Duties
As a Computer Engineer (Cybersecurity), you will provide computer engineering and specialized cybersecurity competence to the ICTS program in a wide range of technology and services under the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce in one or more of the following areas: telecommunications (including optical, wireless and wireline networking), advanced computers, computer science, software development, computer networking, information security, cybersecurity, encryption, mobile networking, satellite communication, networking infrastructure, or internet connected devices.
You Will Perform The Following Duties
- Perform liaison with industries on importation, acquisition or uses related to technology and services under the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce.
- Recommend appropriate integration of U.S. industry's economic/regulatory concerns into the Department's regulations.
- Conduct studies of telecommunications, computer engineering and science, information security and cybersecurity, and related technical data in terms of their potential for technology vulnerabilities and evaluates technical data to identify effective mitigation techniques and strategies.
- Prepare technical analysis papers for escalation to interagency committees and provides information and analysis of cases to interagency parties.
- Represent the Office at interagency meetings.
These duties are described at the GS-13 full performance level; the GS-12 is a developmental level leading to such performance.
This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Computer Engineer (Cybersecurity), GS-0854-12/13, Full Performance Level (FPL) GS-13 positions within the Department of Commerce in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
- You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs.
- A probationary period may be required.
- Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/).
- If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
- All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
- Position Sensitivity: This position is designated special sensitive. Incumbent must successfully complete a background security investigation prior to appointment and must be able to obtain and retain a Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) eligibility. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
- Drug Test: Yes. Except as prohibited by law, all applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment, and appointed the incumbent will be subjected to random drug testing procedures.
- License required: No
- Pre-employment physical required: No
- Bargaining Unit Position: No
- Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): No
- Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: will not be paid
- Recruitment Incentive may be authorized.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
- Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
OR
- Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
- Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1 , or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
- Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
- Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
- Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)
(MUST PROVIDE TRANSCRIPTS)
AND
In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, candidates must also meet the additional specialized experience requirement.
Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/
Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
GS-12
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess
one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Applying professional computer engineering concepts, principles, and techniques applicable to analyze advanced technologies in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) / Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) supply chain;
- Implementing information systems practices in areas such as applications development, systems integration, telecommunications, database management, security, and/or software engineering; and
- Integrating policies, procedures, and regulations into data protection and data security for an organization.
GS-13
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess
one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Synthesizing professional computer engineering concepts, principles, and techniques applicable to analyze advanced technologies in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) / Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) supply chain;
- Developing information systems best practices in areas such as applications development, systems integration, telecommunications, database management, security, and/or software engineering;
- Investigating and applying the automation needs to maintain the security posture of the network; and
- Developing and integrating policies, procedures, and regulations into data protection and data security for an organization.
This is an
OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 06/05/2024, or until all vacant positions are filled. The first group of eligible applicants will be reviewed on
03/19/2024. Applicants may receive consideration prior to the initial cut-off date, as requested by the organization, as well as on the following cut-off dates specified below. Applicants found eligible and referred on a cut-off date, or the date requested by the organization, will continue to be referred on subsequent cut-off dates:
04/19/2024 05/20/2024 06/05/2024 Cutoff dates and the closing date of this announcement may be adjusted as needed, and any updates will be reflected on this announcement.
Education
See Qualifications Above.
Additional information
ICTAP and CTAP Eligibles: CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition
CTAP Applicants MUST Submit The Following Documents
- A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
ICTAP Applicants MUST Submit The Following Documents
- A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.