IT Specialist (Infosec)

Summary

The Office of Information Security (OIS) provides information security and privacy infrastructure for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The primary purpose of the position is to monitor and evaluate Field Operations activities related to IT security. The work involves the planning, installation, configuration, testing implementation and management of the systems environment is support of the VA's IT architecture and business needs.

Duties

Major Duties: Plan, develop, implement, and maintain IT operating systems, policies, and procedures to protect the integrity and confidentiality of systems, networks, and data. Designs, acquires, modifies, evaluates, and uses software intended to ensure that users are trained on security measures necessary to protect automated systems and classified data from misuse or unauthorized disclosure, viral infection, and other problems that would compromise information confidentiality or privacy. Evaluates new security authentication technologies such as public key infrastructure certificates, secure cards, and biometrics for inclusion in operating systems. Recommends that acquisition, implementation, and dissemination of IT security tools, procedures, and practices to be used by users to protect information assets. Develops operating system security policy and procedural controls covering physical security, application, and data security, system software security, contingency planning, and compliance with personnel clearance procedures. Establishes risk-management procedures and ensures that risk-management techniques are applied to all new and modified IT training applications. Identifies and specifies information systems security requirements associated with migrations to new environments and provides guidance in planning and development of migrations to new environments. Conducts independent comprehensive assessments of the management, operational, and technical security controls and control enhancements employed within or inherited by an information technology (IT) system to determine the overall effectiveness of the controls (as defined in NIST SP 800-37). Ensure that plans of actions and milestones or remediation plans are in place for vulnerabilities identified during risk assessments, audits, inspection, etc. Assure successful implementation and functionality of security requirements and appropriate information technology (IT) policies and procedure that are consistent with organization's mission and goals. Analyze and report organizational security posture trends. Analyze and report system security posture trends. Work with stakeholders to resolve computer security incidents and vulnerability compliance. Skill in applying total infrastructure protection, systems security certification and accreditation requirements/processes and Federal information systems security protocols. Skill in requirements analysis principles and methods, communications techniques, network operations and protocols, systems security regulations, and policies. Knowledge of appropriate VA policies, operating procedures, information flow; and of prevailing IT practices in government agencies and the private sector. Discuss timeframes, scope of the assignment including possible stages, and possible approaches. Plans and carries out projects and analyses of the organization's requirement; interprets policies, procedures, and regulations in conformance with established mission objectives; integrates and coordinates the work of others as necessary; and resolves most conflicts as the arise. Influence and persuade employees and managers to accept and implement findings and recommendations when there are problems in security cooperation. Meets the needs of customers while supporting missions. Communicates and treats customers in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflicts and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned Work Schedule: M - F, 8 am - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Compressed/flexible schedule available at the manager's discretion Telework: Ad Hoc/Situational as determined by Agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist (Infosec)/PD31646A Requirements

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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 (OR INSERT "2-year trial 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 (OR INSERT "trial period"), your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/18/2026. Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below at a proficiency level equivalent to the next lower grade level in federal service You must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience to qualify for this series as described 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: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as Collecting, analyzing, and reporting on information security compliance data to support oversight activities; maintaining records of security requirements sourced from sources including existing policies, guidelines, standards, legislation, and other external mandates; and identifying and documenting system deficiencies using Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) tools or equivalent systems. Directly supported and/or conducted Assessment and Authorization (A&A) activities, including the development and review of System Security Plans (SSPs), execution of security control assessments, documentation of Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms), and support of continuous monitoring programs for information systems. Developing, interpreting, and implementing information security policies, procedures, and strategies in compliance with federal laws and regulations, such as the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA). Provided security guidance and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including system owners, program managers, and Information System Security Officers (ISSOs). Applying the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF) to conduct independent, comprehensive assessments of management, operational, and technical security controls for information technology systems; and experience developing or reviewing security authorization and accreditation packages, risk analyses, and plans of action and milestones (POA&Ms) to determine whether systems meet acceptable risk thresholds. AND-Selective Placement Factor: Do you have experience documented hands-on experience applying the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Risk Management Framework (RMF) to information systems, including performing or supporting security authorization activities such as security control selection, assessment, and/or continuous monitoring in a federal government environment (Federal contractor experience applying NIST RMF to federal systems included). For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. 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. 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 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. 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.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level. How You Will Be Evaluated

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 for this position: Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork USA Hire Assessments include 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. Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. 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 the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. 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; religions; 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. 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 and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. Other 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 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. 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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.