Clarification from the agency

This public notice is issued under Direct Hire Authority (DHA) to recruit talent to occupations for which there is a severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring need. This means that we can hire any qualified candidate from this notice. About this DHA notice: -Current civil service employees will receive new appointments if selected under this DHA. -For information on DHA, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/

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Senior Applications Software Expert

• Serves as a senior expert software engineer / technical product manager and consultant, managing and directing multiple highly complex and innovative IT projects and initiatives.
• Applies technical expert IT and software knowledge to support, consult with, or advise agencies in modern software development methodologies, tools, techniques, and ways of thinking to create enduring change and to spread the adoption and application of innovative tools and techniques throughout government.
• Develops new insights into situations and applies innovative IT solutions to implement new or cutting-edge programs and processes. Reviews projects for technical feasibility and adherence with the project objectives.

Project Leadership

• Provides expert technical advice, leadership, and direction on all software delivery related issues for the improvement of the product, platform, or service.
• Evaluates a range of qualitative and quantitative metrics using frameworks around user needs, resource prioritization, and program management. Applies user-centered design techniques to drive product development decisions to ensure the right product is being built or modifications are made to existing software applications.
• Reviews and revises project direction based on outcome of experiments and user-based learning. Defines proper metrics to monitor and evaluate product success and impact.

Provides Technical Leadership to Teams

• Leads cross functional teams at scale or in highly complex environments to develop innovative software, applications, and/or services. Focuses team efforts towards current goals and priorities.
• Plans, develops, and executes large scale IT projects that transform the manner in which work is accomplished. Determines the size, skills, and roles necessary for a team to deliver a product and identifies appropriate team members.
• Applies a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to assess and improve project effectiveness and/or complex management processes, projects, and systems.

Relationship Management

• Serves as a liaison to high-ranking stakeholders within GSA and other agencies to convey information regarding IT program activities, policies and goals; to clarify procedures; and to interpret directives as needed.
• Works closely with agencies in a leadership role and navigates and works through conflicting priorities from stakeholders.

Conditions of employment

• US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
• Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

Qualifications

For each job on your resume, provide:

• the exact dates you held  each job (from month/year to month/year)
• number of hours per week you worked (if part time).    

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here. 

The GS-15 salary range starts at $143,736.00 per year.

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.  

To qualify, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level or higher in the Federal service. 

Applicants applying for the GS 15 grade level must meet the following requirements: Have IT-related experience demonstrating EACH of the four competencies AND one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS 14 level in the Federal service as described below:

IT Specialist competency requirements: 

• Attention to Detail - This skill is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant keeps abreast of latest technology, information, research, etc., to maintain knowledge in field of expertise (for example, reads trade journals, participates in professional/technical associations, maintains credentials).
• Customer Service - This skill is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant promotes or develops and maintains good working relationships with key individuals or groups. 
• Oral Communication - This skill is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant serves on panels, committees, or task forces as a representative for the organization on technical or professional issues.
• Problem Solving -  This skill is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant monitors current trends or events (for example, technological, economic, political, social, educational, or employment trends or events) and applies the information as appropriate.

To qualify, you must have one (1) year of specialized experience. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Applying software design and information security principles, concepts, methods, standards, and practices;
• Implementing and providing authoritative advice and guidance to a wide array of management, staff, and other stakeholders to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of digital services/platforms/products on a broad, complex spectrum impacting government entities;
• Estimating resource requirements, defining milestones and deliverables, monitoring activities, and evaluating and reporting on accomplishments;
• Collaborating across organizational/operational boundaries to build strategic relationships and resolving sensitive IT issues; and
• Leading a development project in software analysis, design, and/or development and implementation for a new system or enhancement to an existing IT system; including applying software development methodologies.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applications will be evaluated against the basic qualifications. Qualified candidates will be considered in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire Guidelines. Applications will not be rated or ranked. Veterans’ Preference does not apply to the direct hire recruitment procedures.

You may not be considered for the position, if any part of the application is incomplete or missing the required supporting documentation. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or dismissing you if hired. 

ICTAP/CTAP Candidates: The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found “well-qualified" for this vacancy. In addition to meeting the basic qualifications stated in the qualification section of this announcement, well qualified is defined as: experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, demonstrated by meeting at least 51% or more of the competencies/KSA’s listed below (i.e. 3 out of 5, or 4 out of 6, or 5 out of 8, etc.) 

1. Applying software engineering theories, concepts, and practices.
2. Applying applications software design principles and methods; and interrelationships between IT disciplines; and new software design technologies sufficient to: investigate, evaluate, and select tools and methods for improving productivity and software quality throughout the life cycle.
3. Leading a multifunctional development project in software analysis, design, development, and implementation for a new system or major enhancement to an existing IT system; including applying software development methodologies; identifying resource requirements; assigning tasks to project members.
4. Utilizing expert knowledge of project management principles, methods, and practices, including estimating resource requirements, defining milestones and deliverables, monitoring activities, and evaluating and reporting on accomplishments, as applied.
5. Applying new developments to previously unsolvable problems; and making decisions or recommendations that significantly influence important agile or iterative development methodologies to meet different delivery needs.
6. Mastery knowledge and considerable experience in state-of-the-art tools, methods, and methodologies for developing, testing, and deploying IT services in order to evaluate technical advancements, advise customer agencies on emerging tools, methods, and techniques, develop software, test, and evaluate approaches, resolve critical IT problems, and serve as technical expert as it relates to applications software or software engineering.
7. Building and maintaining positive business relationships with customer agencies, stakeholders and other involved parties at various levels within customer agencies and across GSA throughout the product lifecycle.