Summary This position is located in the Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA) in Washington, DC. The FSA is responsible for awarding billions of dollars in federal student aid funds. Our vision is to be the most trusted and reliable source of student financial aid, information, and services in the nation. Our core values include integrity, customer service, excellence, respect, stewardship, and teamwork. Responsibilities APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 50 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 50th 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 a Supervisory Information Technology Specialist, AD-2210-00, you will be responsible for: Leading the direction and ongoing improvement of FSA products by understanding the needs of students, families, and financial aid administrators, and making sure product decisions focus on improving access to aid and making services easier to use. Improving the product and the internal processes that support it by identifying outdated or inefficient practices, streamlining workflows, removing barriers, aligning stakeholders, and promoting timely, action-oriented decision-making. Fostering a culture focused on strong technical quality and mission results by providing coaching, feedback, and growth opportunities to both government staff and contractors, and helping set clear expectations for effective product development in the federal government. Applying experience building and managing large-scale products used by millions by ensuring systems can handle peak demand, protect sensitive personal and financial data, and provide reliable, easy-to-use services for students, families, and institutions. Requirements Conditions of Employment Must be a US Citizen. Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service. Must complete a Background Investigation and Fingerprint check. You may be subject to serve a one-year Supervisory probation period. May be required to successfully complete a two-year trial period. Must be determined suitable for federal employment. Relocation expenses will not be paid. 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 AD-00, if you possess the specialize experience. Specialized Experience for the AD-00: 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 providing oversight to a large organization of 50+ technical product managers and engineers, with ultimate responsibility for the team's outcomes. 2. Experience managing large vendor software development shops to improve performance. 3. Experience communicating technical concepts to non-technical leadership audiences at the senior executive leadership level or equivalent. 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. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. 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. 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. 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). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Ability to lead engineering teams to deliver high-quality outcomes for users. 2. Ability to navigate complex organizational procsses and drive change. 3. Ability to build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing culture. 4. 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. 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 sro_recruiting@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 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.
