Senior IT Manager #353

Senior IT Manager #353

Work Hours: 9:00am- 5:00pm
Pay Band: SAA-12 - $114302-$171446
Remote Work Status: Remote / FLSA Status: Exempt
Posting Date Range: 3/1/2023-3/15/2023
This vacancy announcement closes at 7pm EST. Late applications will not be accepted.

Advanced Technologies Development (ATD) Senior Manager 
The U. S. Senate is seeking a Senior Manager to supervise the Process Management and Innovations Group’s Advanced Technology Development (ATD) section in the Sergeant at Arms’ (SAA) Chief Information Officer (CIO) team. The ATD team is responsible for custom software development and integration of various systems supporting business functions such as a personnel management system, financial disclosure system, letter signing application, and lobbyist disclosure system. Responsibilities include supervising ten staff who develop custom applications while maintaining an existing portfolio of forty-plus solutions. 

The team follows agile principles and practices using Scrum and Kanban methodologies. The ATD Senior Manager organizes the group into 4-5 teams to build custom software: Each team collaborates with a quality assurance tester, a user experience designer, the product owner, users, and stakeholders to iteratively define, design, build, test, and release features. The ATD Senior Manager will assess the project scope/goals and collaborate with the team to determine staffing, define a timeframe for development (usually between 3 and 6 months), and support the team (e.g., remove impediments, provide mentoring and coaching on interpersonal and technical issues, report to upper management on project status). The ATD Senior Manager sets priorities, removes impediments, coordinates with the User Experience and Quality Assurance Manager for staffing, and collaborates across the U.S. Senate to help project teams meet the goals of each project. The ATD Senior Manager also ensures team cohesion across groups. 
ATD's current technology stack includes Python, Django, Vue.js, OpenShift, and GitLab DevSecOps Platform.  This role would also be involved with the Senate's cloud initiatives. 

The position is remote (with occasional visits to the U.S. Senate in Washington, DC). This position may require the incumbent to be available for sudden recall in response to emergency events. 

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance. 

Desired Qualifications, Knowledge, and Experience 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related field. 
• 12+ years software engineering experience. 
• 2+ years leadership and/or management experience – either project or department 
• Servant-leader, who puts the team's needs first and works to remove impediments that may impact project timelines. Allows the team to self-form and supports all projects, as needed.  Provides opportunities for others on the team to lead.  
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with customers, Software Engineers, and management in a highly visible, mission-critical environment both verbally and in writing. 
• Coaching engineers regarding project issues, technical solutions, and training when necessary. Also, coach individual team members regarding performance issues, whether regarding additional training or other techniques that would give them the opportunity for performance improvements. 
• Coaching team on resolving differences so they work more effectively.  
• Strategize with team prior to customer meetings in order to provide the best technical solutions available.  
• Attend project meetings and assess how they affect long- and short-term project planning and CIO goals. 
• Document individual staff achievements/challenges for purposes of performance reviews. 
• Remove impediments to work. 
• Coordinate across the SAA with other managers to resolve differences, plan work, gather scope/requirements for upcoming projects. 
• Ensure technology staff is kept up-to-date and secure. 
• Making connections in the group for purposes of ensuring that the team is working well together across CIO departments to foster collaboration and resolve issues. 
• Keep up to date on management, agile, and technology trends by attending conferences, online training, or through self-study.  
• Monitor the team’s ticket tracking system and make sure issues are resolved in a timely manner within our SLA.  
• Develop and maintain software development standards by coordinating with engineers/Solutions Architect, and ensure that across the CIO that we are complying with best practices and security requirements for the applications we develop. 
• Maintain project backlog in coordination with branch manager and user experience design manager. 
• Write reviews for staff as scheduled. 
• Write Risk Assessments and coordinate with Cyber to process them. 
• Participate in budget planning and testimony-writing activities. 
• Plan budgets. 
• Purchase equipment. 
• Hire new staff, onboard and integrate them into the team. 
• During system outages, coordinate with infrastructure CIO teams across the enterprise in order to restore services to our customers. During these events, monitor the actions of the team and communicate with upper management regarding estimates of when services will be restored. 

Job Description

This is senior level professional and managerial work planning and managing the work of a large technical unit. Work includes supervising the work of technical and professional personnel and/or contract vendors. Work also involves project management, formulating and monitoring the section budget, providing forecasts, cost/benefit analyses, and technical recommendations to senior management. Work is performed with considerable independence under the direction of the Information Technology Branch Manager.

Examples of Work
Supervises section staff by providing direction, setting priorities, assisting with problem resolution, reviewing and evaluating work, counseling staff, and conducting performance reviews. Develops section work plans and assigns projects, tasks, resources, deadlines and priorities to staff; monitors work progress, adjusts project schedules and updates status of work on a regular basis. Develops strategic plans and technology/operational forecasts; provides project direction, coordination, and resource allocation; develops project schedules and tracks expenditures; reviews final products; coordinates project acceptances with customers. Functions as Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative; participates in vendor negotiations; monitors contractors’ performance; reviews contractor invoices and certifies acceptance. Develops and monitors section budget. Confers with other sections, divisions, departments, and vendors to gather and disseminate information; represents the SAA organization in discussions of projects; participates in organizational decision making. Develops and implements policies, standards and procedures. Coordinates new product transition, deployment and support; leads task forces.

Minimum Qualifications

Work requires a Bachelor’s Degree in computer science, telecommunications, or a related technical field, and eight to ten years of experience in systems support, systems development or applications development, with at least two years of work in a lead or project manager capacity; or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the following knowledge, abilities and skills:

• Knowledge of current and emerging technologies and principles of information technology management.
• Knowledge of capabilities and requirements of various computer platforms in centralized, distributed, client server and stand alone operating environments.
• Ability to set goals, plan, and monitor project or contract budgets.
• Ability to plan, supervise, assign and review the work of a large professional and technical staff.
• Knowledge of project life cycle methodologies.
• Ability to communicate effectively.

Physical Demands and Working Environment

Work requires extended periods of confined sitting and hand-eye coordination working with computers. Expected to work unusual and perhaps unexpected hours during a COOP event.

Licenses, Certification and Other Requirements
This position requires that the applicant obtain and maintain an applicable U.S. Government security clearance. Applicants must be U.S. citizens in order for the SAA to submit your application for a security clearance. For education requirements please see Minimum Qualifications.

Conditions of Employment
To be employed by a Senate employing office in a paid position in the continental United States an individual must:
1. Be a U.S. citizen;
2. Be lawfully admitted for permanent residence and seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)(B);
3. Be (i) admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157 or granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1158 and (ii) have filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; or
4. Owe allegiance to the U.S. (i.e., qualify as a non-citizen U.S. national under federal law).

Employment is contingent on background / security investigation results.  

BENEFITS AT-A-GLANCE

The SAA provides a highly competitive benefits package for all SAA staff. Our benefits extend beyond health care coverage to help provide employees with student loan reimbursement, professional development, transportation subsidy, TSP/retirement savings, access to our Employee Assistance Program, and more! For more information regarding SAA’s benefits, please visit https://sen.gov/OPPW 

VOLUNTARY SELF-IDENTIFICATION FOR VETERANS' PREFERENCE

If you are identifying as veterans' preference eligible under the VEOA, please use this link  [saa.csod.com]to complete your application for Veterans' Preference AFTER you apply for this position. The link will also be available on the "Thank You" page after you have submitted your job application.

Candidates only need to apply one time for veterans’ preference to be considered for all future veterans’ preference positions within the Senate Sergeant at Arms. 

• All supporting documents must ONLY be provided within the Veterans’ Preference Application and within the stated deadline of the job announcement.
• Late applications for veterans’ preference will not be considered.
• Documentation to obtain veterans’ preference will not be considered if attached to the job application.
• If you need to revise or resubmit your Application for Veterans' Preference/documents, please withdraw your previous Application for Veterans' Preference and resubmit. If you require assistance, please email employment@saa.senate.gov.
• To view additional information regarding the VEOA, please click here [senate.gov].

An applicant who declines to self-identify as a disabled veteran and/or to provide information and documentation regarding his/her disabled veteran’s status will not be subjected to an adverse employment action, but the individual may be ruled ineligible for veterans’ preference.