Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Security, Policy & Governance Division. This team institutionalizes IT security processes and standards by promoting sound business and IT decisions. Helps the agency appropriately plan for and execute policy, process, acquisition, and technological decisions that reduce risks.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Information Technology Specialist(Information Security) performs the following major duties:

• Ensure that cybersecurity-enabled products or other compensating security control technologies reduce identified risk to an acceptable level.
• Implement specific cybersecurity countermeasures for systems and/or applications.
• Perform cybersecurity testing of developed applications and/or systems.
• Provide cybersecurity guidance to leadership.
• Provides cybersecurity recommendations to leadership based on significant threats and vulnerabilities.
• Develop specific cybersecurity countermeasures and risk mitigation strategies for systems and/or applications.
• Incorporate cybersecurity vulnerability solutions into system designs (e.g., Cybersecurity Vulnerability Alerts).

NOTE: The duties listed are reflective of the higher graded position.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
02

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Please refer to "Conditions of Employment"

Intelligence Background Information

Peace Corps Manual Section 611 is applicable to this position. This section prohibits the employment of certain persons previously engaged in intelligence activities or connected with intelligence agencies within the past 10 years. If you have ever worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), you are not eligible for employment at the Peace Corps in any capacity, and you should not apply for employment.

PC-1336 Form: Applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified will be required to submit upon request in the future a completed PC-1336 form , or narrative signed statement, indicating whether the applicant has been involved in or has had any connection with intelligence activities or related work and, if so, the nature and dates of his or her involvement. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the applicant being rated ineligible for further consideration. If you have any other type of possible intelligence connection, your application will not be further considered until you submit this form. Except when the CIA or the National Security Agency (NSA) is involved (see below), if your connection with an Intelligence Agency involves an immediate family member who works or has worked in intelligence, the immediate family member should complete the form, not the applicant. Usually relying on memory is sufficient to answer most if not all of the questions. If you have an immediate family member who works or has worked for the CIA, you should not give them this form to complete. Please contact your relative in person-not by phone, email, social networking, or any other means that is not in person- and ask him or her to contact the Office of General Counsel at the CIA.

If you or an immediate family member have been employed by or associated with the NSA, you or your family member must contact the NSA Prepublication Review Office at 443-634-4095.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:

You must meet the specialized experience at the grade level(s) in which you choose to be considered by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate dates of employment by month, day, and year and the number of hours worked per week in your resume.

This vacancy is being announced at two (2) grade levels:

FP-3

Qualifying experience for the FP-3 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-4 or GS-11/12 grade level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Experience applying laws, regulations, policies, and ethics as they relate to cybersecurity and privacy; Experience applying computer networking concepts and protocols, and network security methodologies; Experience designing hardware, operating systems, and software applications to adequately address cybersecurity requirements.

FP-2

Qualifying experience for the FP-2 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-3 or GS-13 grade level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Experience applying laws, regulations, policies, and ethics as they relate to cybersecurity and privacy; Experience applying computer networking concepts and protocols, and network security methodologies; Experience designing hardware, operating systems, and software applications to adequately address cybersecurity requirements; Experience managing protective or corrective measures when a cybersecurity incident or vulnerability is discovered.

Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/ .

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Internal applicants and Federal employees who are currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). NOTE: All current or former Federal employees (including internal employees) must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

Education

Experience

Experience must be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate.

For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. The employing agency is responsible for identifying the specific level of proficiency required for each competency at each grade level based on the requirements of the position being filled.

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.

Additional information

Peace Corps Information

• This is a Federal civilian job in the Excepted Service. PC employees are paid on the Foreign Service scale and employment is limited NTE 5 years.
• Qualified internal applicants will be given first consideration.
• Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.
• National Service (e.g., volunteer) refers to paid & unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, community, student).
• Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
• Peace Corps is a drug free workplace and promotes a drug free environment.
• Peace Corps is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. Our goal is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all lifestyles and backgrounds. Peace Corps strives to create a culture of inclusion where individuals feel respected and are treated fairly in all aspects of differences. Our commitment is to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.
• Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources by calling 202-692-1200 or the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity on 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.

Conditions of Employment

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• You must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
• All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service. If selected for this position, you must sign a statement certifying your registration, or you must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
• Prior Intelligence Activity or Related Work: Individuals who have been engaged in certain intelligence activity or related work or who have been employed by or connected with an intelligence agency are ineligible for employment with Peace Corps. Acceptance of employment with Peace Corps precludes employment by certain intelligence organizations for a specific period of time, determined by the employing agency, after Peace Corps employment ceases.
• All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• A one (1) year trial period is required.
• This job has been identified as a testing designated position under our Drug-Free Workplace Program. Therefore, you must satisfactorily complete a drug test prior to being hired. As an employee, you will be subject to random drug testing.
• This is not a bargaining unit position.
• This position requires a Top Secret background clearance.

If you have questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact peacecorpsjobs@peacecorps.gov . In the subject line, include the vacancy #, position title and closing date.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated based on your resume, attached supporting documentation and your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire. Your materials will be evaluated to validate your possession of any required knowledge, skills, abilities (KSA) and/or competencies. The following competencies will be evaluated in the self-assessment questionnaire:

• Information Security Program
• Cybersecurity Countermeasures and Risk Mitigation
• Computer Networking Concepts and Protocols
• Risk Management Processes
• Software and Organizational Design Standards
• Cybersecurity and Privacy Principles
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Oral Communication
• Problem Solving

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration; including any documentation that is being used for qualifications. Your resume and supporting documentation will be reviewed by a Human Resources Specialist, which must support the answers you provided. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for disqualification.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package. This includes: a detailed resume, a completed electronic self-assessment questionnaire, an SF-50 (for current and former Federal employees, including internal employees), and the submission of any other required documents. All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Resume: Include relevant work experience including job title, duties and accomplishments, employer name and address, supervisor name and phone number, start and end dates, hours per week & salary. If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09).

Veterans Documents: Veterans' preference in appointment does not apply to this vacancy; however, if you are using your 30% or more disability rating to be considered, you must attach all required documentation; including a DD-214 reflecting the type of discharge, the SF-15 and a VA Letter. Proof of a service-connected disability is required at the time of application. For more information regarding veterans' preference, please review the OPM Vet Guide .

Federal Employees: If you are a current or former Federal employee (including internal employees), you must provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (and/or the SF-50 which verifies your reinstatement eligibility). Please note that this appointment does not convey career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service; however, federal employees who have earned career tenure will not lose it as a result of this appointment.

Qualifications Based on Education or a Combination of Education and Experience: If you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, you must submit a copy of your transcript(s) or an appropriate course listing with a diploma. Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be used towards qualifications. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by recognized institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website .

Note: All applicants (including internal) are required to submit the applicable documents listed above as verification of eligibility. If you fail to provide the information requested, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for these positions.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.