Summary

The position is located in the Office of the Director (OD), Office of Computer and Communications Systems (OCCS), Applications Branch (AB), E-Library Technology Support Section (ELTS).

Duties

As an IT Specialist (SYSADMIN/APPSW), you will:

• Serve as the expert intermediary between the systems administration and application functions/teams in the Applications Branch (e.g., developers, networking team, infrastructure security team, infrastructure systems team).
• Coordinate projects and activities, and manage the deployment, maintenance, and upgrade process of applications developed by different development groups and teams.
• Work with software application developers to architect, configure, and troubleshoot application servers and the software running on the developed applications.
• Oversee and ensure systems administration, patching, networking, and provisioning support of application servers within the OCCS applications platform.
• Manage approximately 400 application servers in support of the NLM mission and ensure support for applications residing on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud.
• Direct and oversee provisioning and patching scripts for on-premises application servers and AWS Cloud.
• Create, maintain, and administer automated testing frameworks that allow in-depth testing of User Interfaces, modules, and security of custom software applications across multiple programming languages and platforms.
• Maintain the integrity, security, and availability of NOSQL databases and database-like technologies, and troubleshoot server issues, including tuning performance, isolate and fix application problems, and apply security patches.
• Analyze and evaluate new systems engineering technologies, and develop and coordinate lifecycle development processes and tools to facilitate agile development methodologies.
• Identify future-state objectives for the development environment, and provide guidance on best practices to maintain the development environments and support the rapid development and testing of web based solutions.
• Provide analysis and guidance on program related information technology (IT) issues or problems where new analytical techniques must be developed to identify and evaluate findings.
• Identify and maintain firewall rules needed to allow application communication, and create and maintain approximately 2500 firewall rules in support of application network communication.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
• The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• A one-year probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.

Qualifications

For all IT positions, individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below:

• Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
• 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.
• 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.
• Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

AND, you qualify at the GS-11 level, if you meet one of the following qualification requirements:

• Have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management OR a 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, or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education in one of the areas described above leading to such a degree. OR
• You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: (1) assisting in the development of new software/web applications using common programming languages (e.g., JavaScript, Python, SQL, C, C#, Visual Basic, PHP); (2) troubleshooting and debugging reported errors by testing and correcting code used in applications; and (3) assisting in the implementation of a variety of software and application testing procedures (unit, integration, functional, system, stress, performance, usability, acceptance, etc.).

AND, you qualify at the GS-12 level, if you meet the following qualification requirements:

• You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: (1) developing new software/web applications using common programming languages (e.g., JavaScript, Python, SQL, C, C#, Visual Basic, PHP); (2) creating SQL data manipulation statements (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE) and stored procedures used in software/web applications; (3) carrying out of a variety of software and application testing procedures (unit, integration, functional, system, stress, performance, usability, acceptance, etc.); and (4) participating in the planning and implementation of standard operating procedures on coding techniques, styles, documentation, and deployment.

AND, you qualify at the GS-13 level, if you meet the following qualification requirements:

• You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: (1) diagnosing system software, applications software, and system interface issues; (2) managing application servers, analyzing systems configurations, overseeing software installations, upgrades, and patches, and managing IT projects; (3) serving as an advisor to specialists and managers in developing and implementing hosting infrastructure technologies; (4) reviewing and evaluating hosted applications' security requirements; and (5) serving as a technical consultant to customers in support of application systems hosted on an organization's servers, diagnosing causes of complex critical systems administration problems, and devising innovative solutions for their resolution.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings with the information you provide in your application. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply:

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Factor 1: Knowledge of application server operations, maintenance and management in order to develop secure applications and services.
• Factor 2: Knowledge of IT systems' integration principles, methods and standards.
• Factor 3: Ability to perform IT project management duties and functions.
• Factor 4: Ability to communicate technical advice, recommendations or information to system users and technical and non-technical staff.
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:

• Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
• Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
• Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the and the , you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

Required Documents

Required for All Applicants
RESUME:
Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.
To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the . If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:

1. Job title
2. Name of employer
3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
6. Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: , , and the .

ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE:
You must submit a completed assessment questionnaire.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, Schedule A or military spouse eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.

• (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the is submitted with your application package.
• Visit our sites on / for more information and required documentation.
• Visit our site on the for more information and required documentation to verify eligibility.
• Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities) Applicants who are eligible to be considered under must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility. Documentation must be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. Veterans' preference takes precedence in these appointments.

The Schedule A and military spouse hiring authorities do not guarantee employment or give an individual preference in the hiring process.

Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official(s).

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.

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