Job Listing: Information Technology Specialist (Data Management)

Duty Locations

 1 vacancy - Anchorage, AK

National Park Service - Experience Your America

 

 

APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM : All Sources

In addition to competitive referral lists, separate referral lists will be generated for candidates who are eligible under merit promotion procedures. You are eligible under merit promotion procedures if you meet one of the following criteria:

All Federal employees with career or career-conditional appointments in the competitive service; former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility based on previous career or career-conditional appointments in the competitive service; displaced Federal employees requesting special priority selection consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP); veterans who are preference eligibles or who have been separated under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous service; individuals eligible for VRA appointments; and individuals with disabilities. YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR SF 50 AND/OR DD 214 IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED UNDER MERIT PROMOTION PROCEDURES.

One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement.

Major Duties

As an IT Specialist (Data Management) for the National Park Service's Southwest Alaska Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, you will develop, document, and maintain a variety of databases for managing physical, environmental, and biological information.  Database development occurs primarily in Microsoft Access or SQL Server, and you will work closely with the program staff to design tables, queries, forms, reports, and modules from these databases; customize the applications using VBA and SQL to achieve the necessary results; test and debug the applications; and ensure the overall database functionality and ease of use.  In addition, you will contribute to user manuals, provide technical support to users, and ensure the compatibly and security of all databases and archived datasets in accordance with network standards.
Please note that the physical demands of this position are primarily sedentary but do include occasional visits to field work sites which may require hiking and climbing in uneven, steep, rough, slippery, and rugged, mountainous terrain; exposure to climactic conditions; and potentially dangerous wildlife.  Minimal travel in small planes and boats is required.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes both of the following parts:

Your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire, and
Your résumé and any other documents specified in the Required Documents section of this job announcement.

Use Application Manager for convenience and quickest processing. Track your progress to a Complete Application Package using the My Application Packages checklist and status displays in Application Manager. Your Application Package status must be Complete by Thursday, April 10, 2008.

Option A:  Application Manager

To begin, choose one of these options:

If your résumé is going to come from the USAJOBS Resume Builder, you begin the process by clicking the Apply Online button near the bottom of this page. Your résumé will be attached only to the Application Package you complete and Submit immediately after you click the Apply Online button for this job announcement, not to any Application Packages you may already have created.
If your résumé is going to be one you prepared outside of USAJOBS Résumé Builder, click this link to begin the process:  Online Questionnaire.

To return to Application Manager at any time, use whichever one of the links   you used to begin as described above, or simply go to https://ApplicationManager.org.

 Option B:   Paper Qualifications Questionnaire

If it is not possible for you to use Application Manager, you can write your answers on paper.   Follow these steps:

You can print a copy of this job announcement so that you can read the questions offline.
Obtain and print a copy of the OPM Form 1203-FX, which you will use to provide your answers. You can obtain the form at this URL http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/OPM1203fx.pdf or by calling USAJOBS by Phone at (703) 724-1850; after the introduction, press 1, and listen for instructions.
You may submit the Form 1203-FX, resume, and any supporting documents either by fax, by mail or in person.
By Fax: If you are faxing a Form 1203-FX, do not use a separate cover sheet. Simply make sure the Form 1203-FX is on top of any other documents you are faxing. If you are faxing any documents without the Form 1203-FX on top, always use the official cover sheet which is here -- http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf -- and be sure to fill it out completely and clearly.   The fax number is 1-478-757-3144.   Feed all documents into your fax machine top first so that we receive them right-side up.
By mail or in person:  

Philadelphia Services Branch
US Office of Personnel Management
600 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
USA

Attention: PH174561

 

Instructions for completing the paper Assessment Questionnaire: 

If you are applying to this announcement by completing the OPM 1203-FX form instead of using the on-line Applications Manager method, you will need to print the vacancy announcement and refer to it as you answer the questions. You may omit any optional information; however, you must provide responses to all required questions. Be sure to double check your application before submission.  You are encouraged to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and submit your documentation using the Application Manager method since it is the most efficient way to process your application . The method that we highly recommend is outlined under "OPTION A."   If you are unable to submit your responses online, please use the following step-by-step assessment questionnaire instructions as a guide to filling out the required questionnaire on the OPM Form 1203-FX:

Social Security Number

Enter your Social Security Number.  Providing your Social Security Number is voluntary, however, we can not process your application without it.

Vacancy Identification Number

Enter PH174561

1. Title of Job

Enter Information Technology Specialist (Data Management)

2. Biographic Data

3. E-Mail Address

4. Work Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

5. Employment Availability

6. Citizenship

Are you a citizen of the United States?
7. Background Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

8. Other Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

9. Languages

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

10. Lowest Grade

Enter the lowest grade level (07-09) you will accept.

0709
11. Miscellaneous Information

We would like to know how you found out about this position.  Please select the appropriate response from the selections below.

001 Job Fair002 Newspaper Advertisement003 Trade Journal/Magazine Advertisement004 Radio005 Television006 DOD Transition Office007 College/University008 Personal Referral009 USAJOBS010 Other
12. Special Knowledge

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

13. Test Location

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

14. Veteran Preference Claim

15. Dates of Active Duty - Military Service

16. Availability Date

You may omit the availability date if you can begin work immediately.  Otherwise, you must provide the date you will be available for employment.  Please use this format:  (mm/dd/yyyy)

17. Service Computation Date

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

18. Other Date Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

19. Job Preference

If you are applying under Merit Promotion procedures, please select one of the following:

001 I am a current Federal employee serving under a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service or I am a former Federal employee with reinstatement eligibility.002 I am a preference veteran or I have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous service AND I am not a current or former Federal employee.003 I am eligible for a non-competitive appointment based on eligibility under the Veterans Readjustment Authority.004 I am eligible for a non-competitive appointment based on a current disability.005 I am a Former Peace Corps Appointee or I am eligible for another type of non-competitive appointment.006 I do not meet any of the above.
20. Occupational Specialties

The occupational specialty will be selected for you if there is only one, otherwise, select/enter at least one occupational specialty code for this position.  The specialty code for this position is:

001 IT Specialist (Data Mgt)
21. Geographic Availability

The geographic location code will be selected for you if there is only one, otherwise, select/enter at least one geographic location in which you are interested and will accept employment.  The location code for this position is:

0712 Anchorage, AK
22. Transition Assistance Plan

23. Job Related Experience

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

24. Personal Background Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX leave this section blank.

25. Occupational/Assessment Questions:

1. From the descriptions below, select the letter that describes the education or experience you have that demonstrates your ability to perform GS-07 IT Specialist work. Please select only one answer.

A. I have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service monitoring existing databases; resolving less complex database user questions or problems; assisting in the gathering or analyzing of data from GIS software, aerial photographs, or satellite images; collecting and analyzing simple data; performing data entry; and performing basic IT duties such as data entry, system backup and recovery, and installing and maintaining software.
B. I have a bachelor's degree in computer science, information science, information systems managemetn, mathematics, statistics, operations research, engineering, or a related computer field AND meet one of the Superior Academic Achievement Provisions. 1. Maintained a grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 3.0 or higher) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. - OR - 2. Maintained a grade-point average "B+" (a GPA of 3.5 or higher) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. - OR - 3. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision. - OR - 4. Be a member of a national honor (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. Please submit a college transcript(s) showing your grade point average for all four years of undergraduate study, including all transferred courses. NOTE: GPA's are to rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honor society.
C. I have one full year of graduate level study, or possess a Master's or higher degree, e.g., Ph.D., etc., in computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, engineering, or course work that required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to a major in the computer field. One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
D. I have less than the full amount of graduate education described in "B" and less than the amount of experience described in "C," but I have a combination of the type of graduate education described in "B" and the kind of experience described in "C." To Combine Education and Experience: To calculate your percentages of graduate education, divide your number of graduate semester hours by 18, or by your schools definition of one year of graduate study. To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100% to qualify.
E. My education and/or experience is not described above.

2. From the descriptions below, select the letter that describes the education or experience you have that demonstrates your ability to perform GS-09 IT Specialist work. Please select only one answer.

A. I have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service monitoring and/or maintaining existing Microsoft Access or SQL Server databases; assisting in the creation of simple databases; resolving less complex database user questions or problems; utilizing GIS, GPS, or remote sensing data collectors; maintaining geodatabases; collecting and analyzing simple data; assisting in the preparation of user guides, standard operating procedures, or other database documentation; and performing basic IT duties such as data entry, system backup and recovery, and installing and maintaining software.
B. I have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree in a field such as computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, or engineering, or course work that required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to a major in the computer field.
C. I have a combination of experience as described under letter A above and graduate education as described under letter B above which, when combined, is equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. (Only graduate education in excess of the first full year may be used in this calculation). To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate hours that exceed 18 semester hours (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study), then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%.
D. I do not have the education and/or experience as described above.

In this part, you will respond to questions about experiences you have had that are related to the requirements of the job for which you are applying. Carefully review the response descriptions listed below. For each question or statement, select the one response description that best describes your experience, education, or training.

A- I have not had education, training, or experience in performing this task.
B- I have had education or training in performing this task, but have not yet performed it on the job.
C- I have performed this task on the job. My work on this task was monitored closely by a supervisor or senior employee to ensure compliance with proper procedures.
D- I have performed this task as a regular part of a job. I have performed it independently and normally without review by a supervisor or senior employee.
E- I have supervised performance of this task or am normally the person who is consulted by other workers to assist them in doing this task because of my expertise.

3. Initiates and manages user needs analysis to develop databases

4. Designs, develops, and maintains relational databases

5. Designs, develops, and maintains geodatabases

6. Develops databases using SQL Server

Please briefly describe your experience developing databases using SQL Server

7. Develops databases for natural resource purposes, such as for water quality, biological inventories, or ecological monitoring

Please briefly describe your experience with database development for natural resource purposes

8. Develops and documents conceptual, logical and physical data models

9. Prepares natural resource data for statistical applications or models

10. Implements quality control procedures to verify and validate data

11. Performs systems-related tasks such as data conversion and maintenance of data and applications

12. Uses GIS and/or remote sensing applications for natural resource modeling

13. Develops applications using an object-oriented programming language, such as Visual Basic

14. Develops applications using MS Access

15. Develops web applications using Coldfusion or ASP.NET

Please briefly describe your experience developing web applications using Coldfusion or ASP.NET.

16. Implements data stewardship by providing metadata for data, programs, and database design; implementing quality control procedures; and ensuring long-term storage of information

17. Implements security requirements as a system administrator for SQL Server 2005

18. Provides technical support for the users fo GPS, ArcPad, or other mobile devices for natural resource field activities

19. Prepares professional documents such as user manuals, standard operating procedures, and programming and database documentation

Required Documents:

For this job announcement the following documents are required: 

Resume
Transcripts, if qualifying based on education 
Qualifications Questionnaire
Veterans documentation, if applicable
SF-50, Notice of Personnel Action, if applicable

Please see the instructions outlined above under How To Apply for specific instructions and options for completing and submitting your application material.  Please ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, and social security number.

Complete applications must be received by close of business Thursday, April 10, 2008

Contact Information:
Philadelphia Services Branch

Phone: (215)861-3074

Email: philadelphia@opm.gov


Or write:
Philadelphia Services Branch
US Office of Personnel Management
600 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

USA


What To Expect Next:

Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of referral to the hiring official.  If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.