aligned to the following NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework work roles of Cybersecurity Codes: 411-Technical Support Specialist.
• 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: *** Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist/PD18616A Bargaining Unit: Yes Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
• Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required.
• Travel Required: Up to 25%.
• Occasional travel may be required as needed for this position.
• Work Schedule: Sunday-Tuesday; 3:30PM to 12:00AM EST.
• Required: Weekend and holiday work.
• Compressed/Flexible: No Telework: (AdHoc) Authorized at Manager's discretion.
• Virtual/Remote: This is NOT a virtual, NOR a remote position.
• Physical Demands: This position is sedentary working at a keyboard and monitor.
• Walking, standing, bending, or occasional lifting of boxes or IT equipment weighing up to 50lbs may be required. *Subject to call back outside of regular tour of duty.* Working Conditions: The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.
• The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Selectee is subject to background/suitability investigation.
• Selected applicant will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
• To be considered for this position, applicants must complete all required steps in the process.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (***).
• 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.
• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Education

EDUCATIONAL SUBSTITUTION: There is no educational substitution for this position at this grade level.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies.

You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered.

You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must include your name, contact phone number and contact email address, and must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.

We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available.

Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.

The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. During the application process you may 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. Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Documents you must provide

• Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) Other (1) Other (2) Performance Appraisal Reasonable Accommodation Documentation Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.
• Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).
• Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
• You will not be contacted for additional information.
• 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.
• Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan.
• Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position.
• USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job.
• Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying.
• VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
• Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at: *** -AND- *** The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal 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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy.
• Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at ***

What to expect next

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required assessments and documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met.

After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully.

Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This is not a remote position. A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected.

The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected.

The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. 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.

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.