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IT SPECIALIST (APPSW)

Department of Defense
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Information & Technology Dir, Payroll Services, ZTBDB

Summary

  • Who may apply: All US Citizens
  • Applicants on the Cleveland list may be placed at Bratenahl.
  • We may use this announcement to fill other positions in the I&T Dir.
  • This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. For more information, visit USA Hire Assessment.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/29/2026 to 02/11/2026
Salary
$75,374 to - $121,502 per year

View Salaries: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2026/general-schedule/

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Indianapolis, IN
Cleveland, OH
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
DFAS-DHA-ML-12870504-26
Control number
855693100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All US citizens.

Duties

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  • Provides for development, implementation, operation, maintenance, and modification of major finance and/or accounting automation information systems.
  • Analyzes functional and technical requirements of proposed or existing IT systems to determine avenues of development or modification to meet mission objectives.
  • Participates in systems requirement reviews and coordinates with customer/functional representatives and other technical personnel to clarify requirements.
  • Prepares system change/programming specifications, and specifies programming instructions, inputs and outputs, structures, and other analytical products to document the functional and technical requirements.
  • Prepares and executes tests for system software validation. Reviews test results for effectiveness and takes necessary corrective actions based on testing results.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship or National
  • Background Investigation
  • Suitable for Federal Employment
  • Registered for Selective Service (if applicable)
  • Obtain/MaintainFinancial Management Certification
  • This national security position, which may require access to classified information, requires a favorable suitability review and security clearance as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain security eligibility may result in termination.
  • In accordance with the DoD 8140 policy series, the position may be subject to completing Foundational Qualifications in 9 months and completing Residential Qualification requirements in 12 months.

Qualifications

This Job Opportunity Announcement is using an additional online assessment tool to evaluate applicants. Please review the HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED, REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, HOW TO APPLY and NEXT STEPS sections below for instructions.

Human Resources will determine your qualifications for each entry grade level based on your interest and the additional following criteria. Resumes for federal government positions need more detailed work descriptions and accomplishments than a typical private sector resume. Please be sure to clearly describe the full scope of your work experiences in your resume. Combinations of education and experience may also be sufficient.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating the following competencies appropriate to, or above, the level of this position. Your resume and work experience should clearly support your ability to meet these competencies and will be evaluated as part of the entire application process.

FOR ENTRY AT THE GS-11
Basic Requirement:

  • Attention to Detail-experience reviewing my own information technology-related work or data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency with standards. My work or the data that I produce is typically reviewed by my supervisor or another colleague
  • Customer Service- experience having brief contact with customers to provide information about available information technology products and services and providing customers with standard products or routine services to address information technology needs
  • Oral Communication-experience informing my supervisor and other IT staff of the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the communication of basic technical information to a non-technical audience
  • Problem Solving-identifying or selecting from a number of alternatives to address routine information technology-related issues by gathering and applying information from standard sources that provide a limited number of solutions
In addition to the Basic Competency Requirements listed above: One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade n the federal service (GS-09), which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position, is required.
Specialized experience is defined as: Participating and assisting with coding, developing, testing, and configuring software and systems using languages and tools such as Java and Unix/Linux shell scripting; participating in systems requirement reviews.

FOR ENTRY AT THE GS-12:
Basic Requirement:
  • Attention to Detail- experience reviewing my own information technology-related work or data and have been asked by others to review their work or data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency with standards
  • Customer Service- experience maintaining relationships with customers, assessing current information technology needs of customers, and developing or identifying information technology products and services that are tailored to meet customer needs
  • Oral Communication- briefing mid-level management and IT staff on the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the communication of technical information to a non-technical audience
  • Problem Solving- identifying alternatives to address complex information technology-related issues by gathering and applying information from a variety of sources that provide a number of potential solutions
In addition to the Basic Competency Requirements listed above: One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade GS-11 in the federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position, is required.
Specialized experience is defined as: Experience coding, developing, testing, and configuring software and systems using Java and Unix/Linux shell scripting ; conducting systems requirement reviews and taking necessary corrective action; analyzing software and systems for causes of failure and identifying and implementing appropriate changes.

This position is developmental and selections may be made at the GS-11 and GS-12 entry grade levels. Once eligibility and qualification requirements are met, selectees will be eligible for promotion at management discretion to the GS-12 grade levels without further competition.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You may qualify for consideration if meeting time-in grade, specialized experience, education requirement, 90 days after competitive appointment requirement, and all other qualification requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the announcement, unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.

Education

Substitution of Education for Experience:
**Combination of education and experience is not applicable for this Job Series.**
You Must submit Transcripts in order to substitute education for experience.

For Entry at the GS-11, Substitution of education for experience:
A qualifying Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or degree that provided a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks. Combination of education and experience is not applicable for this position.

For Entry at the GS-12: Education is Not substitutable for specialized experience at this grade level.

This Job Opportunity Announcement is using an additional online assessment tool to evaluate applicants. Please review the HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED, REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, HOW TO APPLY and NEXT STEPS sections below for instructions

Additional information

  • This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. For more information, visit USA Hire Assessment.
  • For Reasonable Accomodation Requests, see the How You Will Be Evaluated section.
  • Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination.
  • This position is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense via delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
  • Veteran's Preference: Veteran's preference does not apply under this Direct Hire Authority (DHA).
  • Selections are subject to restrictions resulting from the DoD Program for Stability of Civilian Employment.
  • As a condition of employment, you may be required to serve a 1 Year Probation during which we'll evaluate if continued employment advances public interest. The evaluation considers: performance & conduct; needs & interests of the agency; if continued employment advances agency goals; if continued employment advances efficiency of Federal service. At the end of the probationary period, employment will be terminated unless you receive certification that continued employment advances public interest.
  • We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date.
  • This position is Exempt at the GS-11 and GS-12 levels from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • Priority Placement Program (PPP) Military Spouse Preference (MSP) eligible candidates will receive priority consideration at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level.
  • PPP Application Based Preference Eligibles (Military Reserve and National Guard technicians, Military Reserve and National Guard technicians receiving disability retirement, and Retained Grade employees) will receive priority consideration at the full performance level only.
  • DFAS recognizes the value of competencies gained through formal education and professional certifications. To ensure that consistent credit is given for these credentials in the selection process DFAS has developed standard selection criteria to be used when filling positions in professional and administrative series. Selections for professional and administrative positions will be based on four categories of selection criteria: Experience, Other, Education, and Certifications.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or be exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov).
  • Retired Civil Service Employee: Employment of retired Federal employees receiving an annuity is subject to the requirements of the Department of Defense (DoD) policy guidance. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300, here).
  • The Security Designation varies dependent upon position and may require a secret clearance or higher. Employment requires a background investigation which may delay starting date. If selected and cannot obtain a favorable security determination within a reasonable period of time, the offer may be withdrawn. Individuals are required to obtain/maintain a favorable security determination to occupy a sensitive position as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain eligibility to occupy a sensitive position may result in termination. For more information see the security section of Understanding Vacancy Announcements.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

IMPORTANT NOTE - YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR RATING.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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