WHAT DOES AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST (SA/AS) DO? An Information Technology (IT) Specialist (Systems Acceptability Tester) SAT uses a wide variety of information, knowledge, and tools to address complex system analysis and applications software assignments each day. In this role, you will be involved in conducting systems analysis to design, document, develop, modify, test, install, implement, and support new or existing applications software products within the IRS. Many of these assignments may be broad (possibly national) in scope, and/or involve difficult and complex issues. As an IT Specialist, you are responsible for the development of components of national projects and eventually, you may be called upon to lead significant projects assigned to your unit. The position requires (extensive-depending on the level of position) experience in enterprise-wide application solutions based on the business and users requirements.

As AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST (SA/AS) you will:

• Plan, develop, schedule and conduct systems acceptability tests of modernization and production systems; including Tier I and Tier II applications for mission critical tax processing and internal support systems.
• Provide technical guidance during a significant project in designing, coding, testing, debugging, and maintaining programs; translating and interpreting functional requirements.
• Translate and interpret functional requirements involved with the local phase of national project.
• Apply computer assisted software engineering (CASE) tools to the design and development process.
• Test, install, implement, document and maintain software during a significant local project or as needed to support applications which have a broad impact
• Provide guidance to less experienced coworkers in solving programming problems.
• Maintain source code; and modify and/or upgrade code as necessary as needed to support applications which have a broad impact

If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OTHER IRS CAREERS? If you want to find out more about IRS careers, visit us on the web at www.jobs.irs.gov

This is a 12 month roster open continuous announcement that will be used to fill positions IT-Wide throughout the next 12 months. We are projecting approximately 35 vacancies may be filled during the life of this roster. Contingent upon funding and space requirements, one or more vacancies may be filled in the individual PODs listed as they become available in that location during the life of this roster. It is anticipated that there will be a significant interest in the announcement. As a result the announcement will have cut-offs for applicant consideration. Eligible applicants in the highest category will be considered in application date order as needed to fill vacancies. First cut-off date is 04/01/2019, 07/01/2019, 10/01/2019. You must complete the application process and submit required documentation by 11:59 Eastern Time (ET) before or on the cut-off date and/or on the closing date of this announcement. You may be able to update your application during the time this roster announcement is open.

Conditions of employment

• Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
• Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National

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Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:

For Grades 9 THRU 11: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions.

- The experiencemayhave been gained in the public sector,private sector or VolunteerService. One year of experience refers to full-timework; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
- To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.


GS-09 LEVEL: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service. This experience must include Information Technology (IT) related experience that demonstrates each of the following four competencies: 1) Attention to Detail, 2) Customer Service, 3) Oral Communication and 4) Problem Solving. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience in an IT field or work where the primary concern was the subject matter of the IT application. The assignments must have shown completion of the following, or the equivalent: Analysis of the interrelationships of pertinent components of the system; planning the sequence of actions necessary to accomplish the assignment; personal responsibility for at least a segment of the overall project. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, engineering or technology management or in one or more of the fields identified above that required the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks. One year of graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. OR At least 1 year of combined graduate education and experience as defined in paragraphs above.

GS-11 LEVEL: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service. This experience must include Information Technology (IT) related experience that demonstrates each of the following four competencies: 1) Attention to Detail, 2) Customer Service, 3) Oral Communication and 4) Problem Solving. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience that demonstrated an accomplishment of computer project assignments that required a range of knowledge of computer requirements and techniques. For example, assignments would show experience in developing modifications to parts of a system that required significant revisions in the logic or techniques used in the original development. Must have been in an IT field or work where the primary concern was the subject matter of the IT application. The assignments must have shown completion of the following, or the equivalent: Knowledge of the customary approaches, techniques, and requirements appropriate to an assigned computer applications area or computer specialty area in an organization; planning the sequence of actions necessary to accomplish the assignment where this entailed coordination with others outside the organizational unit and development of project controls; adaptation of guidelines or precedents to the needs of the assignment. OR A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree In computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, engineering or technology management or in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of computer of applications, systems or networks. One year of graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. OR At least 1 year of combined graduate education and experience as defined in paragraphs above.

GS-12 LEVEL: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. This experience must include Information Technology (IT) related experience that demonstrates each of the following four competencies: 1) Attention to Detail, 2) Customer Service, 3) Oral Communication and 4) Problem Solving. Specialized experience for this position includes: This knowledge is generally demonstrated through assignments that required the ability to analyze a number of alternative approaches in the process of advising management concerning major aspects of IT system design. This would include defining what system interrelationships must be considered, or what operating mode, system software, and/or equipment configuration is most appropriate for a given project.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a “not qualified” determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Requirements Analysis, Planning and Evaluating, Systems Testing and Evaluation, Technical Competence, Systems Life Cycle, Problem Solving, Customer Service, Technology Application. Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories, (i.e., A = Superior, B = Highly Qualified, C= Qualified) depending on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that category. Qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring polices). We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must receive a score of category B or better to be rated as “well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

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