IT Specialist (Quality Assurance/Tester) - Direct Hire

Summary

Positions under this announcement are being filled using a Direct Hire Authority (DHA), open to all U.S. citizens. Selection(s) made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the civil service and may be required to serve a new probationary period. Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and the "Rule of Three" do not apply.

Duties

• This announcement serves as public notice. Applications submitted be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection as positions become available.
• Vacancies may be filled for up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.
• Applications may be gathered from additional recruitment sources. These will be added to the pool created by this announcement.
• Positions filled with applications from this pool will be placed into positions where cybersecurity duties occupy the majority of the work performed.
• Incumbent is responsible for performing the systems design and programming necessary to develop, maintain, modify, and enhance applications software required to support programmatic and administrative systems.
• Participates in the development of statements of work for systems design, development and implementation activities which are contracted. Assists in development of component work plans and budgets.
• Provides technical assistance in the planning, installation, testing, operation, troubleshooting and maintenance of COTS hardware and software systems. Integrating hardware and software elements.
• Provides technical assistance to users by identifying data processing technologies and applying them to user requirements. As needed, provides such assistance onsite in the user organization.
• Works with users to define problems, design solutions and test new or revised programmatic and administrative systems.
• Maintains contact with users to provide advisory services, conducts post-implementation reviews and assesses effectiveness of systems and instructions, obtains policy and procedural input, and responds to user recommendations.
• Develops detailed application systems design and software; performs testing, implementation and maintenance activities for projects or major aspects of projects assigned.
• Conducts periodic reviews of operational software to isolate throughput constraints or potential areas for increased performance. Analyzes software using optimizer tools, program profile generators, etc., to identify inefficient code.
• Tests and evaluates various software packages to determine the ease of use, interactions and compatibility, as well as suitability to support component workloads.
• Develops or oversees the development and maintenance of accurate, clear, concise and complete system documentation in accordance with Federal, and component standards.
• Implements corrective action for systems deficiencies discovered as a result of user contact, post-implementation review, quality assurance studies or other fact-finding methods.

Qualifications

Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered. Please visit the new resume guidance for more information. READ ALL SECTIONS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY. THIS INFORMATION IS CRUCIAL TO SUBMITTING A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION. Applicants must qualify for the series and grade of the posted position. Experience must be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate. Your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, abilities, and proficiency of any required competencies to perform the specific position for which you are applying. To qualify for the 2210 IT Specialist series, the applicant must demonstrate the following 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; know about available products and services; and is committed to providing quality products and services. 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. Minimum Qualifications: Grade 12 To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-11 level, or equivalent, which is in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience must include all of the following: Planning, designing, and executing software quality assurance and testing activities for major IT systems, including developing comprehensive automated and manual testing strategies, creating test plans and cases, defining validation criteria, and identifying, documenting, and tracking defects using industry-standard tools. Eliciting, interpreting, and translating customer requirements for OIG systems through research, analysis, interviews, prototyping, and other engagement methods to develop test strategies and comprehensive test plans. Providing expertise in the planning, installation, testing, troubleshooting, integration, and maintenance of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software systems, as well as architecting, coding, deploying, and managing automated and manual testing solutions in cloud environments such as AWS or Microsoft Azure. Collaborating with developers, business analysts, and stakeholders to ensure requirements are met, issues are resolved, and complex technical information is clearly communicated-both orally and in writing-to technical and non-technical audiences, including senior management. Qualification standards and additional information for this position can be found here: Competency-Based Qualification Standard for the Information Technology Management Series, 2210

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level. How You Will Be Evaluated

The evaluation you receive is based on your responses to the online assessments completed during the application process. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Reading Comprehension Decision Making Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Teamwork Reasoning The 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. Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. Cheating on the online assessment may result in your removal from consideration. Other Information

This announcement serves as public notice. Applications submitted are placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection if additional positions become available. This Direct Hire announcement may be used to fill the same or similar position in another office. Salary range listed is under 'Rest of U.S. (RUS)' locality pay table. Selectee's actual salary will vary depending on location being filled. To find out the salary range for your selected location, you can view the salary for each locality pay table here: Salaries & Wages. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov. 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 and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request an 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. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. RESUME: Resumes cannot exceed two pages; please visit the new resume guidance for more information. Your resume must provide specific details as to how your experience meets the qualifications for this position. Experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. The resume should indicate if the work is full-time or part-time. Part-time work is prorated (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12-month period, you will be credited with 6 months of experience).