Information Technology Specialist (Security)

Headquarters, NASA•Washington, DC

About The Position

The NASA Office of Inspector General IT Security Specialist oversees application software, networks, and enterprise architecture. The role helps protect critical mission data through risk assessments, security policy development, disaster recovery planning, and executive briefings. The specialist works across on-premises and cloud environments, including AWS GovCloud, to remediate vulnerabilities, administer access controls, and maintain compliance with federal and agency security requirements. The position also evaluates information-system security features, documents deficiencies, tracks corrective actions, and advises leadership, IT staff, and stakeholders on cybersecurity, IT procurements, and coordination with internal departments and external agencies. The position is at the GS-14 level and requires directly related specialized experience equivalent to GS-13, along with demonstrated IT-related competencies in attention to detail, customer service, oral communication, and problem solving.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, U.S. nationality, or allegiance to the United States.
Obtain and maintain a TOP SECRET security clearance.
Pass a pre-employment drug screening and background investigation; the position is subject to random drug testing after hire.
Complete a financial disclosure statement if selected.
For GS-14 qualification, one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level.
Specialized experience must include remediating enterprise server vulnerabilities across cloud and on-premises environments; configuring and supporting AWS cloud services and troubleshooting application outages; administering access-control and security workflows; and evaluating networking and cloud-related procurements.
IT-related experience demonstrating attention to detail, customer service, oral communication, and problem solving.
Applicants qualifying based on experience must provide a clear, detailed narrative in their own words describing how they meet the required specialized experience; copied experience statements may result in disqualification.
Current federal employees must meet applicable qualifications, time-in-grade, and 90-day-after-competitive-appointment requirements by the announcement closing date. For GS-12 or higher, applicable time-in-grade includes at least 52 weeks at no more than one grade below the advertised position.

Responsibilities

Plan, schedule, execute, and validate patching across servers, workstations, and applications to remediate KEVs and other critical vulnerabilities.
Coordinate and execute vulnerability remediation across servers and endpoints using tools such as BigFix, Nessus, and SentinelOne.
Create, modify, and remove system access; manage authentication controls; conduct account audits; support MFA and PIV initiatives; and maintain secure permission structures.
Manage user accounts, permissions, and access to sensitive systems and data; remove access for terminated personnel and maintain audit records.
Design and maintain secure network and AWS GovCloud architectures, including firewalls, VPNs, segmentation, logging, high availability, and disaster recovery.
Implement cloud security controls and securely integrate new technologies.
Lead evaluations of information-system security features; develop certification and accreditation plans; document deficiencies; track corrective actions; and recommend improvements.
Assess IT systems for vulnerabilities, track remediation of KEVs, and maintain continuous monitoring activities to support compliance with federal and agency security requirements.
Provide expert advice and guidance to leadership, IT staff, and stakeholders on cybersecurity, IT procurements, and coordination with internal departments and external agencies.
Remediate enterprise server vulnerabilities in cloud and on-premises environments by applying patches, hardening Linux and Windows systems, updating certificates, and resolving KEV, SOC, and POA&M findings.
Configure and support AWS cloud services, including EC2, Instance Scheduler, GuardDuty, FSx, Airflow, and virtual desktop solutions; upgrade production and development environments; and troubleshoot major application outages through root cause analysis and service restoration.
Administer access-control and security workflows, including user permissions, MFA, system access changes, and SSP and POA&M security requirements.
Evaluate networking and cloud-related procurements by analyzing technical requirements, licensing, subscription costs, and compatibility.