Summary

This position is part of the IT Infrastructure Operations and Engineering Team at the Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, within the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office. As an IT Specialist (SYSADMIN/INFOSEC), you will be responsible for the secure, technical, operational infrastructure supporting energy research, program management, and business operations for all three sites that comprise NETL.

Duties

As an IT Specialist (SYSADMIN/INFOSEC), at the full performance GS-13 level, you will

• Serve as Service Manager directing the planning, configuration, preventive maintenance, and operational oversight of NETL Data Centers, private cloud, and externally hosted solutions across multiple sites to ensure maximum availability and energy efficiency.
• Conduct complex feasibility and infrastructure studies to design, evaluate, and establish IT operational policies, procedures, and long-term architecture strategies aligned with agency objectives.
• Direct the implementation of system security controls, sensor deployment, and vulnerability management to ensure compliance with federal mandates (FISMA, FITARA, NIST 800-53, DISA STIGs) and maintain system Authorizations to Operate (ATO).
• Serve as Project Manager and Technical Performance Monitor (TPM) for site support contracts, defining technical requirements, drafting Statements of Work (SOWs), evaluating proposals, managing budgets, and approving contractor work plans.
• Act as the senior technical authority to resolve escalated, complex hardware/software interoperability issues, operational engineering challenges, and cybersecurity incidents.
• Serve as the approval authority for staff IT acquisition requests, managing third-party maintenance contracts and enforcing federal compliance mandates such as EPEAT environmental purchasing standards.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
• If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• This position is not included in a Bargaining Agreement.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Qualifications

You must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience to qualify for this series as described below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

Applicants must have IT-related education and experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below at a proficiency level equivalent to the next lower grade level in federal service.

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

GS-12 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:

1. Supporting on-premises enterprise data center infrastructure and cloud operations, including assisting with configuration, monitoring, and availability of data-center systems, server infrastructures, or cloud-hosting environments.
2. Contributing to infrastructure modernization projects or contractor coordination, such as helping develop technical requirements, reviewing work products for accuracy, or tracking project schedules and costs to support modernization activities
3. Providing Tier-2 to Tier-3 support for escalated infrastructure issues, including troubleshooting hardware, software, or interoperability problems and assisting in implementing data-lifecycle processes, cloud services, or foundational AI-enabling infrastructure.

GS-13 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:

1. Leading the operations and administration of enterprise on-premises data centers and cloud hosting environments, overseeing configuration, capacity planning, availability management, and compliance with security and governance requirements.
2. Managing technical infrastructure initiatives and contractor performance, including drafting technical requirements and Statements of Work (SOWs), developing cost estimates, reviewing engineering deliverables, and evaluating performance against measurable technical metrics.
3. Providing Tier-3 engineering expertise for infrastructure issues, including resolving escalated hardware, software, or interoperability problems and architecting cloud solutions, structured data-lifecycle systems, and AI-enabling infrastructure that advance mission-aligned modernization

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

There are no specific education requirements or substitution of education for experience for this position.

Additional information

• Appointments made under the DHA are processed as "new" appointments. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).
• Shared Certificates: The Department of Energy shares lists of applicants among its internal Departmental Elements and organizations. You may be referred for consideration to other DOE Hiring Managers throughout the Department for more than one position based on this application. By applying to this announcement, you understand your application materials may be shared with multiple Hiring Mangers throughout DOE. If additional positions are filled from this announcement conditions of employment may differ. You will be notified if you are referred for additional positions.
• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
• For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov
• Hiring incentives may be authorized in accordance with agency policy and if funding is available.

Note: While a formal performance appraisal is highly recommended and requested to expedite your evaluation, if your agency-issued RIF separation notice or other official separation documentation explicitly states that your performance was at least "Fully Successful" (or equivalent) and notes your rating of record, it may be accepted in lieu of a formal performance appraisal. Failure to provide any documentation proving a rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent will result in the loss of your priority consideration.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (10/07/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/[redacted]

Expand Hide additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.