Information Technology Specialist

Federal Emergency Management Agency•Emmitsburg, MD

16d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is with the United States Fire Administration in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The Information Technology Specialist helps oversee IT strategy, plans, and systems in alignment with the organization’s mission, goals, structure, and processes. The role involves a variety of planning and project-management tasks and requires working effectively as part of a team. The specialist coordinates work to maintain a stable IT environment and minimize disruption for end users; reviews IT procedures and identifies problems and solutions to support continuous improvement in customer experience; monitors IT systems, troubleshoots issues, and supports system performance and customer access; and works with IT and FEMA teams on equipment and software purchases through approved protocols. The position also supports program-office data calls, recurring reports, and team meetings. FEMA employees have recurring emergency-management responsibilities. The position is subject to around-the-clock recall for emergency operations, which may involve irregular hours, duties outside the official position description, work away from the duty station, and extensive travel with little notice. Deployment may last weeks or months and may involve physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. The employee must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to locations throughout the United States and its territories. If selected, the employee must attend a three-week in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland, within six months of onboarding; FEMA covers travel expenses. The position has promotion potential, but future promotion depends on performance at a higher level, continued need, and administrative approval. A one-year probationary period is required for new Federal competitive service employees and new supervisors and managers.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must successfully pass and maintain a Public Trust—Moderate background investigation; the investigation may include a credit check and review of financial issues and certain criminal or drug-related matters.
Must register for Selective Service, if required.
Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
Must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period.
Must meet the IT-related individual occupational competencies: attention to detail, customer service, decision making, information management, interpersonal skills, oral communication, problem solving, teamwork, and technical competence.
GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-9, demonstrating experience planning, organizing, developing, and evaluating IT requirements and providing feedback on operational efficiency and effectiveness; formulating recommendations to improve IT services; and creating and assessing qualitative and quantitative reports using electronic programs. Experience may be from federal, state, or local government, or the private sector.
GS-11 education alternative: Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. in a related field, or a related LL.B.; a combination of qualifying education and experience may also qualify.
GS-12: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-11, demonstrating experience troubleshooting problems and coordinating technical support for deployed applications, and evaluating findings to determine operations, equipment, and procedural changes.
Applicants using education to qualify must submit transcripts with the application; official transcripts are required before appointment.
Selected applicants must attend a three-week in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland, within six months of onboarding.
Current or former political appointees in specified Executive Branch roles within the last five years must disclose that status to Human Resources.
Applicants must provide accurate application information and, after a conditional offer, complete and certify an Optional Form 306.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and execute tasks and operations to maintain a stable IT environment and minimize impact on end users.
Review IT procedures, identify problems and solutions, and support continuous improvement in customer experience.
Monitor IT systems for performance and customer access, and troubleshoot issues as they arise.
Work with IT and FEMA teams to identify equipment and software purchases in accordance with approved protocols.
Support the program office with data calls and weekly, monthly, and annual reports.
Participate in team meetings.
At the GS-11 level, plan, organize, develop, and evaluate IT requirements; provide feedback on operational efficiency and effectiveness; recommend procedural and practice changes to improve IT services; and create and assess qualitative and quantitative reports using electronic programs.
At the GS-12 level, troubleshoot problems and coordinate technical support for deployed applications; evaluate findings, determine operational needs and equipment types, and identify procedural changes.
Carry out recurring emergency-management responsibilities and deploy when required, potentially with little notice and for extended periods.