Duties

Summary

The position is located in the Information Technology Office (ITO) within the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and reports to the Manager of Software Development.
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Responsibilities

The incumbent will perform duties to assist the applications development team with the support, maintenance, and enhancement of all court applications, including process automation, mobile/responsive websites and applications, workflow management software, calendaring, reports, and business intelligence dashboards. The incumbent selected for this position must be able to work regularly onsite starting as early as August 2021.

For the full summary of duties, please see the original announcement by clicking the following link: https://cafc.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/jobpostings/CAFC-21-13.pdf .

Responsibilities of the Applications Developer include, but are not limited to:

Assist with the development of in-house applications (client-server, responsive web-based, and mobile) under the direction of the Manager of Software Development. Implement, maintain, and modify systems and applications to resolve problems and/or accomplish work processes through software application development.

Leverage Microsoft Azure hosting and Office 365 automation to enhance the business processes of the court using technologies such as Power Apps, Microsoft Graph API, Power Automate, and Power BI with SharePoint Online.

Assist with the coordination of all phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to include the planning, systems analysis, systems design, implementation, integration, testing, deployment, and maintenance of the court's applications. Collaborate with ITO staff members and other court employees to establish user requirements, expectations, and project schedules.

Solicit user requirements and incorporate them into the systems design requirement documentation. Apply analytical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills to resolve application issues and/or provide system improvements. Test proposed solutions for feasibility, security, and adherence to design criteria.

Review the performance of existing application programs and other programs under development to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of each program. Review and implement requests for program changes and ensure that output meets the needs of the court.

Assist with the creation and maintenance of program documentation.

Participate in the review, update, and maintenance of the court websites' coding using HTML, CSS, and a WordPress content management system.

Manage website usage logs and the creation of usage reports to help monitor and enhance configuration and day-to-day operations of the court's internet and intranet websites and servers.

Help maintain and troubleshoot relational databases in Microsoft SQL Server and Informix using complex SQL queries, SQL scripting, stored procedures/functions, and triggers.

Develop reports and data analysis using tools such as SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) or Microsoft Report Builder.

Assist with the support and maintenance of the judiciary's critical national Case Management/Electronic Case Filing system (CM/ECF) within the Federal Circuit.

Perform other related duties and assist with projects as assigned by the Manager of Software Development and the IT Director.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
29 - CL-29.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

This is an Excepted Appointment and At-Will position. Federal government civil service classifications or regulations do not apply. All offers of employment are provisional pending successful completion of a background check or investigation and a favorable employment suitability determination. This position is subject to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit.

Must be a U. S. citizen or eligible to work in the United States. Non-citizens may be interviewed and considered for employment, but employment offers will only be made to individuals who qualify under one of the exceptions in 8 U.S.C.§ 1324b(a)(3)(B). Under 8 U.S.C.§1324b(a)(3)(B), a lawful permanent resident seeking citizenship may not apply for citizenship until he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five years (three years if seeking naturalization as a spouse of a citizen), at which point he or she must apply for citizenship within six months of becoming eligible, and must complete the process within two years of applying (unless there is a delay caused by the processors of the application). Non-citizens who have not been permanent residents for five years will be required to execute an affidavit that they intend to apply for citizenship when they become eligible to do so.

Qualifications

Entry Level Candidates
Entry Level candidates will receive tailored training and experience necessary for the incumbent to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to progressively assume increasing responsibilities.

• CL 26 ($52,970 - $86,085): To be considered at this level, candidates must possess a bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a closely related field from an accredited college and hands-on experiences with one of the major programming languages (e.g., C#, Java, Python, JavaScript, etc.). Additionally, candidates must possess one or more of the following superior academic achievements:
• An overall "B" grade point average equaling 2.90 or better of a possible 4.0; AND/OR
• Standing in the upper third of the class; AND/OR
• "3.5" average or better in the major field of study, such as Computer Science or a related field that would prepare a candidate well to perform in this position; AND/OR
• Election to membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma XI, or one of the National Honorary Scholastic Societies meeting the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies, other than Freshman Honor Societies.

Experienced Candidates
Experienced candidates must have a minimum of two years of specialized experienced, which is defined as progressively responsible technical experience directly related to the position responsibilities listed above. Examples may include experience designing, implementing, programming, and maintaining operational systems or applications; performing system testing and analysis; and/or implementing system improvement initiatives, integrations, and updates.

• CL 27 ($58,189 - $94,593): To be considered at this level, candidates must possess two years of specialized experience.
• CL 28 ($69,756 - $113,362): To be considered at this level, candidates must possess a minimum of five years of specialized experience, which includes mentoring other developers, leading technical teams, or providing deep subject matter expertise used to advise leadership on the technical direction of the organization.

Senior Level Candidates
Senior Level candidates must have a minimum of eight years of specialized experience, which is defined as progressively responsible technical experience directly related to the position responsibilities listed above. Examples may include experience designing, implementing, programming, and maintaining operational systems or applications; performing system testing and analysis; and/or implementing system improvement initiatives, integrations, and updates.

• CL 29 ($82,928 - $134,833): To be considered at this level, candidates must possess as minimum of eight years of specialized experience, which includes technical lead responsibilities such as representing a development effort to management, proposing and vetting plans for implementation, and guiding the sequence of steps required to ensure on-time and under-budget feature delivery.

Entry Level, Experienced, and Senior Level candidates must also possess the following competencies:

• Hands-on experience in architecting, developing, testing, supporting, and documenting software deployed on a variety of platforms such as desktop applications, command-line interfaces, web-based applications or websites, or mobile applications.
• Knowledge of the latest programming technologies, frameworks, and source control methods.
• Programming experience with one or more of the following languages: C#.Net, Java, JavaScript, Linux shell scripts, JSP, and/or JSF/Primefaces (client and server-side Java programming)
• Knowledge of and experience with HTML/XML and SQL, including complex SQL queries and scripting.
• Excellent working knowledge of software development trends and a proven track record of delivering high quality solutions that meet or exceed business needs.
• The ability to exercise innovative and creative skills to solve challenging issues.
• Excellent communication (both oral and written) and organizational skills.
• The ability to prioritize, manage multiple tasks, and work effectively under pressure, as well as the ability to work both independently and in a team environment.

For Entry Level candidates only: The above required knowledge and experience may be demonstrated through relevant coursework, internships, other non-professional, or unpaid experience, and/or professional experience.

Preferred Competencies

• Knowledge of and experience with Microsoft SQL Server and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) or other relational databases such as MySQL, Informix, etc.
• Knowledge of and experience with both Windows Server 2016/2019 and Red Hat Linux server operating systems.
• Experience working in the information technology field for the federal judiciary.

Education

Please read the "Qualifications" section.

Additional information

The court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this announcement, commence interviews immediately, withdraw the announcement, or fill the position at any time, any of which actions may occur without notice.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applicants will be evaluated based upon review of their qualifications and the application package.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Cover Letter, Resume, and completion of the provided online application (AO 78) and testing.

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.