Duties

Summary

This position is located in the United States Coast Guard, Deputy Commandant for Mission Support (CG-6), Assistant Commandant for Command, Control, Communication, Computers & Information Technology (C4IT), Office of Information Management Directives and Publications Division (CG-612), located in Washington, DC.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

You will serve as an IT Cybersecurity Specialist.

The Federal government strives to deliver a level of service comparable to that of the best private sector organizations, and as more government services move online, we have a responsibility to ensure equal access to those services, particularly for the 1 in 4 US adults - 61 million Americans - living with a disability All information technology (IT) purchased, built, maintained or used by U.S. Federal agencies is required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to be accessible.

Aside from the legal requirements, accessibility is good for business. Creating products and information that everyone can use drives innovation, provides a better customer experience, and improves employee engagement. Accessibility helps you reach more stakeholders and, ultimately, achieve your agency's mission.

Specifically, you will ensure systems are in place across the agency to monitor conformance to the Revised 508 Standards, ensure accessibility testing is incorporated into your agency's standard software development lifecycle, support establishment of agency policies and processes to conduct accessibility testing throughout the standard software development lifecycle, and encourage collaboration between developers, requirements analysts, and procurement and usability professionals.

At the full performance level, this position requires skills and expertise in:

Project management;

IT governance;

IT acquisition;

Accessibility testing and validation;

Use of assistive technology;

Compliance analysis;

Training; and

Communications.

Additional Duties include: Oversee submission of required reports on 508 program maturity and compliance to OMB twice per year (every February and August). These bi-annual reports are required for all CFO Act Agencies (as part of regular integrated data collection (IDC) reporting), and recommended for all Federal agencies.

Collaborate within and across agencies to accurately baseline your IT Accessibility/508 program and leverage existing best practices and resources.

Require developers to incorporate accessibility testing into project planning and software development and maintenance, and re-test software whenever it's modified.

Ensure successful conformance to the Revised 508 Standards is a core requirement for any agency purchase that has a technology component.

Implement policies and practices to ensure accessibility is identified as a core requirement for all IT-related procurements at your agency.

Collaborate with your agency's Contracting/Procurement Office to ensure all IT-related solicitations identify and address Section 508 conformance requirements and acceptance criteria.

Provide training to requirements officials so they can identify applicable accessibility requirements.

Support governance processes to ensure Section 508 conformance is addressed in award decisions.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - 1-5 days of travel per month may be required.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Must complete a Single Scope Background Investigation.
• Obtain FAC P/PM-I or equivalent within two years of entry into position.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-9: Applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include:

• Understand IT systems components (i.e., procedures, databases, policies, software, and hardware);
• Understand the policy, processes, and communication of policy implications.

OR

Master's or equivalent graduate degree;

OR

2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree;

OR

A combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and graduate education that is beyond the first year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements.

To qualify at the GS-11: Applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include:

• Working with junior specialists to understand/develop IT systems components (i.e., procedures, databases, policies, software, and hardware);
• Understand the policy, processes, and communication of policy implications, and;
• Providing technical support to customers on system usage and capabilities.

OR

A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.

OR

A combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and graduate education (as described above) that is beyond the second year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirement, you must also 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.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here

Additional information

Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 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, or imprisonment.

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 at click here

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

If selection is made below the full performance level, the incumbent may be promoted up to the target grade without further competition, if all legal and regulatory requirements are met and when recommended by the supervisor. However, promotion to the full performance level is not guaranteed and is dependent on successful performance at the lower grade level(s).

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.

More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 202-795-6262. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

We will review your résumé and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be referred for consideration. The following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed to perform this job:

Have the ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Knowledge of or skill in applying the organization's enterprise IT goals and objectives.

Knowledge of or skill in applying the business value of information.

Knowledge of or skill in applying the policy and planning formulation process.

Knowledge of or skill in applying the organization's mission and programs.

Knowledge of or skill in applying performance management and measurement methods and tools.

Knowledge of IT policy and planning concepts, methods, and practices.

Knowledge of or skill in applying program, and project management methods.

Knowledge of or skill in applying IT acquisitions planning and management methods.

Have the ability to represent the agency at Departmental meetings and serve as a SME for the program area.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness , National security

Required Documents

1. Your resume
2. If you are claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), submit a copy 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. If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. To be considered eligible, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position. Please see ICTAP eligibility.
3. OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50. Please see here.

All documentation as outlined above must be received by the closing date of the announcement. If you are unable to submit your documents electronically, you may fax or mail the documents. A fax cover sheet will be provided to you from the system, with fax number and instructions to transmit the requested documents. The required documents will also be accepted by mail and must be received by the closing date of the announcement. The mailing address is COMMANDANT CG-123HQ, ATTN OFFICE OF CIVILIAN HUMAN RESOURCES (JOBS), US COAST GUARD, 2703 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR AVE SE STOP 7912, WASHINGTON, DC 20593-7912 CG-123HQ

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.