IT Software Engineer (Tech Force)

Summary

The US Tech Force is an elite corps advancing federal technology. Backed by the White House, it deploys top Super Intelligence (SI) and engineering talent across government. GSA, SSA, OPM, State, Treasury, and HHS are among the participating agencies seeking innovators ready to tackle critical national challenges.

Duties

Those selected will join a cohort of individuals that receive leadership training, get exposure to America's top technology CEOs and gain unparalleled exposure to policymaking and national-scale impact. This may include CEO fireside chats, networking events, coding training/certificates, and other opportunities. The specific duties assigned to an IT Software Engineer may differ by hiring agency, Examples may include: Supporting the expansion and use of Super Intelligence (SI) across government. Leveraging SI-assisted development tools and prompt-engineering techniques to streamline delivery processes, enhance code quality, and automate documentation and defect detection. Full-stack engineering, which may include modern Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) implementation, automated and performance testing, observability, SI tool integration, cybersecurity applications, and delivery of robust, secure, and maintainable systems. Leads the planning, coordination, and execution of major IT applications software projects, including software design, development, testing, and implementation. Participates in interagency working groups, task forces, and strategic planning sessions to align IT initiatives with broader government priorities. Leads project teams composed of technical specialists, analysts, and support staff. Assigns tasks, monitors progress, and ensures deliverables meet quality expectations and stakeholder requirements. Requirements

This is a shared announcement used by multiple Federal agencies. Applicants must meet all conditions of employment listed in this announcement and any agency-specific requirements. Depending on the position, these may include: Completion of the E-Verify employment verification process. Selective Service registration, if applicable. Background investigation and suitability determination. Security clearance, if required by the hiring agency. Must be able to pass a background investigation and/or obtain and hold a security clearance, as determined by the hiring agency. Drug testing, financial disclosure, or bargaining unit coverage, depending on the position. May require a pre-employment drug test and/or random drug testing during the period of employment. Direct deposit of salary payments. Successfully completing a probationary period. Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or national. Specific conditions of employment may vary by hiring agency. Applicants should clarify duty location, travel, security clearance, and other position-specific requirements with the hiring agency, if contacted for interview or selection. Qualifications

This announcement will close at 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/23/2026. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date. Minimum Qualification Requirement: Under the updated Competency-Based Qualification Standard for the IT Management Series (2210), applicants must: Meet or exceed all required general competencies at the minimum proficiency level for the GS-14 grade, Meet or exceed all required technical competencies established for this announcement for the GS-14 grade, and Demonstrate you have the required specialized experience for the position. You may be considered ineligible and removed from further consideration for the position, if you fail to meet any of the criteria above. Required General Competencies Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. 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. Decision Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change. Information Management: Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems. Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations 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. Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals. Technical Competency: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. Required Technical Competencies: General Programming and Algorithms Debugging and Troubleshooting Requirement Understanding and Implementation Performance Optimization and Scalability Specialized Experience You must demonstrate the competencies required to successfully perform the duties of the position. These competencies are normally attained through one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level of the position being filled but may be obtained through other means. Experience may be paid or unpaid (internships, volunteerism). Experience must be validated through the assessment process, consistent with OPM's skills-based hiring policy. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Solving problems with secure, scalable solutions, such as diagnosing issues (e.g., bugs, performance, integration), improving reliability, or building with security in mind (e.g., authentication/authorization, data protection) so systems can handle growth. Explaining technical ideas, such as sharing updates and tradeoffs with different audiences (e.g., engineers, product partners, and senior leaders) through briefings, reports, or documentation. Leading software efforts, such as designing, building, deploying, or maintaining reliable technical solutions that address user or mission requirements. Specialized experience must show demonstrable competencies aligned to the position's job analysis and the IT-2210 standard. 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 online assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the online assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the online assessment. 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 Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

This announcement is being used to recruit qualified individuals under the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Direct Hire Authority. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Veterans' preference does not apply. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. To be found minimally qualified, you must demonstrate proficiency in the general and technical competencies listed in the Qualifications section of the job announcement. At this level, individuals apply the competencies in considerably difficult situations, require little to no guidance, and demonstrate broad and in-depth understanding of the competency. Your qualifications will be evaluated 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, and Teamwork, Oral Communication, Problem Solving, Information Management, General Programming and Algorithms, Debugging and Troubleshooting, Requirement Understanding and Implementation, and Performance Optimization and Scalability Application questionnaire: Applicants must complete a questionnaire as part of the application process. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13048430. Applicants identifying as meeting minimum qualifications for the position will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. Online Assessments: USA Hire Assessments: The USA Hire Assessments include a passing score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in 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. General Coding Assessment: This online assessment include a passing score based on the required proficiency in technical competencies. You must meet or exceed the passing score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the passing score or fail to complete the assessment Resume review: Your resume will be reviewed to confirm your qualifications for this position based on the required minimum qualifications. Applicants passing the resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. Interview: Applicants will participate in an automated digital interview to further assess their qualifications relative to the requirements of the job. The automated interview tool will follow a structured script and produce ratings based on pre-determined rubrics consistently applied to applicant responses. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the passing score or fail to complete the interview. Referral: Under provisions of the Direct Hire Authority: Category Rating, Rule of Many, and veterans' preference do not apply. All applicants who are determined to meet the minimum qualifications, as defined by this announcement, will be referred to the selecting officials for consideration. Other Information

Agencies recruiting from this job announcement may include but are not limited to: Social Security Administration (SSA), General Services Administration (GSA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of State (State), Department of Treasury (Treasury), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Agencies with non-General Schedule (non-GS) pay plans or bands may hire from this announcement when the vacancy they are filling is equivalent to the GS grade advertised. The hiring agency's servicing HR office must verify grade-equivalency alignment with the advertised GS grade. Selections from this announcement must be for the GS grade (or equivalent pay plan or band) included in the announcement. Agencies may use this announcement to fill vacancies at additional duty locations. Specific duty locations outside of Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, and Kansas City, MO are not known at the time of this announcement. The salary range posted in this announcement is an approximation and subject to locality. Final duty location and pay will be determined by the hiring agency. Recruitment, relocation or other incentives may be available, depending on the hiring agency's policies. Appointments are for 2-year periods. Appointments may be extended to a max of 4 years based on the needs of the hiring agency. There are no rights to further Federal employment in either the competitive or excepted service upon expiration of appointment. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the agency with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application.