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

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.

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.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13057292. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 09/18/2026. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.