National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

IT Specialist (Office of Inspector General)- Full Performance Level

Open until filled - Chantilly, VA - Full Time

WE ARE THE NRO

For sixty years, the NRO has developed, acquired, launched and operated the satellites that are the foundation for America’s advantage and strength in space. Using a diversified architecture of spacecraft, NRO collects and delivers the best space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance content on the planet.

Visit us at NRO.gov.

Basic Eligibility For A Position With The NRO

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance
  • You will be subject to pre-employment and periodic drug testing
  • You will be subject to pre-employment and periodic polygraph examinations

Where You Will Work 

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Office of Inspector General (OIG) requires a highly skilled Information Technology Specialist to contribute to the OIG in technology support and maintenance of ongoing systems.  This is an ever-changing environment requiring the incumbent to be flexible and supportive of the continuous enhancement and changes to internal IT infrastructures (i.e. SharePoint, workflows, system updates). The IT Specialist will be responsible for planning, setting goals, and determining the best strategies for accomplishing results.  The IT Specialist is responsible for day-to-day IT requirements for the NRO OIG; and ensuring the user level customer requirements are captured, understood, documented, tracked, and communicated as necessary to the workforce.  This position requires IT familiarity with SharePoint and the willingness to familiarize and learn additional IT applications and software that are used within the OIG.

The NRO Cadre is collecting resumes for consideration against current and future opportunities for GS -13 IT Specialists, occupational series 2210. For more information on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) occupational series, click here.

This is NOT an entry level IT position or a generic help desk position. Your resume may be considered for other positions which your skills and experience may be a good match.

This is a full-time position, located in Chantilly, VA, that is open until filled. There is no telework available for this position.

Who May Apply

  • This position is open to the public.
  • Federal government employees MUST currently be at the grade level or higher as indicated in this announcement. This is NOT a promotion opportunity for current Federal government employees. If selected for the position, Federal government employees will transition laterally at their current grade level and step.
  • Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade IAW DoD 1400.25 Volume 2006.
  • The NRO is only accepting external applicants for this job announcement. Current NRO Cadre employees should apply internally.
  • This position may not qualify for the appointment of a Reemployed Federal Annuitant IAW DoDI 1400.25 Volume 300.

What You Will Be Doing  

  • Assist customers make better use of OIG capabilities, tools, and services while providing technical support to the entire OIG staff. 
  • Perform duties to assist with the maintenance, security, and general support of all internal applications. 
  • Provide advice and guidance on a wide range and variety of complex IT issues. 
  • Lead data gathering to document current mission plans, business processes, IT systems designs, data structures, and organizational structures/services. 
  • Identify and recommend opportunities to develop/improve current business processes, SharePoint workflows, and evaluates data, information and trends to quantify improvements.  Conducts data analysis for transition plans in support of future business needs to include, cost, scalability, capacity, security, and other enterprise factors. 
  • Assist with webpage development, maintenance, and additional enhancements.  This includes monitoring and enhancing configuration while also working the day-to-day operations for all OIG websites.
  • Evaluate new applications software technologies and ensures the application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices to the delivery of application software services. 
  • Conduct risk and vulnerability assessments of planned and installed information systems to identify vulnerabilities, risks, and protection needs.
  • Determine appropriate products or services and defines project scope, requirements, and deliverables; and develops, modifies, or provides input to project plans while implementing project plans to meet objectives. 
  • Make improvements, solves problems, and takes corrective action when given approval. 
  • Provide presentations or briefings on all aspects of the project; and participates in phase, milestone, and final project reviews.
  • Review and ensure that submitted risk analysis, accreditation, and certification packages are in accordance with agency requirements and timeframes. 
  • Develops and administer data standards, policies, and procedures. 
  • Maintain system securities and conduct system security evaluations, audits, and reviews to prevent and defend against unauthorized access to systems, networks, and data. 
  • Develop and implement programs to ensure that systems, network, and data users are aware of, understand, and adhere to systems security policies and procedures.
  • Diagnose and resolve problems in response to customer reported incidents. 
  • Research, evaluate, and provide feedback on problematic trends and patterns in customer support requirements. 
  • Provide management officials and personnel within the OIG advice on current technology and policy and its impact on current and long-range programs. 
  • Keep abreast of new technology and emerging government and industry best practices and determines extent of possible application and usage. 
  • Receive and analyze new technology support requirements, develops information system techniques, establishes criteria, and makes recommendations when procedures/guidelines do not exist for IT and automation resources/requirements, e.g., impacting information technology systems; implementation, operations, expansion, consolidations, and continuing life-cycle management.

What You Need 

  • Extensive experience with Information Assurance (IA) and AWS cloud experience and knowledge of Cloud Formation scripting.
  • Strong attention to detail, excellent customer service and communication skills as well as the ability to problem solve. 
  • Highly developed oral and written communication skills necessary to work with a wide variety of personnel.  Skill in briefing and communicating technical problems, solutions and proposed recommendations for improvement.
  • Proven experience applying knowledge to highly complex projects and adopting innovative methods and approaches to generate solutions to highly technical software problems.
  • Experience with advanced IT principles, concepts, methods, standards, and practices sufficient to accomplish assignments such as:  develop and interpret policies, procedures, and strategies governing the planning and delivery of services; provide technical advice, guidance, and recommendations to management and other technical specialists on critical IT issues; apply new developments to problems; and make decisions or recommendations that influence important IT policies or programs.
  • Solid understanding of the interrelationships of multiple IT specialties; the agency’s IT architecture; new IT developments and applications; emerging technologies and their applications to business processes; IT security concepts, standards, and methods; project management principles, methods, and practices, including developing plans and schedules, estimating resource requirements, defining milestones and deliverables, monitoring activities, and evaluating and reporting on accomplishments.
  • Robust knowledge of IT systems sufficient to ensure that integration of IT programs and services; and develop solutions to integration/interoperability issues; design, develop, and manage systems that meet current and future business requirements and apply and extend, enhance, or optimize the existing architecture; manage assigned projects.
  • Ability to handle numerous matters simultaneously, prioritize requirements, and perform tasks within specified timelines.
  • Ability to work independently to solve problems within acceptable agreed upon Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Mean Downtime (MTD), and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO)

Additional Desired Qualifications

  • 2+ years’ experience or knowledge of the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and National Reconnaissance Office is a plus but not required.
  • Previous Networking and Launch Configuration experience
  • Database administration and knowledge of various Database platforms
  • Previous knowledge in a variety of IA field’s concepts, practices, and procedures to ensure the secure integration and operation of all OIG systems

Qualifying experience may have been acquired in any public or private sector job, but will clearly demonstrate past experience in the application of the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform  and is typically in or directly related to the duties of the position as described above. Experience must be reflected in your resume. 

Other Information

  • Overtime Statement:  MAY be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
  • Travel Statement:  MAY be required to travel in military or commercial aircraft to perform temporary duty assignments.
  • Financial Disclosure:  MAY be required to file an OGE Form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, upon appointment and will be required to file annually.
  • Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) coded positions: If selected for a DAWIA coded position, the incumbent must meet appropriate certification requirements IAW the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) no later than 24 months after accepting this position. Individual shall maintain, at a minimum 80 continuous Learning Points every 24 months via the services acquisition management system. DAWIA requirements may be located at the Defense Acquisition University website.
  • Geographic Mobility Agreement: MAY be subject to directed reassignment as required to address mission effectiveness, and/or career development.
  • Information Assurance (IA): Must achieve the appropriate IA certification within six months of assignment.
  • Emergency Essential: Certain positions MAY be deemed emergency essential and incumbents must be willing to meet all position requirements.

Location

Chantilly, VA

Salary

This position meets the qualifications for Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) Targeted Local Market Supplement (TLMS) STEM pay for NRO Cadre employees and candidates as authorized by the office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security’s (OUSD(I&S)).  Cadre employees and candidates are eligible to receive STEM pay if they are currently serving in a STEM designated position. Should a Cadre employee or candidate earning STEM pay change positions within the organization, they must be assigned to another STEM qualifying position in order to continue to remain eligible for STEM pay.  Otherwise, Cadre employees and Candidates Generally would be transitioned to the DCIPS GG Pay Scale. For more information on STEM pay, visit https://dcips.defense.gov/Human-Resources/Compensation/

2023 STEM Salary range:

GG-13: $123,437 - $168,694

**This position is a full performance level DCIPS position. The NRO is accepting applications from U.S. Citizens and current Federal Government employees for this position.  To qualify for the position, Federal government employees MUST currently be at the GG-13 grade level and may ONLY apply for a lateral reassignment at their current grade level and step. Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade per IAW DoD 1400.25 Volume 2006.

Hiring Incentives

The NRO may offer hiring incentives and other entitlements at management’s discretion.

Trial Period

All new DCIPS employees will be required to serve a 2-year trial period.

Veterans’ Preference

DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans’ Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Vol 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement.  If you are a veteran claiming veterans’ preference, as defined by section 2108 of Title 5 USC, you must submit documents verifying your eligibility upon request.

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. Please send your request to [email protected].

Privacy Act Notice

Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): We use this information to determine qualifications for employment. This is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.

Read more about the Privacy Act of 1974 

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