Branch Chief - Applications Development
About This Position
The Office of Information Technology is seeking applicants to fill their Supervisory Information Technology Specialist (Branch Chief - Applications Development) position. As a Branch Chief, you will serve as an agency IT expert and authoritative consultant to design, document, develop, modify, test, install, implement, and support new or legacy applications and software security solutions for both OIT and other SEC program teams.
Qualifications
Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please check the How You Will Be Evaluated and Required Documents sections carefully, as missing documents will render the application incomplete and ineligible for review. Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector.
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.
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENT: For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience 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 (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; knows about available products and services; 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 QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT:
In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement below. SK-15: Applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-13 level: Architecting and developing secure software solutions for supporting modern applications/systems; Leading information systems development and modernization efforts; Performing customer engagement to identify opportunities for new or improved business process solutions; and Securing software throughout complete product lifecycle including security engineering and operations. ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies.
See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information: Cyber Operational Planning: Conducts strategic and operational-level planning to support cyberspace operations and prevent unauthorized access to electronic assets such as databases, equipment, systems, networks, and information. Information Systems/Network Security: Implements and uses methods, tools, and procedures, including the development of information security plans and standards, to prevent information systems vulnerabilities and provide or restore privacy and security of applications, information systems, and/or network services. Technology Expertise: Knowledge of the principles and methods of specialized technologies, tools, and delivery systems, including security, risk management, governance, functionality, and user interface in area of expertise (e.g., programming languages, server, web, applications, network) Building Teams: Ability to create and foster cohesive and effective teams.
Major Duties
In this role as a Branch Chief - Applications Development, you will be responsible for: Providing strategic leadership and direction to the team, setting priorities, allocating resources, and removing obstacles to ensure successful delivery of application management, architecture, and cloud solution initiatives. Serving as a software engineer and applications developer and consultant, on a diverse range of highly technical and complex software engineering, development, security, and identity management issues. Designing, developing, and deploying secure cloud infrastructure, automated processes, and continuous integration using Amazon Web Services to enhance the operations, installation and maintenance of specialized software and hardware supporting business operations.
Supporting the enterprise services including DevSecOps, data integration, middleware, security solutions, reporting and visualization, and other processes to provide an effective environment for development operations. Using Agile and DevSecOps methodologies to monitor and maintain the system development through production delivery. Applying artificial intelligence tools where appropriate, including code assistant tools such as GitHub Copilot and information processing tools such as Amazon Bedrock.
Using machine learning, financial mathematics, data mining, and/or other quantitative modeling to solve customer problems. Providing insight and advice on digital customer experience planning and implementation, including designing surveys and conducting interviews and focus groups. Ensuring IT projects are delivered on budget and comply with the terms of agreements.
Developing cooperative relationships working with customer teams and navigating and working through conflicting priorities from stakeholders.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement.
This position is being advertised through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Direct-Hire Authority (5 U.S.C. Section 3304 and 5 CFR Part 337, Subpart B) and is open to All U.S. Citizens. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking and veterans' preference procedures do not apply.
Your resume and application package will first be reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements outlined in the announcement. If you are found minimally qualified, the Office of Human Resources will contact you to request an Accomplishment Record.
You will have 3 business days from the date of the request to submit it. Failure to submit the Accomplishment Record on time will remove you from further consideration. Because of the short turnaround time, you are strongly encouraged to begin preparing your Accomplishment Record in advance. Once your Accomplishment Record is received, a rating panel will review both your resume and your narrative responses.
Your Accomplishment Record must clearly demonstrate your proficiency in the competencies listed in the Qualifications section.
Click here for guidance on writing your Accomplishment Record.
Your resume must provide evidence that supports the claims in your Accomplishment Record. Each narrative must describe one specific, relevant example from your experience or training. Responses are limited to 300 words per competency; any text beyond this limit will not be reviewed.
You must provide one document containing your narrative responses for all four competencies. Failure to address each competency annotated on the announcement or failure to provide the correct document will result in loss of further consideration. Please
note: A Performance Appraisal does not satisfy the requirement for an Accomplishment Record. Required Accomplishment Record Format: Applicant First Name and Last Name Competency Title Position title and dates from your resume that this experience was obtained Describe the situation (i.e., the challenged faced, the problem solved) Describe the specific actions you took State the outcome, results, or long-term impact of your accomplishment Name and email address of someone who can verify this information Reference checks may be conducted as part of the final selection process, and you will be notified before any contacts are made. Basis for Rating: The rating panel will evaluate applicants' accomplishment records and resume, and then place them into one of the following categories: Pass - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has at least a moderate amount of skills and experience in most of the job related competencies.
Fail - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but has only limited experience in several of the job related competencies. Passing applicants will be referred to the hiring office for further review and consideration. The hiring office may directly contact recommended candidates for interview(s).
To preview the Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12957464
Additional Information
Supplementary vacancies may be filled
in addition to the number stated in this announcement and may be filled from any division or office within the agency. SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: Total salary (base pay + locality) is dependent upon duty location. The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes; a selectee's initial pay will be established below the maximum rate of the range.
The pay for current SEC employees will be determined according to the procedures specified in the agency's policy. Please click here for a compensation overview. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible.
To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; the questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility (2) be rated well-qualified; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in the SEC application process due to a medical disability, please contact [email protected].
For religious-based accommodations, please contact [email protected] . Please be sure to submit your request at least 5 business days in advance of the date you need the requested accommodation. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Information for SEC Job Applicants: For more information, please click here.
The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the Legal and Policy Office in the Office of Human Resources at [email protected].
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. No additional documentation will be accepted after the deadline To begin, click Apply to access the online application.
You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.
Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position.
Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. 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/.
Required Documents
You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes: Required: Your responses to the Questionnaire. Required: Resume - Resumes should include relevant work experience, with specific employment dates, that demonstrates qualifications for the specialized experience and competencies as outlined above. If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.
Resumes that exceed two pages will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration. For resume writing tips, visit USAJOBS and the SEC careers page. Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.)