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This job is open to

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This position is being advertised under the Direct Hiring Authority.

Duties

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Leads execution of projects throughout the innovation lifecycle from ideation through deployment to develop next generation emerging technology capabilities in support of current and future audits, investigations, business operations, and other oversight challenges relevant to GAO’s mission. As necessary, the incumbent will work with experts outside GAO to determine relevant leading practices as well as lessons learned.
Identify, develop, test, and evaluate use case prototypes for emerging technologies in areas such as digital ledger (blockchain), cloud-based “as-a-service” capabilities (including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS), Internet of Things, RPA and other machine learning systems, virtual/augmented realities, and 5G technologies.
Demonstrates expert level understanding of cloud-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) capabilities. The incumbent will also direct implementations and configurations of tools and other computational resources within established information security boundaries.
Demonstrates expert level understanding of data quality considerations, including complex data processing, data quality assessment, data imputation, and data governance—including metadata as well as engineered features. The incumbent will lead the development of forensically sound, auditable, flexible, repeatable, and scalable extract transform and load (ETL) capabilities on a variety of structure and unstructured data.
Facilitates change management across processes, methods, and team cultures to successfully integrate innovative emerging technologies. The incumbent needs to understand of Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) and other relevant standards to advise GAO teams on best technical approaches to achieve quality results.
Participates in forums, conference, seminars, and panels as expert speakers to articulate technical methodologies as well as oversight considerations. The incumbent may also be called to author or contribute contents for publication, review GAO products for supportable conclusions regarding sound methodological practices, and provide presentations to both internal GAO customers and external customers such as Congressional staff.
Identifies deficiencies in problem statements, proposed approaches, and/or data access issues which are significant to the design, development, execution, and reporting out of emerging technologies pilots of the Innovation Lab.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. citizen
You may be required to submit a financial disclosure statement.
Employees new to GAO in Analyst and Attorney positions must complete a two year probationary period.
Registered for Selective Service, if applicable. (www.sss.gov)
You must be suitable for federal employment.

Qualifications

In addition to the education requirement, applicants must have 1 year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the next lower band or level equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal Service, or comparable private/public sector experience which has equipped the applicant with the skills and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as overseeing or leading the development, prototyping, and testing of emerging technical systems such as including digital ledger technologies such as Blockchain, cloud IT architectures, machine learning systems, and internet of things as well as technical evaluation methods and/or criteria in support of current and future audits and evaluations for GAO mission or support teams on problems such as audit and assurance of digital ledger-based systems, cybersecurity evaluation of Cloud, DLT/Blockchain, and IoT systems, and prototyping and evaluation of robotic process automation and machine learning systems; and experience guiding others to use these approaches to effectively perform pilots/experiments with emerging technologies.

You must meet all the requirements before the announcements closes.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. Documentation to verify your education MUST be submitted with your application in order to be considered.

An interdisciplinary, professional position is a position involving duties and responsibilities closely related to more than one professional occupation. As a result, the nature of the work enables people with education and experience in either of two or more professions to be considered equally well qualified to do the work. The final classification of the position is determined by the qualifications of the person selected to fill it. You may qualify for this position based on one of the professional occupations below.

Computer Scientist, 1550:

Basic Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.

All Professional Engineering Positions, 0800:

Basic Requirements. To qualify for this occupational series, you must posses one of the following :

A. Degree: Successful completion of a professional engineering degree. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional registration or licensure - Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration For more information about EI and EIT registration requirements, please visit the National Society of Professional Engineers website at: http://www.nspe.org

2. Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico The FE examination is not administered by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management. For more information, please visit: http://www.nspe.org/Licensure/HowtoGetLicensed/index.html.

3. Specified academic course - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A (above). The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A (above)

4. Related curriculum - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in am appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at the least 1 year of a professional engineering acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of extensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering -type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)

For more information on the qualifications for this series, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

**YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF YOUR TRANSCRIPT(S) SHOWING THIS COURSEWORK. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.**

Additional information

This is a bargaining unit position.

Based on the staffing needs, additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.

Selectee may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Statement.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO.

Males born after 12/31/59 and at least 18 years of age must be registered with the Selective Service System. Visit http://www.sss.gov/.

Please be aware that applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. If selected, at the time of appointment, selectees will be required to update the OF-306.

If you are selected for this position, you will be subject to a determination of your suitability for Federal employment.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The U.S. GAO is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. Initial appointments, permanent or indefinite, to the GAO require completion of a one-year or two-year probationary period.

How you will be evaluated

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

The position(s) advertised in this announcement are covered by a direct hire authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applicants, including category rating, does not apply to this vacancy. Your qualifications will be initially evaluated against the basic qualifications only. Qualified applicants will be referred for consideration in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire guidelines. Veterans' Preference does not apply to positions covered by a direct hire authority.

Please make sure that your responses to the assessment questions are supported in your resume and follow all instructions carefully. If you provide incomplete answers, fail to provide a narrative response to any assessment question(s) that requires further explanation, or if your response to an assessment question is "see resume,” your application may be affected or you may be determined ineligible.

All applicants will be evaluated based on their responses to the assessment questions, in conjunction with the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA’s):

Expert level skill in evaluating options for emerging technologies using the Agile development method, including prototyping, infrastructure and tools, designing comparative tests, and recommending steer build/buy decisions. Examples would include digital ledger (blockchain), cloud-based “as-a-service” capabilities (including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS), Internet of Things, RPA and other machine learning systems, virtual/augmented realities, and 5G technologies.
Professional knowledge applying principles and methods promulgated under the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), including developing methods and procedures that are accepted under GAGAS or GAAP.
Professional experience working with cloud-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) capabilities, including implementations and configurations of tools and other resources within established information security boundaries.
Expert level, hands-on skill in processing and staging structured and unstructured data, metadata, and engineered features, including development of forensically sound, auditable, flexible, repeatable, and scalable ETL routines across diverse data processing systems and data warehouses/lakes.
Skill in selecting, organizing, and presenting appropriate information in a concise and balanced manner as well as skill in communicating such information to non-technical and technical target audiences alike.
Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing, to prepare reports, participate in interviews and meetings, and to make presentations. By way of definition, oral communication may include methods used by employees with disabilities such as sign language interpretation, text-to-speech or TTY technology, and amplification devices.

To preview questions please click here.

Help

1. To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.gov. To begin, click the Apply Online button near the bottom of this screen and follow the prompts to register into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents. Follow the prompts to begin the application process.

2. You will be redirected to the Career Connector website to complete the application process.

3. Click on "Submit" to transmit your complete application package to GAO.

Can I send my application package documents to the agency point-of-contact via email or mail?

Your application package must be submitted online through Career Connector. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents.

What is a complete application package?

1. Your resume. This must be created using the USAJOBS resume builder. Resumes created outside USAJOBS (e.g., uploaded resumes) will not be accepted.

2. The assessment questionnaire.

3. The documentation listed in the Required Documents section. You only need to submit the documents listed.

When is the application package due?

It must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure all the documents are received and the information is readable. Your application may not be considered if it doesn't meet the criteria. Requests for extensions will not be granted.

1. Sign into your USAJOBS account.

2. If your application package was successfully transmitted, you will see "Received" beside the position title. Keep in mind, this may take a couple hours because your documents undergo a virus scan.

3. To view your documents or the complete application package received by GAO, select "Application Status." The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.

If you have questions about:
• The vacancy announcement or the position: The agency contact is listed at the bottom of the announcement.
• Technical issues with USAJOBS: Please refer to the USAJOBS Help page.
• Technical issues with Career Connector: Please contact CareerConnectorHelp@do.treas.gov.

Agency contact information

Aisha Maxwell

Phone: 202-512-6538
Fax: 202-512-8869
Email: MaxwellA@gao.gov

Address: GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
441 G Street NW
Room 1157
Washington, District of Columbia 20548
United States

Next steps

After the closing date of this announcement, GAO's Human Capital Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications by reviewing your assessment questionnaire and resume to complete an analysis. Please be as complete and thorough as possible. If your application is rated "best-qualified," your name will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. At this point you may be contacted for an interview.

If you do not meet the key requirements, and/or basic qualifications or you fail to submit all required application materials, your application will not be considered.

Required Documents

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You must provide a complete application package which includes:

- Resume: must be created using the USAJOBS resume builder and show relevant work experience.

- If you are using your education to qualify (even partially), you must submit a copy of your transcripts. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you will be required to provide official transcripts. Foreign Education: If you are submitting a transcript from a non-US educational institution, applicants must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service.

- Current or former federal employees may submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent), showing tenure, type of service (competitive/excepted) and the highest grade held.

Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Help

1. To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.gov. To begin, click the Apply Online button near the bottom of this screen and follow the prompts to register into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents. Follow the prompts to begin the application process.

2. You will be redirected to the Career Connector website to complete the application process.

3. Click on "Submit" to transmit your complete application package to GAO.

Can I send my application package documents to the agency point-of-contact via email or mail?

Your application package must be submitted online through Career Connector. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents.

What is a complete application package?

1. Your resume. This must be created using the USAJOBS resume builder. Resumes created outside USAJOBS (e.g., uploaded resumes) will not be accepted.

2. The assessment questionnaire.

3. The documentation listed in the Required Documents section. You only need to submit the documents listed.

When is the application package due?

It must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure all the documents are received and the information is readable. Your application may not be considered if it doesn't meet the criteria. Requests for extensions will not be granted.

1. Sign into your USAJOBS account.

2. If your application package was successfully transmitted, you will see "Received" beside the position title. Keep in mind, this may take a couple hours because your documents undergo a virus scan.

3. To view your documents or the complete application package received by GAO, select "Application Status." The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.

If you have questions about:
• The vacancy announcement or the position: The agency contact is listed at the bottom of the announcement.
• Technical issues with USAJOBS: Please refer to the USAJOBS Help page.
• Technical issues with Career Connector: Please contact CareerConnectorHelp@do.treas.gov.

Agency contact information

Aisha Maxwell

Phone: 202-512-6538
Fax: 202-512-8869
Email: MaxwellA@gao.gov

Address: GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
441 G Street NW
Room 1157
Washington, District of Columbia 20548
United States

Next steps

After the closing date of this announcement, GAO's Human Capital Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications by reviewing your assessment questionnaire and resume to complete an analysis. Please be as complete and thorough as possible. If your application is rated "best-qualified," your name will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. At this point you may be contacted for an interview.

If you do not meet the key requirements, and/or basic qualifications or you fail to submit all required application materials, your application will not be considered.