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IT Specialist (APPSW)

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Clinical Center, Department of Clinical Research Informatics (DCRI)

Summary

Join NIH as an IT Specialist Applications Software (APPSW) supporting clinical research IT systems. You'll plan and lead software testing, develop and execute test plans, identify and track defects, coordinate testing activities, and provide technical recommendations that help ensure reliable system releases supporting patient care and clinical research.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$102,415 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
NIH-CC-DE-27-13083059
Control number
889427800

Duties

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  • Plan and coordinate software testing activities for clinical research information systems, applications, integrations, releases, upgrades, and production changes.
  • Review business, functional, and technical requirements and develop test plans, test cases, test scripts, test data, and testing criteria.
  • Execute and document functional, integration, system, regression, performance, usability, and acceptance testing.
  • Identify, document, track, and retest software defects and incidents to verify corrective actions and validate system changes.
  • Evaluate test results and risks, communicate findings and testing status, and provide technical recommendations supporting release-readiness decisions.
  • Prioritize testing assignments, coordinate testing resources, and provide technical direction to personnel supporting testing activities.
  • Test clinical information systems, custom applications, system integrations, and software across multiple user platforms and environments.
  • Participate in release-readiness and go/no-go discussions by reporting critical defects, testing risks, unresolved issues, and overall test status.
  • Coordinate with developers and technical teams to validate corrective actions, perform retesting, and confirm that system changes meet established requirements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
  • Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
  • The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
  • If selected, and based on duty location, you must pass a pre-employment medical examination, provide evidence of immunization, and be free from communicable diseases.
  • The work is sedentary.
  • Some work may require walking and standing in conjunction with travel to and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site.
  • The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.
  • The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions.
  • Some employees may occasionally be exposed to uncomfortable conditions in such places as research facilities.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for a IT Specialist (APPSW), GS-2210 position, you must have IT related experience demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience obtained in either the private or public sector, and/or completion of specific, intensive training that demonstrates all of the following four competencies:

1. Attention to Detail - is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail; and
2. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services; and
3. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately; and
4. Problem Solving - identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

In order to qualify for a IT Specialist (APPSW), GS-2210 position at the GS-12 grade level, if you meet the following qualification requirements:

You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1) Reviewing business, functional, or technical requirements to identify testing needs and expected system behavior; 2) Developing and executing test plans, test cases, or test scripts for software applications using testing methods such as functional, integration, system, regression, performance, usability, or acceptance testing; 3) Identifying, documenting, and tracking software defects or incidents, including retesting corrected defects and validating that changes meet established requirements; 4) Preparing or coordinating test data, test environments, and testing activities associated with software releases, upgrades, or production changes; and 5) Communicating test results, defects, risks, and testing status to developers, project teams, customers, or other stakeholders.

AND, you qualify at the GS-13 level, if you meet the following qualification requirements:

You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1) Independently planning and coordinating software testing efforts across applications, projects, releases, upgrades, or production changes; 2) developing test plans, criteria, test cases, or test scripts within established testing methodologies based on system requirements, technical risks, and expected application behavior; 3) evaluating test results and software defects to identify risks, determine additional testing needs, and provide technical recommendations regarding release readiness; 4) prioritizing and coordinating testing assignments or resources and providing technical direction to other personnel supporting testing activities; and 5) tracking and communicating critical testing issues, coordinating retesting following corrective actions, and communicating testing status, risks, findings, and recommendations to technical teams, customers, project stakeholders, or management.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13083059

Education


Additional information

  • This position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave.PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration.
  • A newly appointed or reappointed individual may receive a recruitment incentive. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for prior work experience or active-duty uniformed service that otherwise would not be creditable for the purpose of determining his or her annual leave accrual rate. All creditable service must be directly related to the duties of the position being filled and decisions to allow for such credit must be finalized prior to the selectee's entrance on duty. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • If selected, you may be eligible to receive a salary above the minimum based on superior qualifications and/or a special need of the Government for your services. This applies to employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (FWS) pay systems and is at the discretion of the hiring manager. A salary above the minimum must be approved before the appointment.
  • At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities: telework compressed schedules, flexible schedules.
  • Visit our Help Applying page for helpful information on the application process.
  • Military Spouses selected from this announcement will remain in their current duty location (i.e., the official duty station of the military service member.
  • 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 here: Reasonable Accommodation.
  • We may make additional selections for similar positions within the commuting area(s) of the locations listed through this vacancy announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s). Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions.

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.

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) and your responses to the assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.


If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:
  • Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
  • Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
  • Qualified - for those who meet the minimum qualification requirements
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.

How You Will Be Evaluated
To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 80 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the largest biomedical research funding organization in the world. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. NIH employs approximately 18,000 employees in varied occupations, all supporting research efforts that improve health and save lives. For more information on NIH's mission and goals, and its 27 Institutes and Centers, visit the NIH website.

Virtually explore the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Bethesda campus, learn about scientific research, and get to know NIH community members who are working to help people live longer, healthier lives: https://www.nih.gov/virtual-tour/.

This position is located in the Department of Clinical Research Informatics (DCRI),Clinical Center. DCRI's mission is to ensure the appropriate use of technology and information management to promote health and research productivity. DCRI is responsible for processes and systems that directly affect users in the care delivery and research settings. Work focuses on the analysis and evaluation of clinical research informatics needs and requirements, the development of design options that support the work processes of clinical research, and the implementation and management of responsive Clinical Information Technology solutions. To learn more about DCRI visit https://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/dcri

Agency contact information

NIH HR Service Desk Branch E
Email
ohrcsdbranchesrvdsk@od.nih.gov
Address
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
US

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https://hr.nih.gov/careers

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