Duties

Summary

This vacancy is for an IT Specialist (Enterprise Architect) position in the Enterprise Middleware Services Branch located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line - Suitland Station.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Serves as an Enterprise Middleware Architect and expert in integration platforms. Drive future design, development, runtime, common services, and governance capabilities framework.
• Support the implementation & maintenance of containerized application architecture, microservice development, data pipeline strategems, integration platforms, and cloud native architecture.
• Leads the design, development, and maintenance of the enterprise-wide Service Oriented Architecture infrastructure, common and re-useable service frameworks of the future-state API Infrastructure.
• Supports and enforces the enterprise-wide governance standards and policies for SOA API design, development, runtime, and maintenance. Supports/directs team of Federal and Contract resource developers & middleware component administrators;
• Leads technical team through implementation efforts, integration with internal/external systems, troubleshooting issues, and documents new practices & communicates changes.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizen.
• Suitable for Federal employment.
• Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the announcement closing date.
• Registered for Selective Service, if applicable. (www.sss.gov)
• You may be required to complete a financial disclosure (OGE-450).

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

A probationary period may be required.

This position is ELIGIBLE for telework; additional criteria will be required (e.g., supervisory approval).

This is a NON-BARGAINING unit position.

Relocation expenses WILL NOT be paid.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and individual states being in different phases of reopening, once the selectee becomes an employee, the report date to the official duty station/facility may be delayed until such time that management notifies the employee of their requirement to report. Until it is safe to relocate, the employee may be approved to telework to the maximum extent possible, up to and including full-time.

Qualifications

Your resume must detail how you meet the specialized experience AND Information Technology-related experience demonstrating each of the competencies described below.

Specialized Experience: For the GS-14, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: planning, organizing, and directing studies to develop long-range, future technology path for integration platforms to support survey data collection and processing; in-depth knowledge of processing technical capabilities of a myriad of architecture solutions for developing business needs software; ability to advise and effectively communicate verbally and in writing to top level management on new developments and advanced techniques leveraging middleware technologies.

COMPETENCIES:

Attention to Detail - Meticulous; thoroughly reviews and proofreads various IT related data/information; dedicates focus to accomplish tasks that are complete, precise, and accurate to a given IT situation.

Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive IT services or IT 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 IT needs, provide expert technical information or assistance, resolve fairly complex or non-routine problems, or satisfy expectations; knowledge of available products and services; committed to providing quality IT products and service.

Oral Communication - Expresses technical 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, recognizes potential miscommunication, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Problem Solving - Identifies IT related problems using a variety of materials or sources; gathers and applies technical information to determine accuracy and relevance to moderately complex problems; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives; makes decisions or recommendations that influence IT policies or programs and applies new developments to previously unresolved problems.

Education: Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.

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.

Education

Additional information

The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.

• CTAP

The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the job opportunity announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions). Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR § 335.103(b)(3).

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

• Ability to define/refine, architect, and direct the design and implementation of an enterprise-wide cloud native, application container, and SOA infrastructure and architecture, founded on industry best practices.
• Ability to guide application developers in the technical design and development of new complex, re-useable and scalable APls/services, microservices, Spring based frameworks, and composite applications..
• Ability to develop and update reference models of the enterprise middleware architecture, integration platform architecture, and maintaining the information in the appropriate IT repository.
• Ability to identify and derive requirements and capabilities for system integration from conceptual, technical, and business requirements discussions.
• Ability to serve as project manager/lead for selected projects to track tasks, dependencies, resources, schedule, costs, impacts, and risks.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

Do NOT include the following types of information in your application:

• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position)
• Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

A complete application consists of the following:

• Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, please include the grade level for the position(s). Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59.
• SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," supporting your eligibility, with the exception of current Census Bureau employees.
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) documentation, if applicable (see other information).
• Education Documentation: If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. This also applies to Census Bureau employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html . You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

CTAP Eligibles

CTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf .

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice);

A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;

A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.

NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.