This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Operations, Security and Preparedness (OSP), Office of Emergency Management and Resilience (OEMR), Operations Division. The purpose of this position is to serve as the frequency manager by managing the radio frequency spectrum to ensure compatible operation across the VA. The incumbent serves as primary VA spokesman with senior VA officials, foreign government officials, and subject matter experts in subcommittees.

Duties

This is a non-bargaining unit position. The initial cut-off number for this job announcement is 50 applications. The first 50 applications will receive first consideration. Applications received after the initial cut-off number (50 applications) will not receive consideration unless otherwise requested by management. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available Telework: No Duty Location Status: Washington DC Position Description Title/PD#: Telecommunications Specialist / PD82045A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary and involves few physical demands. The incumbent may be asked to dispose of classified material in groups weighing less than 20 pounds. Major Duties: Properly selecting, obtaining, protecting, and assigning radio frequencies to satisfy the telecommunications requirements of the VA as well as for providing technical support nationwide. Manage and protecting VA frequency assignments from interference from other electronic communication devices. Coordinate VA radio frequency assignments and usage through the IRAC, FAS, SPS, and other government officials in the United States and foreign countries to obtain and protect VA frequency assignments. Provide assistance and expertise in preparing engineering data on radio frequency telecommunications and other telecommunications equipment matters. Determine available frequencies and develop comprehensive project plans to ensure frequency bands do not interfere with other Federal and non-Federal agencies. Develop the communication plan in emergency events; assess and determine needs and availabilities; and coordinate with facilities, as necessary.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Selectees may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• A complete application package, i.e., Resume, Transcripts, etc., as required by job announcement.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the Seasonal Influenza Prevention Program for VHA Health Care Personnel (HCP) is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs HCP.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Pre-employment physical examination/evaluation may be required.
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/22/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current federal status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. AND Individual Occupation Requirements (IOR): This position includes an Individual Occupation Requirement. Individual Occupational Requirements are requirements that must be met, in addition to the specialized experience and/or education requirement. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Individual Occupational Requirement must be reflected in your application materials (resume/transcript). The Individual Occupational Requirements for this position are: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- electrical or electronic engineering, mathematics, physics, public utilities, statistics, computer science, telecommunications management, information systems management, business administration, industrial management, or other fields related to the position to be filled. Other Education: Communications/electronics or automatic data processing training in technical institutes or business schools above the high school level or in Armed Forces schools that included advanced instruction in addition to basic courses, may be substituted for general experience on a month-for-month basis. OR Experience: Specialized Experience: Experience in evaluating, analyzing, developing, managing, or improving communications systems, procedures, and requirements that demonstrated knowledge of current developments and trends in communications concepts and technology. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. AND You may qualify based on your experience as described below. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience as a frequency manager ensuring compatible operation throughout a national organization's radio frequency spectrum system, analyzing and evaluating to resolve critical problems related to frequency bands (i.e., auctions, negotiations, etc.), Experience with electromagnetic communications, including radio systems and concepts (digital/voice/data) including the following areas: radio communications, operational characteristics of radio transmitting and receiving equipment; radio wave propagation, the potential for interference, antenna characteristics, and design features; Experience with interpretation and application of the National Table of Frequency Allocations, various frequency assignment plans, and the rules and procedures for spectrum management; Experience researching and reviewing telecommunications policy and regulations and implementing and applying their intent to specific spectrum management issues. Per Office of Personnel Management General Schedule Qualification Policies, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, human resources director, or official documentation such as SF-52, SF-50 documenting an official detail/assignments, or other comparable documentation). The documentation must indicate whether the employee performed the duties full time or, if part-time, the percentage of times the employee performed the additional duties. To receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your position, you must provide official documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp.

Education

There is no education substitute or requirement for the GS-13 level.

PLEASE NOTE: 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 (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Contacts

• Address AS Operations, Security, and Preparedness - 3269 810 Vermont Ave NW Room 275 Washington, DC 20420 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]