IT Specialist (ENTARCH) 'Network Product Lead', GS-2210-14 FPL GS-14 (ED only)

Department of Education Headquarters•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

This position is in the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA), Chief Technology Office (CTO), Technology Operations Division (TOD). TOD provides IT operations services for FSA systems, supporting strategic objectives through planning, investment, integrated technology architectures and standards, production support, and cybersecurity services. The IT Specialist serves as the Network Product Lead and an advisor to the IOG Director and Chief of the Network Support Division. The role provides network architecture and engineering leadership across cloud and on-premises environments, including the design of reusable platform services, container environments, identity integrations, networking patterns, and infrastructure components. It is a principal-level expert role in platform engineering, cloud architecture, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), and infrastructure automation. The position engages technology leaders, business partners, and contractors to meet operational needs; develops and reviews technical documentation and platform standards; oversees contractor support, compliance matters, and project planning; and leads continuous improvement and CI/CD capabilities. It also directs network engineering responses to applicable CISA Binding Operational Directives, applies NIST guidance, and advances security through secure cloud configurations, identity and access management, encryption, and zero-trust architecture. The role requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-13, meeting two of three specified experience areas, as well as IT-related experience demonstrating the required competencies. Education cannot substitute for experience at this grade level. The position is considered essential during federal government closures and requires financial disclosure. Relocation will not be paid.

Requirements

One year of specialized experience in federal or non-federal service equivalent to at least GS-13, demonstrating two of the three specified experience areas.
Experience providing technical and programmatic leadership for enterprise-scale wired, wireless, cloud-connected, and security-enabled network services, including modernization, transition or transformation, and life-cycle sustainment of mission-critical infrastructure.
Experience in cybersecurity governance and operations involving FISMA, NIST, CISA compliance and monitoring, vulnerability or security risk management, and regulatory requirements.
Experience supporting program and project management, including scope and schedule planning, risk and resource management, technical deliverables, and stakeholder coordination to improve operational readiness.
IT-related experience demonstrating the required competencies, including attention to detail, customer service, decision making, information management, interpersonal skills, oral communication, problem solving, teamwork, and technical competence.
Skill in applying systems engineering and SRE concepts to reliability, performance, scalability, security, and maintainability across complex multi-cloud environments.
Ability to apply platform and reliability engineering principles through implementation, debugging, optimization, and modernization of cloud environments.
Skill in cloud automation, observability tooling, testing frameworks, and CI/CD pipelines, including telemetry, logging, alerting, and distributed tracing.
Ability to use modern cloud, data, and security technologies to design, test, and deploy resilient platform and reliability systems for mission-critical applications.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must complete a background investigation and fingerprint check.
Males age 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
May be required to serve a probationary or trial period.
Must meet qualification requirements within 30 days of the vacancy announcement closing date; current federal employees must also meet applicable time-in-grade and time-after-competitive-appointment requirements.
Must provide a resume with federal position title, pay plan, occupational series, grade, agency, dates at grade, and total hours worked per week, where applicable.

Responsibilities

Advise the IOG Director and Chief of the Network Support Division on network architecture and engineering.
Develop and implement solutions across cloud and on-premises environments, including reusable platform services, container environments, identity integrations, networking patterns, and infrastructure components.
Provide input to design and technical documentation, review final deliverables, and ensure alignment with the enterprise network operations engineering framework.
Serve as a principal-level expert in platform engineering, cloud architecture, SRE practices, and infrastructure automation.
Engage technology leaders, business partners, and contractors to ensure operational requirements and needs are met.
Communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and produce platform standards, design documents, and technical evaluations.
Evaluate system security plans and procedures in accordance with FISMA.
Manage and direct office support contractors, address IT compliance issues, and oversee project planning and updates.
Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines for automated testing, deployment, change control, and compliance validation.
Lead network engineering direction and responses for CISA Binding Operational Directives affecting data center operations, using NIST guidance.
Develop plans and processes to strengthen security, including secure cloud configurations, IAM models, encryption, and zero-trust architectural patterns.

Benefits

Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families.
Excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours).
Excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours).
Matching leave for community volunteer service.
Alternative work schedules may be available.
May be eligible for a recruitment incentive, subject to a service agreement.
May be eligible for a relocation incentive, subject to a service agreement.
May be eligible for the Student Loan Repayment Program, subject to a service agreement.

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