Summary What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position? Salary: $72,553 (Step 01) to $94,317 (Step 10) NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01. There is currently only one vacancy to be filled; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies if they become available. Responsibilities As an IT Specialist (Customer Support) within the Southwest Biological Science Center, some of your specific duties will include: Deploying, configuring, and troubleshooting operating systems. Configuring, maintaining, and backing up relational database management systems. Installing software and providing support. Performing backup and restoring critical data. Operate a government owned or leased vehicle as an incidental driver. Physical Demands The work is primarily sedentary; however, some work may require walking and standing in conjunction with customer site visits, travel, and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site. The work may also involve carrying light item, such as papers, books, or small parts; lifting, with assistance, various pieces of IT equipment such as computers, components, and printers; or driving a motor vehicle. The work does not require special physical effort. Work Environment Work is typically performed in an office setting where typical risks and discomforts that require normal safety precautions occur; however, some work may occur in research facilities or industrial and/or maintenance areas that may require the use of hardhats, hearing protection, or other protective equipment. Requirements Conditions of Employment Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information. Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position? This vacancy is limited to the first 35 applications received and will close at midnight Eastern Time on the day this application limit is reached regardless of the closing date specified in this vacancy announcement. Any application received prior to midnight Eastern Time of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. You are strongly encouraged to submit all required supporting documents at the time of application should the vacancy close earlier than stated in this announcement due to the applicant limit being reached. Supporting documents will not be accepted once the vacancy announcement closes. Relocation expenses may be authorized. You will be required to operate a government-owned or -leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possess a valid State license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license & a copy of your driving record. Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued. A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system. Qualifications Experience must be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate. 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. Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-11 level: **Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to such a degree in computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, or engineering, or course work that required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to a major in the computer field. **OR one year of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service that demonstrates accomplishment of computer project assignments that required a range of knowledge of computer requirements and techniques; i.e., on the basis of general design criteria provided, experience in developing modifications to parts of a system that required significant revisions in the logic or techniques used in the original development. To be creditable, accomplishments normally would have involved the following, or the equivalent: (1) Manage deployment of new workstations, servers, networks, storage, and software to the existing or additional customer base; (2) Experience using a help-desk trouble ticket system to receive, track, and document resolution of user requests; and (3) Provide advice and assistance to customers, troubleshoot complex problems, and provide support in a manner that minimizes interruptions in customers' ability to carry out critical business activities. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement. Education 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. Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs . Additional Information Other Information: Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position. USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) and may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the United States; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361. DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Agency Benefits: USGS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework in accordance with the DOI Telework policy and with supervisor approval. The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. For additional information on our internal telework policy, please reference the Department of the Interior Telework Handbook at: https://www.doi.gov/telework/policies. Working for the U.S. Geological Survey offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; health, life, dental, vision, and long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.