IT Specialist (CUSTSPT)

Federal Emergency Management Agency•New York, NY

About The Position

The IT Specialist works as a member of FEMA Region 2’s Mission Support Division, Information Technology Branch, providing technical assistance to regional users. The role plans and delivers customer support for the organization’s IT equipment, software, systems, interfaces, and networks, including support for local and remote offices. The specialist diagnoses and resolves customer incidents, carries out technically complex customer-support assignments, and investigates hardware and software issues to maintain reliable information architecture. The position includes specialized security duties, including serving as a backup Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) Manager, backup Homeland Secure Data Network (HSDN) Agent, and Alternate Communications Security (COMSEC) Manager. FEMA employees have recurring emergency-management responsibilities and may be recalled at any time for emergency operations. This position may require irregular hours, work away from the official duty station, duties beyond the regular position description, and extensive travel or relocation to emergency sites with little notice. The employee must be able to deploy for extended periods anywhere in 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.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Successfully pass and maintain a background investigation for Top Secret/SCI clearance as a condition of placement.
Register for Selective Service, if applicable.
Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements, including 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
Ability to deploy with little or no advance notice anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period.
IT-related experience demonstrating attention to detail, customer service, decision making, information management, interpersonal skills, oral communication, problem solving, teamwork, and technical competence.
For GS-12 qualification, one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-11, including coordinating IT customer systems and software for local and remote offices; resolving complex technical issues; facilitating disaster recovery and regional service transitions; supporting modern storage initiatives; and performing specialized security responsibilities such as backup SCIF Manager, backup HSDN Agent, and Alternate COMSEC Manager.
Attend a three-week, in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland, within six months of onboarding if selected.
New Federal competitive-service employees and new supervisors and managers must complete a one-year probationary period.
If the position is designated as a Testing Designated Position, submit to random drug testing under FEMA’s Drug-Free Workplace Plan.

Responsibilities

Plan and implement customer-support services for organizational IT equipment, software, systems, interfaces, and networks.
Diagnose and resolve problems in response to customer-related incidents.
Perform technically complex assignments related to implementing customer-support requirements.
Analyze customer requirements and investigate and resolve hardware and software issues, taking corrective action to maintain reliable information architecture.
Coordinate the planning, installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of IT customer systems and software for local and remote offices.
Resolve complex technical issues through systematic diagnosis to minimize downtime and maintain service continuity.
Facilitate disaster-recovery support and regional service transitions so users retain reliable access to critical resources.
Collaborate with regional users to support adoption of new storage service solutions.
Serve as backup SCIF Manager and backup HSDN Agent, and as Alternate COMSEC Manager.
Perform recurring emergency-management duties and deploy to emergency operations when required.