Clarification from the agency

This position is announced under FEMA's Excepted Service, Stafford Act Hiring Authority for a full-time Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employee (CORE) appointment. After three years of continuous service, CORE employees earn competitive eligibility to apply for permanent full-time positions at FEMA. Veterans Preference does not apply to the CORE selection process.

What will I do in this position if hired?

In this position, you will serve as an IT Specialist (CUSTSPT) (Service Branch Director Type II)

When deployed, the IT Specialist (CUSTSPT) (Service Branch Director Type II) reports to the Logistics Section Chief and is responsible for the management of all Information Technology (IT) support activities at an incident site in accordance with the federal IT laws and FEMA's Office of the Chief Information Officer directives and policies.

Typical assignments include:

• Supervises the operations of the Communications Unit(s);
• Determines if the organizational structure is appropriate and Incident Command System (ICS) compliant; ensures that subordinates are qualified to perform assigned positions; makes adjustments, assigns work, sets priorities, and monitors performance of subordinates;
• Evaluates and ensures that existing and potential communication infrastructure requirements are identified when selecting and building FEMA facilities and coordinates with other FEMA components for communications resources (both personnel and equipment) and oversees the establishment of the IT infrastructure;
• Directs the establishment and operation of the IT Service Desk using Remedy HD management tool, services as a technical focal point on the multiple IT customer support services, performs advanced system troubleshooting and system management, installs and configures FEMA approved software, troubleshoots and maintains hardware and software applications, de-commissions equipment, and submits and tracks NiOS orders to the Mobility Service Center for all IT equipment and services;
• Coordinates the closeout of the Joint Field Office, establishes demobilization timeline, recovers equipment, and ensures the proper closeout of contracts.

When not deployed, the IT Specialist (CUSTSPT) (Service Branch Director Type II) reports to the Logistics Section Chief and participates in the exercises at the national, regional and state levels.

Typical assignments include:

• Attends all training as required by the position with states, territories and the other federal agencies, professional development as required for the team member development and FEMA Qualifications System certification, and emergency management training and workshops;
• Provides input for the development of and participates in the execution and documentation of functions and plans that affect critical aspects of FEMA's mission, operational responses and programs;
• Provides basic instruction on disaster-related topics to regions, state and local authorities;
• Participates in the development of national catastrophic planning for all-hazard responses;
• Assists in the development of plans, goals, and objectives for the new initiatives and programs;
• Provides disaster communications training to the team;
• Ensures the teams IT and communications systems are Fully Mission Capable at all times.

What else do I need to know?

At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, and every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management. Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

This announcement is for a position as an IMAT CORE (Incident Management Assist Team, Cadre of Response/Recovery Employee). IMAT CORE employees are full time employees hired to directly support the response and recovery efforts related to disasters. IMATs are the first FEMA personnel deployed to an incident and manage the field-level federal response and early recovery with a primary focus on critical infrastructure stabilization, especially life-saving and life-sustaining efforts. Appointments to IMAT CORE positions may be renewed based upon workload needs and funding availability. Employees are hired under the Robert T. Stafford Act and are excluded from the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing jobs in the competitive service. They can be hired under a streamlined process instead of a competitive process. After 3 years of continuous service, Stafford Act employees may be granted competitive eligibility to apply for permanent full-time positions at FEMA.

Appointments may be renewed based on workload, funding, and supervisory approval.

Conditions of employment

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust/Moderate Risk as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below and that you clearly describe how your experience meets these requirements within your resume.

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• Selective Service registration required.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government travel card
• Travel will be required.
• You may be required to be on a 24 hour on-call work schedule during emergency response periods.
• Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.

Qualifications

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

To qualify for this IT Specialist (CUSTSPT) (Service Branch Director Type II) position at the IT-03 level, you must possess one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IT-02 level in the Federal government, which has equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience may be obtained in the federal government, a state or local government, or private sector, and must demonstrate the following:

• Leading an Information Technology (IT) team in an emergency response environment;
• Coordinating the setup or closeout of a facility to ensure communication requirements are identified; and
• Interpreting Incident Action Plans (IAP) and identifying resources needed.

Individual Occupational Requirement: In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position.

• 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.
• Decision Making - Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
• Information Management - Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems.
• Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations
• 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.
• Reasoning - Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
• Teamwork - Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.
• Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues

Please read the following important information to ensure we have everything we need to consider your application:

• 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.
• Your resume serves as the basis for experience related qualification determinations, and you must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable), as it relates to this job opportunity. Please use your own words, be clear, and specific when describing your work history. We cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.

Are you qualifying based on your work experience?

• Qualifications are based on your ability to demonstrate in your resume that you possess one year of the specialized experience for this announcement at a comparable scope and responsibility. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, it must contain the following information organized by experience/position: (1) job title, (2) name of employer, (3) start and end dates of each period of employment (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY), (4) detailed description of duties performed, accomplishments, and related skills, and (5) hours worked per week (part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience). Federal experience/positions must also include the occupational series, grade level, and dates in which you held each grade level.
• Are you a current or former FEMA Reservist/Disaster Assistance Employee (DAE)? To accurately credit your experience from intermittent positions and Reservist Deployments, you must list the dates (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY) of deployments that are relevant to your qualifying experience, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment.
• Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information. Failure to provide the above information in your resume may result in your application being found "not qualified."
• 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 provides valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
• For additional information on crediting experience and/or education, please reference the OPM General Schedule Qualification Standards

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume, supporting documentation, and your responses to the occupational questionnaire to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements listed in the announcement. If you are qualified, you may be referred to a hiring manager for consideration.

Interview Requirement. Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. To preview, please review: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13107403.

Do not include photos, personally identifying information (PII) (including birthday and social security numbers), or personal information such as age, sex, medical history, etc. Resumes that include any of this information will be ineligible for further review.

It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, Human Resources will not be able to view it in your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.

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