Summary

The NCUA was ranked #5 for the 2024 Best Places to Work in the Federal government among mid-size agencies.

This position is located at the NCUA in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). As the IT Solutions Architect (Cyber and DevSecOps), you will serve as an expert on software engineering.

This position is being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority and under these provisions, veterans preference does not apply.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens and CTAP/ICTAP eligibles. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position.

Duties

As a IT Solutions Architect (Cyber and DevSecOps), you will:

Evaluate and recommend the choice of software development platforms and architecture designs as well as the hardware requirements for the development, testing, quality assurance, and production environments.
Conduct research and studies in the areas of current and emerging computer technology for the purpose of integrating appropriate new technological advances into the NCUA information technology infrastructure; prepare and present recommendations to colleagues and senior leadership on which new developments merit adoptions by the Agency.
Design and implement SharePoint applications using knowledge of newer versions of SharePoint, enterprise collaboration, portal, out-of-the-box web parts, dashboard capabilities, workflows, and custom technologies.
Design and develop database tables, stored procedures, and other routine database-related programming work.
Translate system requirements into application prototypes; translate technical specifications into programming specifications.
Provide input for the configuration of the applications and servers on which application programs run to ensure the rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies and principles.
Conduct hands on programming to meet critical deadlines.
Establish and document secure software development guidelines, and secure coding standards.
Develop secure code and error handling, compile debugs, test, deploy, document, and implement programs for new and existing systems using development, security, and operations practices.
Apply cybersecurity functions (e.g., encryption, access control, and identity management) to reduce exploitation opportunities.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen.
Suitable adjudication of background/security investigation is required.
A probationary period may be required.
Financial disclosure is required.
Applicants must complete a USA Hire Assessment via the USA Hire platform if notified to do so.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must possess one year of the specialized experience.

Specialized Experience - is experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. You must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in federal service to qualify for this position.

To qualify at the CU-14 level, applicants must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the CU/GS-13 level in federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) in all of the following:

Leading the design, development, and modernization of enterprise applications across on-premises and cloud environments;
Implementing DevSecOps practices, including automated testing, security scanning, and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines across hybrid environments;
Building solutions using C#, .NET, and ASP.NET, and applying secure coding standards;
Supporting the evaluation of migration strategies for enterprise applications including assessing cloud suitability (lift-and-shift, refactor, re-platform); and
Contributing to the design and integration of AI capabilities such as natural language processing (NLP), predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and intelligent automation into enterprise.

In addition, all applicants must demonstrate in their application that they meet or exceed the minimum proficiency level established for the CU-14 grade level for each of the below IT-related competencies:

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; and is committed to providing quality products and services.
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.
Information Management - Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems.
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
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.
Teamwork - Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.
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.

You must meet the qualifications and the basic requirements (as described above) for this position by the closing date of this announcement.

YOUR RESUME MUST provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience and competencies described in the vacancy announcement. When describing your experience in your resume, please be specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. For qualification determination your resume must contain the dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If you are a current or former federal employee, you must provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09, for each federal position you held. If your resume does not contain this information, you will not receive credit for the claimed experience, and your application may be marked as insufficient. Full-time employment will be assumed unless otherwise stated on your resume. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.

Education

Education is not required for this position nor may it be used to qualify.

Additional information

SALARY: Pay will be established using NCUA's Compensation policy and set within the advertised pay range to align with the selectee's skills and experience and the requirements of the position. The salary range shown is NCUA's Local Pay Rate (LPR) which includes a locality rate of 50.87% for the Alexandria, Virginia geographical area.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. You may register or check status of your registration by visiting the Selective Service website at: http://www.sss.gov/.

This position is not in the bargaining unit.

More than the number of positions listed may be filled through this vacancy announcement.

Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES (political) employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the point of contact listed on this vacancy announcement.

The Fair Chance Act: In accordance with the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019 (Fair Chance Act), 5 U.S.C. Sec. 9202, and 5 C.F.R. Part 920, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) may not request, in oral or written form, that an applicant for employment disclose criminal history record information before the NCUA makes a tentative offer of employment, absent an exception. Complaints that the NCUA violated the Fair Chance Act must be submitted to LaborEmpRelations@NCUA.GOV or to the Office of Human Resources, Employee Relations, National Credit Union Administration, 1775 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 within 30 days from the agency's alleged non-compliance with the Fair Chance Act.

Illegal drug use by individuals working for or on behalf of the federal government, whether on duty or off duty, is contrary to the efficiency of the service and in direct violation of the Controlled Substance Act and the Drug-Free Workplace Act.

NCUA uses E-Verify, a web-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Review our benefits

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, your application materials will be reviewed to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed in this announcement. Your experience will also be evaluated to assess whether you meet or exceed the minimum proficiency level established for the CU-14 grade level for each of the IT-related competencies listed in the Qualifications section of this announcement.

To preview the application questionnaire, please click here https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12972873.

In addition to the application and online questionnaire, this position requires completion of USAHIRE assessments. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. The USAHIRE assessments have been developed to evaluate your competency in the following areas:

Attention to Detail
Decision Making
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Teamwork

Reference Checks: Reference checks must be conducted for the top candidate(s) before a tentative offer may be extended. The reference checks will need to be conducted with current and former supervisors, if applicable, as a part of NCUA's selection assessment process.

Required Documents

ICTAP/CTAP: Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof of their eligibility:
Copy of agency notice;
Most recent performance rating; and
SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must receive a score of 85 or above on the rating criteria for this position. For additional information, click CTAP.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, pay plan and grade level (for Federal positions), dates of employment and duties performed.
2. Other supporting documents: Cover Letter (optional)

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. Click here to view a video for tips on how to apply for federal jobs.

YOUR APPLICATION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ( i.e. TRANSCRIPTS, CERTIFICATIONS, etc.) MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59:59 P.M. ET ON 06/18/2026 TO RECEIVE CONSIDERATION.

1. To begin, click "Apply" online to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply.

2. Complete the online application and upload all required documentation as listed in the Required Documents section.

3. USAJOBS Two-Page Resume Limit: Federal agencies may only accept resumes up to two (2) pages in length. Applicants with resumes exceeding two (2) pages will be removed from consideration. Ensure your resume clearly describes your relevant experience, education and accomplishments within this two--page limit. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information

The Office of Personnel Management has provided the following guidance to applicants:

Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files.
We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
The resume builder on USAJOBS can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

4. Carefully review your application package before final submission.

5. After submitting your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for reasonable accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for reasonable accommodations must be received before starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for reasonable accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need reasonable accommodations, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here:https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.

Those who self-identify as meeting the requirements of the position (e.g. education, certification, specialized experience, etc.) will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. The invitation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments will be sent from the email address assessments@USAHire.opm.gov. Please plan to set aside at least three (3) hours for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the "Additional Application Information" page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the "Application Status" link, and then select the "More Information" link for this position. The "Application Status" page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

Agency contact information

Homayra Jami

Phone: (703) 518-6490
Email: HJAMI@NCUA.GOV

Address: National Credit Union Administration
1775 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
US

Next steps

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application. You can check the status of your application by logging back into your USAJOBS account.

IT Solutions Architect (Cyber and DevSecOps) Job in Alexandria, VA