IT Specialist

Summary

This position is situated within the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). As a Senior IT Specialist, the incumbent serves as an enterprise cloud engineer responsible for engineering, implementing, and administering Microsoft M365 and Azure cloud environments, while building proficiency to independently support the full spectrum of enterprise collaboration services.

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Duties

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The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per calendar year.

We need your expertise if:

GS-13

1. You thrive as a technical expert engineering, implementing, and administering Microsoft M365 and Azure cloud environments, ensuring scalability, reliability, security, and compliance with governance policies and architecture frameworks.
2. You're energized by solving complex problems across enterprise cloud environments, analyzing performance data, isolating root causes, documenting solutions, and driving preventive measures to maintain service continuity.
3. You excel at building consensus with senior leadership, cybersecurity teams, vendors, and business stakeholders to translate functional requirements into actionable technical designs and implementation strategies for enterprise cloud initiatives.
4. You're committed to staying ahead of the curve, researching emerging cloud technologies and industry best practices to advise management on tools, standards, and innovative solutions that continually improve software.
5. Your expertise shines in establishing technical documentation, standard operating procedures, and lifecycle management practices, providing guidance to team members and supporting certification, accreditation, and compliance activities.

GS-14

1. You distinguish yourself as the recognized technical authority on Microsoft M365 and Azure cloud environments, setting enterprise-wide standards, defining security architectures, and making decisions that shape how the organization delivers and governs cloud services.
2. You take ownership of resolving unprecedented challenges, diagnosing enterprise-impacting conditions, engineering innovative remediation strategies, and transforming lessons learned into systemic improvements that elevate organizational resilience.
3. You're instrumental in driving strategic alignment among senior leadership, cross-agency partners, and vendors on enterprise cloud strategy, championing coordinated adoption of architecture decisions, policies, and standards even when competing priorities or organizational resistance arise.
4. You're passionate about advancing enterprise cloud maturity, evaluating emerging technologies and applying business process engineering methods to identify transformational improvements that redefine how IT supports critical business functions.
5. You're dedicated to shaping governance frameworks, technical standards, and compliance programs, mentoring multidisciplinary teams and serving as the authoritative resource for lifecycle management practices across the enterprise.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
• Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
• Suitable for Federal Employment
• Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at Competency-Based Qualification Standard for the Information Technology Management Series, 2210.

Specialized Experienceis experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade in the Federal service.

For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-12

Specialized experience for this position includes:

• Experience engineering, implementing, and administering Microsoft M365 and/or Azure cloud environments, including configuration management, access controls, identity management, data protection and retention, and compliance with governance policies and security requirements; AND
• Experience monitoring, troubleshooting, and resolving complex issues in enterprise cloud environments, including analyzing usage and performance data, isolating configuration problems, and implementing solutions to meet operational and customer requirements; AND
• Experience collaborating with technical and business stakeholders to gather, analyze, and translate functional requirements into technical designs and customer delivery models, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, security mandates, and operational needs; AND
• Experience developing and maintaining technical documentation, standard operating procedures, and lifecycle management artifacts in support of enterprise cloud systems, including participation in certification, accreditation, and compliance activities.

For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-13

Specialized experience for this position includes:

• Experience serving as a recognized technical authority on Microsoft M365 and/or Azure cloud environments, defining enterprise-wide configuration baselines, security architectures, and data protection strategies, and making decisions that significantly influence IT policies and programs; AND
• Experience isolating and resolving unprecedented, enterprise-impacting technical conditions in cloud environments, applying advanced analytical methods to identify systemic risks, and engineering remediation strategies that strengthen organizational resilience and prevent future disruptions; AND
• Experience driving consensus among senior management, cross-agency partners, cybersecurity teams, and vendors to develop technology roadmaps, shape enterprise cloud architecture, and influence the adoption of standards and policies across multiple organizational boundaries; AND
• Experience establishing enterprise-level technical standards, governance frameworks, and lifecycle management programs for cloud systems, directing accreditation and compliance activities, and serving as a subject matter authority that other technical experts rely on for guidance and direction.

Basic Requirement Competencies: The specialized experience must include, or be supplemented by, information technology related experience (paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training, as appropriate) which demonstrates each of the competencies, as defined:

1. Attention to Detail
2. Customer Service
3. Decision Making
4. Information Management
5. Interpersonal Skills
6. Oral Communication
7. Problem Solving
8. Teamwork
9. Technical Competency

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

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.

Additional information

Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

This is a Non Bargaining Unit position.

Except as prohibited by law, all applicants tentatively selected for positions needing a Top Secret Clearance will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and, if appointed, the incumbent will be subjected to random drug testing procedures.

Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP. CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.

All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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.

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.

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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.

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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.