Summary This position is located in FSA supporting various program offices. Join us to transform how millions of students and partners access financial aid, innovate how borrowers repay their student loans, and play a leading role in implementing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Responsibilities APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 200 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 200th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first. We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application. As an IT Specialist (APPSW), Engineer, GS-2210-15, you will be responsible for: - Leading the technical direction for FSA engineering by applying deep knowledge of modern software engineering practices to ensure systems are robust, reliable, and user-friendly. Keep the team focused on outcomes that directly improve the experience for millions of students and families. - Evaluating, adopting, and championing new development tools, technologies, and methods that improve both productivity and software quality across the FSA and FAFSA lifecycle. Elevating the work of contractors and set a higher standard for product excellence across the organization. - Fostering a culture that combines technical excellence with a relentless focus on mission outcomes. Provide coaching, feedback, and growth opportunities for both government staff and contractors, raising the bar for what good engineering looks like in a federal environment. - Taking ownership of improving not just the product but also the internal processes that surround it. Proactively identifying and fixing inefficient, outdated, or overly bureaucratic practices that slow down delivery. Serving as a catalyst for change by removing obstacles, building alignment across stakeholders, and modeling a bias toward action. - Applying deep experience in building and managing products that serve millions of users at scale, with high stakes for accuracy, security, and reliability. Ensuring FSA systems meet the demands of peak traffic periods, protect sensitive personal and financial data, and delivering seamless experiences for students, families, and institutions. Requirements Conditions of Employment Must be a US Citizen Relocation will not be paid. You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period. Must complete a Background Investigation and Fingerprint check. Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service. Condition of Employment: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary period or trial 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 OR trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. 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 directly to paid employment. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience. Qualifications Minimum Qualification Requirements You may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-15, if you possess the specialize experience. Specialized Experience for the IT Specialist (APPSW), Engineer, GS-2210-15: One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-14 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience serving as the principal engineer or engineering manager in the development of a scaled technology platform. 2. Experience serving as a lead engineer or senior software developer, overseeing internal and external software development, integration, and operation. 3. Experience communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences and translating user needs into technical architecture. Basic Experience Requirements You must possess IT related experience (paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (e.g., IT certification), as appropriate) demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. 1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. 2. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (i.e., 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. 3. Oral Communication - Expresses information (e.g., ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (e.g., technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. 4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). 1. Ability to lead engineering teams to deliver high-quality outcomes for users. 2. Knowledge of software application best practices and tooling. 3. Ability to build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing engineering culture. 4. Ability to navigate bureaucracy and drive change. 5. Knowledge of building and operating large-scale, mission-critical student aid or comparable financial systems. Education Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level. Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, please click Foreign Education. Additional Information Veterans' Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email careers@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor ("Veterans Counseling Session" should be placed in the subject line of the email). Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment. Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check. Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures. Financial Disclosure: This position does not require financial disclosure. Bargaining Unit: This position is not included in the bargaining unit. Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.
