IT Specialist (Systems Analysis/Applications Software)

IT-related experience; experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate. Experience must have demonstrated 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.

For the GS-14: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in federal service.Specialized experience must include demonstrable experience: Lead technology improvement or modernization projects affecting multiple applications or systems, including evaluating requirements, recommending solutions, and overseeing implementation activities.

Develop and implement standards or procedures used by project teams to improve software quality, system security, operational efficiency, or consistency across an organization. Analyze system performance, operational data, or security findings to identify root causes of issues, implement corrective actions, and improve overall system reliability.

Review technical solutions and provide recommendations to management, project teams, or stakeholders on system architecture, application design, risk reduction, and technology investments. Coordinate activities across multiple teams to ensure technology projects are completed on schedule and comply with security requirements, organizational objectives, and established technical standards. Merit promotion applicants must meet time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

One year at the GS-13 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 level. Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements (e.g., time-in-grade and qualification requirements) within 30 days of the closing date specified in the vacancy announcement.

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.

Administers enterprise cloud platform services within Microsoft Azure environment, including Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure App Service, Azure API Management, Key Vault, Azure Monitor, and cloud-native services supporting applications.,Leads the design, implementation, and modernization of application platforms, migrating legacy Java/Spring-Boot and Angular to modern cloud-based architectures utilizing Python, Flask, PostgreSQL, containerization technologies, and Azure services.,Develops and maintains infrastructure-as-code solutions using Bicep and Terraform to automate cloud resource provisioning, configuration management, and deployment activities.,Establishes and implements enterprise application security standards, secure coding practices, and architectural requirements to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.,Designs, publishes, manages, and governs application programming interfaces (APIs) through Azure API Management, ensuring compliance with enterprise architecture standards and industry best practices.,Reviews front-end and back-end application architectures, source code, and deployment configurations to ensure optimal performance, scalability, maintainability, and compliance with established technical standards.,Manages container build processes, image registries, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and automated deployment mechanisms supporting enterprise application delivery.,Monitors platform security posture and compliance with federal cybersecurity requirements, including FedRAMP High controls, continuous monitoring activities, vulnerability remediation efforts, and audit readiness initiatives.,Provides Tier III technical support, troubleshooting, and consultation to development teams, system owners, and stakeholders regarding platform services, authentication mechanisms, application integrations, and cloud infrastructure capabilities.