IT CYBERSECURITY SPECIALIST (INFOSEC) CES Recent Graduate

This position is part of the Recent Graduates Program, targeting individuals who have graduated recently from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Eligible applicants must apply within 2 years of degree or certificate completion, except for veterans precluded from doing so due to military service obligations, who have up to 6 years after degree completion.

About the role

Successful applicants will be placed in a dynamic, career development program with both formal and on-the-job training to develop the required knowledge and skills for the position.

Responsibilities

• Perform feasibility studies to develop or modify information systems to meet user requirements.
• Provide technical advice to users, evaluating alternative means of satisfying user requirements and suggesting technically feasible approaches.
• Review proposals for change, including objectives, scope, and user expectations, addressing problems requiring significant departure from established practice.
• Prepare testing and implementation plans, establishing test criteria and data to ensure all program modules and outputs are tested for completeness and accuracy.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• This national security position requires a favorable suitability review and security clearance; failure to maintain security eligibility may result in termination.
• Current Federal Career/Career-Conditional employees will be placed on an Excepted appointment.
• This position is covered under DoD Manual 8140 and is subject to future Cyber Workforce requirements.
• This is a drug-testing designated position.

Qualifications

Who May Be Considered:

• Individuals who have obtained a qualifying Associates, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Professional, Doctorate, Vocational, or Technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous 2 years.
• Veterans (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2108) unable to apply within 2 years of degree completion due to military service obligation. Veterans have a full 2-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty, with eligibility within 6 years of degree completion. DD-214 required.

Basic Requirement:

• Undergraduate or Graduate Education: Degree in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management, or a degree providing a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of these fields, including development or adaptation of applications, systems, or networks.

Experience: Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Oral Communication, and Problem Solving as demonstrated by:

• Attention to Detail: Reviewing IT-related work or data for accuracy, completeness, and consistency with standards.
• Customer Service: Brief contact with customers to provide information about IT products/services or delivering standard products/routine services.
• Oral Communication: Informing supervisors or IT staff of system/project status, including basic technical information for non-technical audiences.
• Problem Solving: Addressing routine IT issues by gathering information from standard sources with limited solutions.

Qualifying Experience by Grade Level:

• GG-07: Identifying and resolving stable, routine technical problems using established guides, protocols, or standard operating methods.
• GG-09: Handling stable cybersecurity issues independently and selecting standard methods for readily available solutions.
• GG-11: Independently planning and executing conventional IT Cybersecurity projects or analyzing and resolving complex cybersecurity issues by adapting standard methods.

Additional Requirements:

• Candidates must describe qualifying experience in their resume.
• Transcripts are required with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.
• Must meet Recent Graduate eligibility by the end of the Fall 2026 semester.

Education Substitution

• GG-07: Bachelor’s degree with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) or 1 academic year of graduate education (or law school). SAA is based on class standing, GPA, or honor society membership.
• GG-09: Completion of a Master’s or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education.
• GG-11: Completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a directly related field.

Qualifying Education Institution: Must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/).

Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign institutions must be evaluated by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (https://www.naces.org/).

Additional Information

• Recent Graduates are not eligible for conversion to a career/career-conditional appointment but may convert to a term or permanent position in a CES-designated organization.
• A trial period may be required if no prior trial or probationary period was completed in the excepted or competitive service.
• Management may select at any grade level (GG-07, GG-09, or GG-11).
• Selectees must sign a Recent Graduate Program Participant Agreement.
• Announcement may fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date.
• Moving costs, recruitment, relocation, or retention incentives are not authorized.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
• DoD policy on employment of annuitants applies.
• Veterans’ Preference applies to preference-eligible candidates in the Cyber Excepted Service.
• Cover letters may be submitted but will not be used to verify qualifications.
• If selected, the authorized rate of pay may exceed the stated maximum under certain circumstances.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Access to a range of benefits designed to support federal employees and their families.
• Eligibility depends on position type (full-time, part-time, or intermittent).

For more details, visit federal benefits.