IT Specialist (Custspt)

Air National Guard Units • Camp Murray, WA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This is a Washington Air National Guard Title 32 Excepted Service Unit Technician position in the 194th Communications Squadron at Camp Murray, Washington. The position manages the assigned information technology and communications environment, with privileged network-level access, for the Wing, Geographically Separated Units, and tenants. It plans, coordinates, installs, analyzes, and supports system designs, hardware, and software to maintain availability, integrity, efficiency, and reliability.

The role serves as a focal point for assigned IT and data systems and functions, voice systems, and wireless systems. It optimizes system performance, coordinates communications workload, evaluates new hardware and software for compatibility and reliability, and provides technical assistance to users. It analyzes customer needs, system usage, outages, complaints, and equipment capabilities; recommends corrective actions and improvements; evaluates modification or replacement options; and supports capacity planning, budgets, and future maintenance decisions.

The position also coordinates radio-frequency requirements and allocations, maintains frequency records and databases, and works to ensure compatibility with other users and minimal interference. It installs, maintains, and repairs hardware supporting information and communications systems, uses diagnostic equipment and software to resolve system and network conflicts, tests and optimizes high-bandwidth circuits, and conducts management-control inspections and assistance visits. Other temporary, minor, or incidental duties may be assigned.

Requirements

• At least 36 months of specialized experience, education, or training in techniques and requirements for an assigned computer application or specialty area; planning assignment sequences involving coordination outside the organizational unit and project controls; adapting guidelines or precedents; and preparing organized cost-benefit documentation. Experience must be IT-related and may include paid or unpaid work or intensive training such as IT certification.
• Alternatively, one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, with the stated documentation requirements for qualifying federal experience.
• High school diploma or GED.
• Must be a member of the Washington Air National Guard and maintain membership for continued employment.
• Military grade must be E5–E7; the selected applicant must be assigned to a compatible military position and attain the applicable AFSC within one year of appointment.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain the position's appropriate security clearance.
• Must establish effective professional working relationships with coworkers and customers.
• Must meet applicable Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Must not have a qualifying domestic-violence conviction that disqualifies the individual under the Lautenberg Amendment.
• Must participate in direct deposit.
• May be required to successfully complete a trial period.
• Must comply with environmental responsibilities established by applicable legal and regulatory requirements and the organization.
• Education may substitute for specialized experience through a qualifying degree in a listed field, a degree with at least 24 semester hours in listed fields and relevant application, systems, or network development or adaptation, or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to one.

Responsibilities

• Manage the assigned IT and communications environment with privileged network-level access for the Wing, Geographically Separated Units, and tenants.
• Plan, coordinate, install, and analyze system designs, hardware, and software; develop, recommend, and install solutions and upgrades.
• Ensure the availability, integrity, efficiency, and reliability of IT, data, voice, and wireless systems and resources supporting mission requirements.
• Coordinate communications focal-point activities and workload distribution.
• Analyze and direct the installation of new hardware and software to ensure compatibility with existing architecture and organizational requirements.
• Provide technical assistance and ongoing support to users, helping ensure proper equipment and program use and minimizing service interruptions.
• Help resolve problems related to hardware and software order delivery and provide management with information for complex automation problems.
• Track equipment life cycles and analyze future maintenance and replacement costs to support budget submissions.
• Identify customer requirements and system needs; analyze trends and provide instruction and orientation services.
• Analyze system usage, user complaints, traffic interruptions, hardware and software capabilities, and other relevant factors; recommend and coordinate corrective actions.
• Conduct feasibility studies of system failures and trends to assess modification or replacement needs and improve reliability.
• Review established systems with operating officials, users, and others to evaluate reliability, productivity, and user friendliness.
• Evaluate alternative approaches to meet user requirements and advise management on technically feasible and cost-efficient options.
• Use benchmarks, performance data, modeling, and simulation to plan for increased capacity and additional workloads.
• Research technical literature and consult vendors, other-agency specialists, and professional associations regarding system changes.
• Coordinate frequency needs with command-level spectrum management, obtain authorizations, review and validate frequency allocations, and maintain frequency records and databases.
• Analyze radio-frequency spectrum requirements and compatibility with other users, considering transmitter and receiver specifications, antenna data, emissions, and radio-wave propagation.
• Install, maintain, and repair hardware supporting information and communications systems; diagnose and resolve internal system and network conflicts.
• Use diagnostic equipment to test, configure, evaluate, and optimize high-bandwidth circuits.
• Conduct self-inspections and staff-assistance visits to comply with management-control plans and resolve identified discrepancies.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including temporary, minor, or incidental tasks.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; eligibility and specific benefits depend on position type.
• Certain incentives may be available, subject to funding and approval, but are not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED