IT SPECIALIST (APPSW) (GS-12)

Summary

Who may apply: Current permanent DFAS employees in the competitive service, eligible DoD PPP Military Spouse preference applicants, and current DFAS VRA employees. Applicants applying for Cleveland may be placed at Bratenahl. We may use this announcement to fill other positions in the Information & Technology Directorate. This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. For more information, visit USA Hire Assessment.

Duties

Provide for effective development, implementation, operation, maintenance, and modification of major finance and/or accounting automation information systems. Analyzes functional and technical requirements of proposed or existing IT systems to determine avenues of development or modification for Java web applications. Participates in systems requirement reviews and coordinates with customer/functional representatives and other technical personnel to clarify requirements. Prepares system change/programming specifications, and specifies programming instructions, inputs and outputs, structures, and other analytical products to document the functional and technical requirements. Participates in test readiness reviews and briefs technical and non-technical staff. Prepares system documentation for purposes of improving software development processes.

Qualifications

This Job Opportunity Announcement is using an additional online assessment tool to evaluate applicants. Please review the HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED, REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, HOW TO APPLY and NEXT STEPS sections below for instructions. Basic Requirement: Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating the following competencies appropriate to, or above, the level of this position. Your resume and work experience should clearly support your ability to meet these competencies and will be evaluated as part of the entire application process. Attention to Detail- experience reviewing my own information technology-related work or data and have been asked by others to review their work or data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency with standards Customer Service- experience maintaining relationships with customers, assessing current information technology needs of customers, and developing or identifying information technology products and services that are tailored to meet customer needs Oral Communication- briefing mid-level management and IT staff on the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the communication of technical information to a non-technical audience Problem Solving- identifying alternatives to address complex information technology-related issues by gathering and applying information from a variety of sources that provide a number of potential solutions In addition to meeting the basic requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11) in the Federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience developing, implementing, coding, testing, operating, and modifying software and automated systems, and conducting systems requirement reviews; applying IT principles and practices in the software development process on a Java web application. You may qualify for consideration if meeting specialized experience, education requirement, 90 days after competitive appointment requirement, and all other qualification requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the announcement, unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.

Education

Education is not substitutable for specialized experience at this grade level. **This Job Opportunity Announcement is using an additional online assessment tool to evaluate applicants. Please review the HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED, REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, HOW TO APPLY and NEXT STEPS sections below for instructions.

How you will be evaluated

IMPORTANT NOTE - YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR RATING. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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 the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a 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, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based 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. https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information

How to apply

The following link will help you determine if you meet the eligibility to apply for this position: http://www.dfas.mil/careers/howtoapply/vacancyannouncement/appointment-eligibility.html PLEASE NOTE: You will be considered only for those appointment eligibilities for which you select, attach supporting documentation and are found eligible. Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. 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: 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 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Other information

This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. For more information, visit USA Hire Assessment For Reasonable Accommodation Requests, see the How You Will Be Evaluated section. Moving expenses will be paid. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 makes certain reimbursements/payments taxable. For information on these changes and the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA), for which some appointees are eligible, click here. For positions where relocation is paid (see Location block of vacancy announcement), you can learn more about relocation allowances and entitlements. Telework availability is limited and will only be provided on a rare case-by-case basis during situations where Agency Leadership has determined that telework serves a compelling DoD need. We may use this announcement to make a temporary promotion. For some positions, the temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition. Selections are subject to restrictions resulting from the DoD Program for Stability of Civilian Employment. As a condition of employment, you may be required to serve a 1 year probation during which we'll evaluate if continued employment advances public interest. The evaluation considers: performance & conduct; needs & interests of the agency; if continued employment advances agency goals; if continued employment advances the efficiency of the Federal service. At the end of the probationary period, employment will be terminated unless you receive certification that continued employment advances public interest. We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 120 days of the closing date. This position is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act. Travel requirement is occasional. This position is not covered by a bargaining unit. Pay for first time hires to the Federal Government will typically be set at step 1 salary range for their respective grade level. Retired Civil Service Employee: Employment of retired Federal employees receiving an annuity is subject to the requirements of the Department of Defense (DoD) policy guidance. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300, here. Security Designation varies dependent upon position and may require a secret clearance or higher. Employment requires a background investigation which may delay starting date. If selected and cannot obtain a favorable security determination within a reasonable period of time, the employment offer may be withdrawn. Individuals are required to obtain/maintain a favorable security determination to occupy a sensitive position as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain eligibility to occupy a sensitive position may result in termination. For more information see the security section of Understanding Vacancy Announcements. Criminal History Inquiries- For some positions, criminal history inquiries may not take place before you receive a conditional job offer. Please see Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019 (dfas.mil) for more information on The Fair Chance to Compete Act, exceptions, and DFAS contact information.