USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal jobs across the United States and around the world as the official employment site for the federal government

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

Open to IRS Career/Career-Conditional employees who have completed a degree or certificate from a qualifying education institution within the previous 2 years or are within 9 months of graduating. Veterans unable to apply within 2 years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have a full 2-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. The eligibility period for veterans must be within 6 years of degree completion.

Duties

Help

The IRS Internal Recent Graduates Program affords a developmental opportunity to IRS employees, who have graduated within the previous 2 years from a qualifying educational institution or program. In addition, the IRS implemented the new IRS Forward Recent Graduate Program that includes an additional year of formal development, training, networking, project teams, and may include rotational assignments.

Upon successful completion of the program requirements, you will be permanently placed at the grade level within the position's career path, not higher than the full-working level of the position selected, to which you meet qualifications and time-in-grade requirements. If for any reason do not successfully complete the program you will be returned to the previous grade of the same or similar position you previously held within IRS prior to being selected for the Recent Graduates Program. Program requirements include but are not limited to:

Successful completion of at least 1 to 2 years of continuous service depending on the position;
Completion of at least 40 hours of interactive training;
Mentorship;
Demonstration of successful job performance; and
Meet the qualification position standards.

If selected, you will be placed in a developmental position as a UX Researcher, GS-09 with promotion potential to GS-12 in one the division(s) listed below:
Online Services

A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions

The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.

Define problems, design research studies, conduct qualitative and quantitative research and usability testing, evaluate findings and recommend evidence-based solutions. Track UX research needs and goals and work with site metrics tools to conduct quantitative analysis of user behaviors and investigate ways to improve the end-user interaction with computer programs to increase satisfaction, brand loyalty, and overall use.
Conduct UX research identifying the probable causes of digital service experience variances. Select and apply the most effective UX methodology and applications and ensure that project and study teams use appropriate UX research and analysis methodologies appropriate to solving UX problems; determining the types of data to be collected, formulating study methodologies, assisting functional activities in the implementation of taxpayer segments and analyzing data.
Conduct activities associated with running a usability study, such as recruiting and screening participants with or without participant incentive, scheduling sessions, and writing test plans and scripts. Participate in studies, panels, and teams focusing on service-wide policy statements and other written guidelines and recommendations governing the development or modification of user experience designs, prototypes and specifications.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

STANDARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS (SPD):
PD98883
Visit the IRS SPD Library to access the position descriptions.

Telework Eligible Positions: Telework eligible positions do not guarantee telework. Employees must meet and sustain IRS telework eligibility requirements (e.g., reporting at least twice a pay period to your assigned Post of Duty (POD)) and supervisor's approval to participate in the IRS Telework Program. Employees must also be within a 200-mile radius of their official assigned post-of-duty (POD) while in a telework status. As a reminder - If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.
All selectees must sign a Participant Agreement.
A 1-year probationary period is required (unless already completed).
Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.

Qualifications

Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework 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.

In order to qualify, you must first meet IRS Recent Graduate Program eligibility:

You must have, within the previous 2 years, completed all educational requirements for a qualifying associate, bachelor, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying institution; or intended graduation is no more than 9 months from date of application;
-OR-
Veterans (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2108) who, due to a military service obligation, were precluded from applying to a Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period may have their eligibility period extended so that they receive the full 2 years of eligibility. The remaining 2-year eligibility period will begin upon his or her release or discharge from active duty. The veteran's eligibility period may not extend beyond 6 years from the date of completion of all requirements of an academic course of study.

Secondly, you must meet any basic requirements of the position and the experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Administrative and Management Positions.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-09: You must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes Experience analyzing, evaluating and planning processes and techniques to research the design, content creation and development strategies for the Web, mobile devices, and other digital taxpayer experiences. Experience using current UX based research solutions to provide improved user experience in navigating websites. Experience using new and emerging UX technologies to make recommendations and to present a consistent branded and user-centric digital experience. Experience Preparing draft reports and other substantive guidelines and materials; Conducting studies using journey mapping, service blueprints, user stories, eco system maps and persona development to help improve customer experience.

OR
You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: a Master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field of study at an accredited college or university.

OR
2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in a related field of study.

OR
LL.B. or J.D., if related.

AND

MEET TIME IN GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT: You must meet applicable TIG requirements to be considered eligible. To meet TIG for positions above the GS-05 grade level, you must have served at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade (or equivalent) in the normal line of progression for the position you are applying to. Advancement to positions up to GS-05 is permitted if the position to be filled is no more than two grades above the lowest grade held within the preceding 52 weeks.

AND

TIME AFTER COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT: By the closing date (or if this is an open continuous announcement, by the cut-off date) specified in this job announcement, current civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive referral certificate, known as time after competitive appointment. For this requirement, a competitive appointment is one where you applied to and were appointed from an announcement open to "All US Citizens".

For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You MUST submit dated documentation showing completion or intended completion of all educational requirements (e.g. letter from the registrar, unofficial transcripts). An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.

CERTIFICATE: A Certificate program is a post-secondary educational program, in a qualifying educational institution, equivalent to at least one full- time academic year of study, that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational or business school curriculum.

Additional information

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Additional jobs may be filled.
The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum locality pay up to maximum locality pay for all duty locations listed. The range will be adjusted for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.
This is a bargaining unit position.
Tour of Duty: Day Shift
Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours or telework may be available.

If the position(s) are no longer needed prior to the closing date, this announcement may be closed early.

This is an open continuous announcement which will be used to fill vacancies in the locations listed as they become available for the next 12 months contingent upon funding and space requirements. Applicants must apply and/or update their applications by 11:59 pm ET at the close of the following cutoff dates to be considered: Cutoff date(s): 06/26/2023, 9/26/2023, 12/26/2023, 03/26/2024, 06/27/2024. This announcement may be amended to include additional cut-off dates within the 12-month period if needed, not later than 10 days prior to the additional cut-off date(s). Eligible applicants who apply by the initial cut-off date, will be referred in score order. If additional vacancies exist, remaining applicants will be considered in score order as needed. Selections from this announcement may be made no later than (NLT) 09/27/2024.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be determined based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire. 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. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process and meet all qualifications. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated on the Critical Job Elements (CJE) of the position to be filled per the National Agreement Article 13.

Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. You may obtain your most recent awards listing at https://persinfo.web.irs.gov/. 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.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. Candidates, if required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring practices), will be interviewed in quality group order. 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 Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), you must receive a score of 80 or better to be rated as well qualified to receive special selection priority.

Required Documents

Help

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.

Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or to present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. If including Federal service experience, provide pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Your resume must NOT include photographs, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number. If your resume does not contain the required information specified, or contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position. (Cover letters are optional.) Please view Resume Tips.
Online Application - Questionnaire responses
Education - See Education Section above
Performance Appraisal/Awards - You MUST submit a copy of your most recent completed performance appraisal. If a revalidated appraisal is used for merit promotion, the supervisor must prepare a narrative for each critical job element that does not have a narrative describing the performance in the appraisal period covered by the rating. Note: If you are a manager or management official, your most recent annual performance appraisal must be used for the overall rating identified.
Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license
IRS Reassignment Preference Program (RPP)(if applicable) - You MUST meet the requirements in your RPP notice. Submit a copy of your RPP Notice along with a copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal. Your performance appraisal must have a fully successful or higher overall rating.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)(if applicable) - You MUST submit the required documentation as outlined at: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). If you are an IRS CTAP eligible, you can apply for jobs within and outside the commuting area. If you are a Treasury CTAP eligible can apply for jobs within the commuting area.

Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

Help

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday).

To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11979910

To begin the application process, click the "Apply Online" button.
You will be re-directed to Treasury's hiring system to complete your application process; answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, click one of the available options; Upload; Fax; or Reuse existing documents. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN).
To complete, you must click the "Submit Application" button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/11/2024.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login . All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

(ERC) Employee Resource Center

Phone: 866-743-5748
Website: https://irssource.web.irs.gov/Lists/General%20News/DispItemForm.aspx?ID=624

Address: OLS
1111 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20224
US

Next steps

Treasury believes in a working environment that supports inclusion; please view our reasonable accommodation policies and procedures at https://www.jobs.irs.gov/midcareer/reasonable-accommodation.html. We will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.

Once your application package and online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email. You are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your application status, you may click on "more information." Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. If your email mailbox is full or blocked (SPAM) you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

As a current employee, you know the great benefits we offer. Should you have any questions about benefits, please contact the Employee Resource Center (ERC) at 1-866-743-5748 option #1 for ERC.

Required Documents

Help

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.

Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or to present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. If including Federal service experience, provide pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Your resume must NOT include photographs, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number. If your resume does not contain the required information specified, or contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position. (Cover letters are optional.) Please view Resume Tips.
Online Application - Questionnaire responses
Education - See Education Section above
Performance Appraisal/Awards - You MUST submit a copy of your most recent completed performance appraisal. If a revalidated appraisal is used for merit promotion, the supervisor must prepare a narrative for each critical job element that does not have a narrative describing the performance in the appraisal period covered by the rating. Note: If you are a manager or management official, your most recent annual performance appraisal must be used for the overall rating identified.
Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license
IRS Reassignment Preference Program (RPP)(if applicable) - You MUST meet the requirements in your RPP notice. Submit a copy of your RPP Notice along with a copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal. Your performance appraisal must have a fully successful or higher overall rating.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)(if applicable) - You MUST submit the required documentation as outlined at: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). If you are an IRS CTAP eligible, you can apply for jobs within and outside the commuting area. If you are a Treasury CTAP eligible can apply for jobs within the commuting area.

Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

How to Apply

Help

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday).

To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11979910

To begin the application process, click the "Apply Online" button.
You will be re-directed to Treasury's hiring system to complete your application process; answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, click one of the available options; Upload; Fax; or Reuse existing documents. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN).
To complete, you must click the "Submit Application" button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/11/2024.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login . All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

(ERC) Employee Resource Center

Phone: 866-743-5748
Website: https://irssource.web.irs.gov/Lists/General%20News/DispItemForm.aspx?ID=624

Address: OLS
1111 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20224
US

Next steps

Treasury believes in a working environment that supports inclusion; please view our reasonable accommodation policies and procedures at https://www.jobs.irs.gov/midcareer/reasonable-accommodation.html. We will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.

Once your application package and online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email. You are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your application status, you may click on "more information." Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. If your email mailbox is full or blocked (SPAM) you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

As a current employee, you know the great benefits we offer. Should you have any questions about benefits, please contact the Employee Resource Center (ERC) at 1-866-743-5748 option #1 for ERC.