Information Technology Specialist (Customer Support) (GS-12)

Summary

About the Position: This position is located within the Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) Information Technology Division's Global Operations Branch at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. Federal employees in Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico are currently entitled to receive a 2.49% COLA in addition to the base salary. This rate is subject to change. This position may be eligible for situational telework as determined by the agency policy. This is a Direct Hire Solicitation.

Duties

Analyze incident request trends and patterns in order find opportunities to improve services. Analyze, document, and plan for additions, upgrade, or configuration to ensure proper application software and web services. Analyze hardware and software problems for on-the-spot repair/replacement or referral for other repairs. Remove, reinstall or reconfigure desktop software or web services in order to correct issues. Monitor helpdesk system for newly submitted tickets, documents, and update existing tickets until complete resolution. Test new software deployment packages and Operating System images and provide feedback or solutions.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: Providing immediate response and resolution to information technology tickets. Analyzing information technology helpdesk tickets for escalation. Diagnosing hardware or software problems. Briefing senior leadership and providing status updates on projects and challenges. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11) The specialized experience must include, or be supplemented by, information technology related experience (paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training, as appropriate) which demonstrates each of the four competencies, as defined: (1) Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include: completing thorough and accurate work independently, even in the most difficult or stressful situations; occasionally reviewing work completed by others. (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. Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include: resolving routine and non-routine problems, questions, or complaints; developing and maintaining strong, mutually supportive working relationships with customers; conducting evaluation of support to determine quality of services and customer satisfaction, and recommending procedural changes based on customer need or changes in policy and/or regulation. (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. Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include: convincingly conveying complex information to customers; presenting thoughts that are well-organized and demonstrating confidence in the facts and ideas; adjusting style when working with individuals with different levels of understanding; using various methods to explain and convey information. (4) Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Examples of IT-related experience demonstrating this competency include: solving complex or sensitive problems by developing and proposing strategic alternatives; identifying possible conflicts and shared benefits; helping team anticipate problems and identifying and evaluating potential sources of information; providing feedback and coaching to others to help solve problems; engaging appropriate stakeholders when developing solutions in order to understand and incorporate multiple perspectives and needs; evaluating the effectiveness of decisions and adjusting future decisions as appropriate

Education

No substitution of education for experience is permitted. You must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone.

How you will be evaluated

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. This is a Direct Hire Solicitation for Cyber Workforce Positions. Your resume will not be reviewed for qualifications until a selection is made. Additional Information regarding overseas appointments: If an employee brings a child to an overseas location and that child is entitled to attend a DoW school on a space-required basis in accordance with DoWEA Regulation 1342.13, the DoWEA and the Military Department responsible for providing related services will ensure that the child, if eligible for special education, receives a free appropriate public education, including related services pursuant to DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. If an employee brings an infant or toddler (up to 3 years of age) to an overseas location, and that infant or toddler, but for the child's age, is entitled to attend the DoWEA on a space-required basis in accordance with DoWEA Regulation 1342.13, then the Military Department responsible for EIS will provide the infant or toddler with the required EIS in accordance with the eligibility criteria consistent with DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. If an employee brings a family member to an overseas location who requires medical or dental care, then the employee will be responsible for obtaining and paying for such care. Access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/12/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13104569). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status Additional Information: Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of War referral system for displaced employees. Be advised that effective Jan. 1 2018, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, most civilian employee relocation allowances became taxable. The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for the additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. For more information, visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction.html. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Pay retention may be offered to selected applicants for positions at overseas locations. Pay retention will not be offered as an incentive for employees moving between overseas positions.

Other information

Applicants must comply with the Exceptional Family Member Program requirements as outlined in the DoD Instruction 1315.19. Applicants who have family members with special medical needs should ensure that prior to accepting a position overseas their family members' medical needs can be met. Access to care in a military treatment facility may not be available to civilian employees except on a space available basis. Consequently, host nation medical facilities may be the only care available. The availability and level of care at host nation medical facilities will vary by location. Selectees initially recruited from the United States may receive certain benefits such as: home leave, etc. (Subject to approval) in accordance with DoDI 1400.25 volume 1260 and 5 CFR Part 630, Subpart F Applicants with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should notify ra@dodea.edu This position is not covered by a bargaining unit. if you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. This position requires a 1-year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest You can find more information about this vacancy in the How You Will Be Evaluated section.