IT Program Manager

Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens If you are a current or former federal employee or are eligible under a special hiring authority (VEOA, Schedule A, etc.), you may be eligible to apply under the concurrently advertised merit promotion vacancy announcement: CCTL-26-13021831-ST.

APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 200 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 200 applications, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.

1. Leads the design of a portfolio-wide strategy for a large-scale student assessment portfolio, including test, delivery, and reporting.
2. Serves as senior advisor to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and Institute of Education Sciences (IES) leadership and other internal/external stakeholders on all facets of the program of work, including IT program design, implementation, modernization, technology risk(s), and management.
3. Serves as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on multiple IT contracts. In conjunction with program leadership, develops project technical specifications, prepares procurement requests, and assists the Contracting Officer (CO) in proposal review, source selection, and other aspects of the procurement process. Post-award monitors the contractor's technical, managerial, and financial performance through on-site inspections, document reviews, and meetings with key personnel.
4. Serves as Information System Owner (ISO) for multiple IT systems, ensuring compliance with federal laws and regulations.

Conditions of employment

Condition of Employment:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary period or trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period OR trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

1. Must be a US Citizen.
2. Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
3. Must complete a Background Investigation and Fingerprint check.
4. Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
5. Relocation expenses will not be paid.
6. You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

You may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-15, if you possess the specialize experience.

Specialized Experience for the GS-15: One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-14 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:

1. Experienced in setting organizational priorities and developing road maps for large-scale student assessment IT projects, including collaboration with education leaders and policymakers to translate business needs into technical solutions and clearly explain system features to both technical and non-technical audiences.
2. Experience leading modernization, technology transformation, and technical execution for large-scale student assessment platforms, including IT principles and concepts throughout the system development life cycle.
3. Experience in systematically analyzing the collection, use, sharing, and maintenance of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and data protection throughout the data life cycle.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

1. Knowledge in planning and executing technology projects for student assessments conducted at scale, such as major national or international data collections.
2. Skills in the technology and delivery of assessments of students' academic knowledge. Partners closely with the IES CTO to shape the IT strategy for modern IT solutions that are scalable and focused on performance, resilience, and security.
3. Ability to serve as senior-level Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for multiple, IT contracts.
4. Knowledge of inherently governmental functions related to federal information technology system requirements.

Basic Experience Requirements Example (IT Specialist GS-15 grade levels), applicants may qualify by meeting or exceeding the minimum proficiency level established for each of the required competencies, in addition to meeting the specialized experience requirement as demonstrated through the assessment of skills. You must possess IT-related experience (paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (e.g., IT certification), as appropriate) demonstrating each of the nine competencies listed below.

1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. 2. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (i.e., 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. 3. Decision Making - Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change. 4. Information Management - Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems. 5. Interpersonal Skills- Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations. 6. 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. 7. Problem Solving- Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. 8. Teamwork- Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals. 9. Technical Competence- Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

How you will be evaluated

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

We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:
1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.
2. Rating and Ranking
If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required KSAs by comparing your submitted resume and documents. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications and competencies listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials, and the result of the USA Hire Assessment(s) required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies.
Non-Supervisory: Oral Communications, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management.
Based on the outcome of this evaluation candidates will be placed into one of three categories.
Under category rating procedures you are placed into one of three categories based on the evaluation results:
Best Qualified -Candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the position's minimum qualifications, including appropriate quality ranking factors.
Highly Qualified- Candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that exceeds the position's minimum qualifications.
Qualified-Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are proficient in some but not all of the position's requirements.
Based on the outcome of this evaluation, your application data may be further assessed by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. If your qualifications are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be eliminated from receiving further consideration.
Veterans' Preference: Veterans' preference eligibles will be ranked ahead of qualified non-preference eligibles within each category for which they are qualified. Qualified veterans' preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more (CPS and CP) will be placed at the top of the Best Qualified category, except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 grade level or higher.
3. Referral and Selection
If you are found to be amongst the best qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.

You must submit (REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS): A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Please limit your resume to 2 pages with the font size no smaller than 10 points. If your resume is more than 2 pages, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed and considered for the qualifications determination.

• If you are claiming Veteran's Preference, you must submit: A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge (Separated Members only); OR A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active Duty Members only); AND/OR The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference; AND/OR Proof of Sole Survivorship Preference (e.g., certificate of death or 100% disability as a result of serving in the armed forces).
• Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP)?
  • If you are a current or former Federal employee who was displaced (for example, due to a Reduction-in-Force) and want priority consideration, you must submit the documents listed below.
  • Required documents for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration (All are required): Proof that you were displaced, such as Reduction-in-Force (RIF) notice or notice of proposed removal.
  • SF-50s (Notification of Personnel Action) showing:
    • RIF as the Nature of Action (Box 5B)
    • Career or career-conditional status (Box 24 must be 1 or 2)
    • Competitive status (Box 34 must be 1)
    • Promotion potential or full performance level of the position from which you were or are being displaced. This is likely your appointment SF-50 for that position.
    • Duty location
    • Your most recent performance appraisal showing a rating of Fully Successful or higher.
  • Your Federal position at the time you were displaced must be within the local commuting area for a location listed in this announcement. The definition of local commuting area varies based on duty location and hiring agency policy. To receive priority consideration, you must also be found well-qualified, which means you score 75 or higher based on this announcement's assessment rating criteria.

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