Deskside Technician (Senior) (Lead)

Empower AI is AI for government. Empower AI gives federal agency leaders the tools to elevate the potential of their workforce with a direct path for meaningful transformation. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Empower AI leverages three decades of experience solving complex challenges in Health, Defense, and Civilian missions. Our proven Empower AI Platform® provides a practical, sustainable path for clients to achieve transformation that is true to who they are, what they do, how they work, with the resources they have. The result is a government workforce that is exponentially more creative and productive. For more information, visit www.Empower.ai.

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Primary Duty – Senior Technical Lead, Multi-Program Direction, and Independent Judgment

The primary duty of this position is the independent application of advanced systems analysis techniques and highly specialized technical knowledge to serve as the senior technical lead for Tier II Deskside operations at the Pentagon. The candidate exercises significant discretion and independent judgment in directing four concurrent program areas (cyber vulnerability remediation, standalone patching, MFA security token inventory, and Joint Staff SIPRNet PKI Trusted Agent operations), in escalation handling for the most technically complex incidents, in workstation imaging and STIG validation, in 24x7x365 PFPA Pentagon Operations Center response posture, in CAPSTONE event technical leadership, and in technical mentorship and day-to-day direction of mid-level and senior deskside technicians — without continuous direct supervision on individual technical decisions. Technical execution of the resulting decisions is incidental to and performed in furtherance of this primary analytical duty.

• Independently leads Tier II Deskside and Remote Support operations at the Pentagon for NIPRNet, SIPRNet, and higher classification networks; serves as the senior technical lead and primary escalation point for all complex hardware, software, and network connectivity incidents that exceed mid-level and senior-technician capability.
• Determines response posture for 24x7x365 dedicated deskside support at the PFPA Pentagon Operations Center and Pentagon Service Desk across all network classifications; independently manages 24x7 on-call capability for Hampton Roads during heightened operations, exercises, and CAPSTONE events (approximately two events of 3-5 days per month); exercises judgment in escalation decisions during periods without on-site Government supervision.
• Independently directs the cyber vulnerability remediation program across the endpoint fleet; analyzes prioritized vulnerability data and exercises specialized judgment in remediation prioritization; ensures a minimum of 15 of the most vulnerable computers per network per week are remediated, with 95% remediation accuracy reflecting accountability for the program-level analytical work performed; coordinates with J6 Cyber Security; produces the weekly Cyber Vulnerability Remediation Report with program-level analytical findings.
• Independently directs the standalone patching program for approximately 150 standalone (non-networked) computers; designs patching strategies, validates patch sequencing decisions, and exercises specialized judgment in rollback contingency planning; publishes the patching schedule and produces the monthly Standalone Patching Compliance Report.
• Independently directs the MFA physical security token program including 100 YubiKey tokens; analyzes program-level requirements, ensures specialized user instruction on Government-approved MFA and 2FA physical security tokens, and produces the monthly MFA Security Token Inventory analysis on the first business day of each month.
• Independently directs the Joint Staff SIPRNet PKI Trusted Agent (TA) program for authentication credential issuance affecting classified-network access; exercises specialized program-level judgment under DoD PKI policy for approximately 200 token-related requests per month; performs CAC and SIPRNet PKI token PIN reset analysis at Pentagon, Taylor Building, and Mark Center, including after-hours Pentagon coverage.
• Independently leads workstation imaging and deployment operations at Government-furnished dedicated imaging locations; designs imaging configurations based on user-specific functional specifications; validates builds against enterprise STIG and security standards as the program's STIG validation authority; coordinates rollout schedules and post-installation verification with users.
• Independently directs warranty repair coordination via Dell TechDirect; analyzes diagnostics, manages repair coordination, ensures testing and certification; conducts technical inspections of turned-in equipment and exercises specialized judgment in disposition tagging IAW DISA J6 Equipment Turned-In SOP.
• Provides technical mentorship and day-to-day direction to mid-level and senior deskside technicians; ensures SOPs and work instructions remain current with program-level analytical findings; participates in QA scorecard reviews and process working groups; coordinates after-hours and weekend coverage across the team.
• Ensures all technicians submit digitally signed DD Form 1150 in DPAS within three business days of service fulfillment; analyzes bench stock requirements based on trend analysis; contributes program-level analytical findings to the weekly Equipment on Hand Report and weekly Pending Transaction Report.
• Identifies recurring technical patterns across senior Tier II escalations, vulnerability classes, Trusted Agent requests, and program-level operations; exercises judgment in directing SOP improvements, baseline configuration updates, and program procedural refinements; recommends changes to J6 program leadership.

Highlights of Responsibilities

In fulfillment of the primary duty described above, and in performance of PWS Section 6.4 task requirements, the candidate is responsible for:

• Leading Tier II Deskside and Remote Support operations at the Pentagon, serving as the senior technical lead for the deskside team and primary escalation point for all complex hardware, software, and network connectivity incidents across NIPRNet, SIPRNet, and higher classification networks.
• Providing 24x7x365 dedicated deskside support presence at the PFPA Pentagon Operations Center and Pentagon Service Desk (all network classifications); managing 24x7 on-call capability for Hampton Roads during heightened operations, exercises, and CAPSTONE events (approximately two events of 3-5 days per month).
• Directing cyber vulnerability remediation operations ensuring a minimum of 15 of the most vulnerable computers per network per week are remediated, with 95% remediation accuracy; coordinating prioritized remediation lists with J6 Cyber Security teams; producing the weekly Cyber Vulnerability Remediation Report.
• Directing the standalone patching program for approximately 150 standalone (non-networked) computers across NIPRNet, SIPRNet, and higher classification accreditation boundaries; publishing patching schedule and producing the monthly Standalone Patching Compliance Report.
• Directing the MFA physical security token program including 100 YubiKey tokens; ensuring user instruction on Government-approved MFA and 2FA physical security tokens; producing the monthly MFA Security Token Inventory analysis on the first business day of each month.
• Directing the Joint Staff SIPRNet PKI Trusted Agent (TA) program for approximately 200 token-related requests per month; exercising specialized DoD PKI policy judgment; performing CAC and SIPRNet PKI token PIN reset analysis at Pentagon, Taylor Building, and Mark Center, including after-hours Pentagon coverage.
• Leading workstation imaging and deployment operations at Government-furnished dedicated imaging locations; validating builds against enterprise STIG and security standards as the program's STIG validation authority; coordinating rollout schedules and post-installation verification.
• Directing warranty repair coordination via Dell TechDirect; managing diagnostics, repair coordination, testing, and certification; conducting technical inspections of turned-in equipment and tagging disposition IAW DISA J6 Equipment Turned-In SOP.
• Providing technical mentorship and day-to-day direction to mid-level and senior deskside technicians; ensuring SOPs and work instructions remain current; participating in QA scorecard reviews and process working groups; coordinating after-hours and weekend coverage across the team.
• Ensuring all technicians submit digitally signed DD Form 1150 in DPAS within three business days of service fulfillment; analyzing bench stock requirements based on trend analysis; contributing to the weekly Equipment on Hand Report and weekly Pending Transaction Report.
• Identifying recurring technical patterns across senior Tier II escalations and program-level operations; directing SOP improvements, baseline configuration updates, and program procedural refinements; recommending changes to J6 program leadership.

Requirements

• Active Secret security clearance at time of award.
• Demonstrated ability to independently apply advanced systems analysis techniques and highly specialized technical knowledge to serve as senior technical lead and primary technical escalation point for a Pentagon-based Tier II deskside operation without continuous direct supervision.
• Ability to exercise significant discretion and independent judgment in directing multi-program operations (cyber vulnerability remediation, standalone patching, MFA token, Trusted Agent), in STIG validation authority, in 24x7x365 PFPA Operations Center response posture, in CAPSTONE event response, and in providing day-to-day technical direction and mentorship to mid-level and senior deskside personnel.
• Working knowledge of enterprise endpoint computing, workstation imaging and STIG validation, cyber vulnerability analysis and remediation, CAC and SIPRNet PKI token operations, MFA YubiKey programs, DoD PKI Trusted Agent procedures, standalone patching design, Dell TechDirect warranty coordination, DPAS, and STIG configuration management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a demonstrated record of resolving the most technically complex Tier II incidents through independent advanced systems analysis.
• Strong customer service orientation with demonstrated experience in DoD or other large federal customer environments.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute analytical tasks across multiple concurrent program deliverables and escalations in a high-pressure, 24x7-coverage environment.
• Availability for on-call 24x7x365 PFPA Pentagon Operations Center coverage and CAPSTONE event response leadership.
• Good written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills; ability to present technical and program-level analytical findings in business-friendly and user-friendly language.
• Ability to conduct research into PC and software issues and products as required to support program-level technical decisions.
• Highly self-motivated and directed; capable of operating with minimal supervision.
• Keen attention to detail and rigorous documentation standards consistent with DoD compliance requirements.
• Team-oriented and skilled in working within a collaborative environment, including mentoring junior personnel and coordinating with J6 Cyber Security.

Education and Experience

• Required Education: Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline; or equivalent combination of advanced vendor certification (including vendor certification in the technology being applied) and directly relevant professional experience accepted in lieu of degree.
• Required Experience: 7 or more years of progressively responsible professional experience in enterprise endpoint computing, IT systems analysis, or classified network administration in roles requiring independent judgment, technical decision-making, and technical leadership of multi-person teams.
• Preferred Experience: Prior experience supporting a DoD or J6 customer environment, including PKI/Trusted Agent program leadership, classified network experience, 24x7 critical-facility coverage, or multi-program technical direction.
• Required Certifications: ITIL v4 Foundations, CompTIA Security+, HDI Desktop Advanced Support Technician.
• Preferred Certifications: CompTIA A+, Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator, Dell TechDirect certification.

Physical Requirements

The essential physical functions below are incidental to the primary analytical duties of this position and are performed in furtherance of the technical responsibilities described herein:

• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods in a professional office environment.
• Ability to ambulate throughout office buildings and supported facilities.
• Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl as required to access equipment in confined spaces.
• Ability to repeatedly lift and carry equipment up to 50 pounds.

All hiring and promotion decisions at Empower AI are based on merit to bring the best talent available to contribute to our firm’s overall success. It is the policy of Empower AI not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status. Empower AI is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.