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 serves as an Information Technology (IT) Specialist and performs a wide range of duties which involves the design, documentation, modification, testing, installation, and maintenance of new or existing applications software. | Supports OIGâs mission in the development and implementation of standards via the software development lifecycle. | Designs, develops, and maintains Pega applications across the application and integration layers, supporting new implementations, enhancements, and major upgrades. | Works with business analysts, architects, and stakeholders to translate complex business requirements into well-structured Pega technical components using Case Management, Data Modeling, and Rule authoring. | Develops and implements complex system integrations using REST/SOAP connectors, SQL, Kafka, and other supported technologies to enable secure and efficient communication between Pega and external systems. | Utilizes Pega AI and decisioning tools as part of solution development, including implementing and tuning analytics or automated decision components where required. | Optimizes Pega applications for performance, scalability, and reliability, including conducting root cause analysis and resolving production issues. | Provides authoritative advice to executive level managers in OIG about the area of expertise. | Troubleshoots complex technical hardware and software problems and formulates solutions to ensure OIG applications continue working effectively/efficiently. | Serves as an agency-wide resource person in providing technical support and advice concerning OIGâs programmatic and administrative systems development.
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 13 To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-12 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:
- Experience independently designing, developing, enhancing, and maintaining Pega applications in an enterprise environment, following Pega guardrails, standards, and best practices.
- Experience translating complex business requirements into Pega case workflows, data models, rules, and integrations using SQL and Pega AI/decisioning tools.
- Experience optimizing application performance, troubleshooting and resolving complex technical issues, ensuring compliance with federal security and data governance requirements, and maintaining technical documentation.
- Experience supporting modernization and Agile System Development Lifecycle (SDLC) activities; providing technical guidance, conducting peer reviews, and communicating technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Qualification standards and additional information for this position can be found here: Competency-Based Qualification Standard for the Information Technology Management Series, 2210Education 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. How to apply Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
- If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. You may check Computer System Requirements here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements. Note: Set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found in your USAJOBS account under the "Track my application" link for the corresponding application.
You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with the application process, please email HR.Staffing2.Team8.Mailbox@ssa.gov. Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email to request TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services.
Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process. 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).