Information Technology (IT) Specialist (Customer Support) Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Operations and Services (ITOPS) Overview Open & closing dates 08/30/2018 to 12/31/2018 Service Competitive Pay scale & grade GS 7 - 11 Salary $35,854 to $68,983 per year The salary range listed reflects the GS base rate (not including locality). Upon selection, the salary will be adjusted to include locality. Appointment type Permanent Work schedule Full-Time Locations many vacancies in the following locations: West Haven, CT Washington DC, DC Wilmington, DE Bedford, MA Boston, MA Brockton, MA Northampton, MA Baltimore, MD Augusta, ME Asheville, NC Durham, NC Salisbury, NC Manchester, NH East Orange, NJ Lyons, NJ Albany, NY Bath, NY Bronx, NY Brooklyn, NY Buffalo, NY Canandaigua, NY Montrose, NY New York, NY Northport, NY Syracuse, NY Altoona, PA Butler, PA Coatesville, PA Erie, PA Lebanon, PA Philadelphia, PA Pittsburgh, PA Wilkes Barre, PA Providence, RI Hampton, VA Richmond, VA Roanoke, VA Salem, VA White River Junction, VT Beckley, WV Clarksburg, WV Huntington, WV Martinsburg, WV Relocation expenses reimbursed No Telework eligible No This job is open to The public U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. Share Announcement number CARX-18-10296582-DLe-OCA Control number 509659300 Videos Duties Duties Summary This position in the Office of Information Technology (OIT), End User Operations and is located at a VA facility. The primary duties and responsibilities include providing Point of Care Customer Service. In accordance with established policies and procedures of the specific VA facility assigned. The employee works in a multi-vendor IT environment supporting multi-user computer systems. Responsibilities This is an open-continuous announcement. The first cut-off date to consider applications for referral to the selecting official will be two weeks from 08/30/2018. . We will accept application packets on an on-going basis. Qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official every two weeks from the initial cut-off date. Complete applications submitted prior to 11:59 p.m. EST on the established cut-off date will receive consideration for referral to the selecting official. Applications received after each cut-off date will be considered on the next cut-off date until the closing date of this announcement. Major Duties: Resolving customer related technical software and hardware problems; Diagnosing and/or resolving problems in response to a customer reported incident via trouble tickets; Planning and delivery of IT customer support services; Submitting recommendations to improve the efficient use of the system and responding to special requests for system data. Maintaining and updating system files necessary to control all aspects of system operations and access. Performing other related duties and responsibilities as assigned/required. Work Schedule: This position supports 24/7 operations throughout the calendar year. Work is typically performed on the day shift; however, candidate may be subject to overtime work, shift work, and/or work on rotating shifts to include evenings, weekends, and holidays. Telework : Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. You will be required to work at a VA facility. Position Description Title/PD#: Information Technology Specialist (Customer Support)/15263A/15264A/15265A Physical Requirements: The work is both sedentary and active, requiring walking through out the medical center. Duties may require lifting, carting and carrying computer equipment such as monitors and printers weighing 20-40 pounds. Asking assistance from other specialist to help with lifting is encourage. There may be limited crawling under desks and behind areas to gain access to equipment. Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position. Supervisory status No Promotion Potential 11 Job family (Series) Similar jobs Requirements Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job. Subject to a background/suitability investigation. Designated and/or random drug testing may be required. May serve a probationary period. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Qualifications Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. This position involves a multi-grade career ladder . The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-11. At the GS-11 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You may qualify based on your education/experience, as described below: For all grade levels for this position individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. 1) Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. 2) Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. 3) Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. 4) Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. AND Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the federal service; experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level that includes: applying, IT principles, methods, and practices in the customer service and customer support area to identify and resolve issues and problems. For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level that includes: planning and delivering customer support services, including installation, configuration, troubleshooting, customer assistance, and/or training, in response to customer requirements; troubleshooting, recovering, adjusting, modifying, and improving IT systems in order to provide advice and assistance to customers. For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level that includes: coordinating customer support activities sufficient to receive, respond to and ensure complete resolution of complex issues beyond what a help desk can resolve; providing comprehensive software, IT systems or equipment guidance and/or training to enhance customer knowledge, as well as to prevent recurring help desk inquiries; developing clear and concise IT reports and documentation for senior IT management. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the specialized experience required for each grade level. (Unofficial Transcripts Required) For the GS-07, you must have a Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) or one (1) full year of graduate level study (or law school, as specified in qualification standards or individual occupational requirements). ( S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. 1. Class standing-- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)-- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. 3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society --Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies. Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. A transcript or course listing must be submitted if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.) For the GS-09, you must have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree. For the GS-11, you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Note: Undergraduate and graduate degrees must be in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or degree that provided a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks. (Unofficial Transcripts Required) Note: 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; religions; 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. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Additional information The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at . Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Alternate Application: If you are unable to apply online view the following Alternate Application Information instructions at How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in alphabetical order. Background checks and security clearance Security clearance Drug test required No Required Documents Required Documents Documents Accepted: Resume Transcript Documents Required: Resume Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted. Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position. Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from . Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating. Benefits Benefits A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. . Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered. How to Apply How to Apply All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/31/2018 to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, , select the Application Status link and then select the M ore Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application , log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. Agency contact information VHA Nationwide Recruitment Phone Email Address DAS Information and Technology - 103 810 Vermont Avenue NW Washington, DC 20420 US Next steps After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Fair & Transparent Fair & Transparent The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. Equal Employment Opportunity Policy The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. Reasonable Accommodation Policy Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits. Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when: An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job. An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace. An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events. You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Learn more about or Legal and regulatory guidance This job originated on . For the full announcement and to apply, visit . Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at will be considered.