Supervisor I.T. Specialist

About

Overview

Hiring Path:

• Open to the public

Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency:

This position is open to:
• All Interested Applicants / All SourcesFor USEFM – FP grade is FP-05. Actual FP salary authorized by Washington D.C.

Security Clearance Required:

Public Trust – Background Investigation

Appointment Type

Permanent

Marketing Statement:

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO): The U.S. Mission provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Summary:

The U.S. Mission in Lusaka, Zambia is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the Supervisory I.T. Specialist position in the Diplomatic Technology office.

Supervisory Position:

Yes

Relocation Expenses Reimbursed:

No

Travel Required:

Occasional Travel

Occasional travel to attend training.

Duties

The Supervisory IT Specialist supervises and manages Diplomatic Technology team, providing leadership for daily operations, team performance, and mid- to long-term strategic planning. Serves as the senior Subject Matter Expert (SME) in their area of responsibility, providing expert-level oversight and technical guidance on service integration, system dependencies, and end-user impact. Advises DT leadership on Mission-wide Diplomatic Technology (DT) operations, policies, and resource planning, collaborating closely to shape strategic direction, address cross-functional challenges, and drive operational improvements.

Leads multiple concurrent high-visibility and high-impact Diplomatic Technology (DT) projects, developing and executing operational plans aligned with evolving policy changes, cybersecurity requirements, and enterprise architecture standards. Through their team, oversees the administration of Information Technology (IT) systems to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability; directs the delivery of Tier 1 and Tier 2 technical support across multiple channels; supervises system analysis and configuration management; and manages teams responsible for the ongoing maintenance of IT Systems.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Requirements:

All selected candidates must be able to obtain and hold a:

• • security certificate; or

All selected candidates will be subject to a background investigation and may be subject to a pre-employment medical exam.

Selected candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time (6 weeks) upon receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.

Education Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Management Information Systems, Computer Engineering is required.

Please address this factor in your ERA application under Education.

Evaluations:

You will be evaluated against the qualifications and requirements in this vacancy announcement.
You may be asked to complete a pre-employment language or skills test.
You must complete the application form and provide the required documents. Your application must address all the position qualifications and requirements including education, experience, language, and any knowledge/skills/abilities listed. If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position.

Qualifications:

Experience:

Minimum of five years of experience overseeing computer networking operations in a large or complex technical environment, including responsibility for systems or network administration, ensuring the reliability, performance, and security of enterprise-level infrastructure.

Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

Language: 

Fluent English (speaking/reading/writing) is required.

Fluent Nyanja or Bemba (speaking/reading/writing) is required.

Please address this language requirement in your ERA application. 

Job Knowledge:

1. 1. Knowledge of systems analysis and design techniques, principles, and their practical application in IT environments.

1. 1. Knowledge of IT hardware and software operations, including computer equipment, cloud-based technologies, and networking concepts and practices.

1. 1. Knowledge of cybersecurity principles, including risk management, security controls, compliance frameworks, and best practices to protect confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems and data.

1. 1. Knowledge of enterprise-level cybersecurity governance, policies, and program management.

1. 1. Knowledge of supervisory and personnel management principles as applied to technical teams.

1. 1. Knowledge of project management methodologies and tools for planning, coordinating, and executing complex IT projects. Familiarity with Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and other service management frameworks.

1. 1. Knowledge of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Data Science, or Cloud Computing.

1. 1. Knowledge of industry standards and the commercial marketplace relevant to IT portfolio management, enterprise applications and cloud services.

Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

Skills And Abilities:

Strategic Thinking:
Ability to bridge technical requirements with business objectives, anticipate operational risks, and adapt to changing conditions. Ability to apply strategic thinking to anticipate operational risks, design sustainable solutions, and translate technical requirements into effective business solutions.

Technical and Problem-Solving Skills:
Demonstrates exceptional technical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to analyze and resolve complex IT issues, conduct root cause analysis, and prioritize incidents under pressure. Strong customer-focused mindset, engaging with users to understand business needs and provide targeted technical guidance. Effectively documents procedures and standard operating practices to enable knowledge transfer and team efficiency.
Proficiency in office productivity suites such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and OpenOffice.

Interpersonal and Leadership skills
Ability to lead teams consisting of people of different cultural backgrounds, language familiarity, technical knowledge, and seniority. Possess strong communication skills for personnel management and understand how to tailor information to internal and external audiences.

Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.