Team Lead/Senior Network Engineer

This position is located in the Bureau of Information Services, Infrastructure Services, Network Engineering section. The incumbent will serve as Team Lead for a team of data communication engineers that are directly responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)'s network and telecommunication systems.

This job announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by the Council of AFGE Locals in the Board.

This job is open to 

The Public: U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.;

Duties

As a Team Lead/Senior Network Engineer, you will:

• As the Team Lead, and at the discretion of the supervisor, direct the workload of the team.

• Report team accomplishments, issues or concerns to the supervisor, and assist in the direction or redirection of team workload priorities.

• Serve as the senior network engineer and lead the team in directing the planning, development, and implementation of projects and for liaison with outside organizations.

• Serve as subject matter expert (SME) for the design, installation, and enhancement of agencywide data and telecommunication networks.

• Develop comprehensive requirements for hardware, software, and contractor services needed to carry out agency data and telecommunication functions.

• Provide technical advice to other information technology (IT) personnel and users within the agency regarding data and telecommunication networks.

• Be responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting the performance of the communication networks in terms of utilization, resources used, response time, users serviced, and reliability.

• Be responsible for associated communication aspects of the agency's contingency planning for disaster recovery.

• Work closely with security specialists to develop and document security procedures and implement security controls for the RRB's communication networks.

Conditions of employment

• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation

• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment.

• Incumbent may be required to work outside of normal duty hours, such as nights, weekends, and holidays, due to operational needs.

• All candidates are expected to reside within 50 miles of the closest field office location listed in this job announcement

Qualifications

Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. Applicants must demonstrate possession of these competencies within the body of the resume; no separate statements addressing them are required.

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.

-AND-
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.
Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.
Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

• Serving as a hands-on technical lead supporting production IT systems by planning, installing, troubleshooting, and enhancing enterprise Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and data and telecommunications networks to maintain reliable and efficient operations.

• Planning, configuring, and troubleshooting Cisco-based network solutions by supporting core and distribution switches, routers, and firewalls/Firepower and assisting with Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) for Virtual Private Network (VPN), Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), Virtual LANs (VLANs), Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), and routing protocols such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) to ensure secure, stable, and efficient enterprise connectivity.

• Resolving issues across Unified Communications, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies, and wireless systems by troubleshooting performance problems, supporting diagnostics, and helping sustain secure and stable communication services.

• Supporting daily network and telecommunications operations by diagnosing and resolving service disruptions involving firewalls, VPNs, switches, routers, MPLS, VLANs, SD-WAN, VoIP, Unified Communications, and wireless infrastructure to maintain consistent availability of enterprise network and telecommunications services.

• Resolving hardware and software failures or network outages, analyzing network disruptions using monitoring and packet-level diagnostic tools, and restoring services within Service Level Agreement response and resolution requirements.

• Providing technical guidance on projects by supporting connectivity planning, documenting network requirements, coordinating with vendors, and ensuring network enhancements incorporate required security and privacy measures.

Note: Possession of Cisco Certifications in one or more of the following is preferred but not required. If you possess any of the certifications, please attach a copy with your resume and/or supporting documents.

• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise

• Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

  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

  There is no education substitution for this position.

  Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
  INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP):

  • ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. You must be determined to be well-qualified for the vacancy to be eligible for special selection priority. After submission of an acceptable application which meets ICTAP eligibility, you will be determined to be well-qualified for a vacancy if your rating places you in the 85th percentile or higher in total possible points.

  • ICTAP eligibles must submit proof of eligibility for special selection priority. Please see the Required Documents section below for more information. 

  If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act; the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered, or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

  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.

  How you will be evaluated

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

  You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability

  • Attention to Detail

  • Customer Service

  • Flexibility

  • Influencing/Negotiating

  • Integrity/Honesty

  • Interpersonal Skills

  • Learning

  • Self-Management

  • Stress Tolerance

  • Teamwork

  • Decision Making

  • Reading Comprehension

  • Reasoning

  The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
  
  Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

  Category rating procedures will be used to rank eligible candidates. Qualified candidates will be assigned to the following categories: Best Qualified, Qualified, and Minimally Qualified. Within each quality category, veterans' preference eligibles will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
  
  The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the rule of three but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

  To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. Resume must not exceed 2 pages. Applicants will be removed from consideration if their resume is longer than 2 pages. Please see How to Apply for additional information regarding the limit.

  • Veterans' Documentation: If you are a veteran, you must provide a copy of your Record of Military Service (DD-214), and proof of your veterans' preference, if applicable. Veterans with a service connected disability must also submit a completed claim form SF-15  along with the required proofs. Go to  for more information.

  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation: If you are eligible under ICTAP, you must submit all required materials verifying your eligibility as listed in Additional Information. These materials include:

    • Proof of eligibility: You must submit documentation such as a separation notice or other required material; and

    • SF-50: You must submit a copy of a recent Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 that shows career or career-conditional competitive service status (Blocks #24 and #34 must be completed); and

    • Performance Appraisal: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal, which must be rated at least fully successful or equivalent. (This is not required if you are eligible for ICTAP due to compensable injury or disability retirement.) The performance appraisal may also be used as part of the ranking process and/or to verify your responses to the questionnaire.

       

      HOW TO APPLY

      In accordance with the Merit Hiring Plan, only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
      Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
      
      We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
      For additional guidance on what to include in your resume, please see .
      
      Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

      1. Click the Apply Online button.
      2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
      3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
      4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click Track this application to return to your assessment completion notice.
      5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
      6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
      7. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
      8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

      Visit the  for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at .
      To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
      To view the announcement status or your application status:  Go to: . Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

      Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and possible referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.