IT Specialist (Data Management), AD-2210-00 (GS-15 Equivalent), (Excepted Service) Job

Vacancy No. FSA-2026-0075 Department Federal Student Aid
Salary $169,279.00 to $197,200.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/4/2026 Close Date 5/18/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Denver, CODistrict of Columbia, DCAtlanta, GAChicago, IL
Boston, MAKansas City, MONew York, NYDallas, TX
Seattle, WA


Summary

This position is located in the Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA) in Washington, DC. The FSA is responsible for awarding billions of dollars in federal student aid funds. Our vision is to be the most trusted and reliable source of student financial aid, information, and services in the nation. Our core values include integrity, customer service, excellence, respect, stewardship, and teamwork.

This job is open to

The public

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

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

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

This announcement is open to all United States Citizens. This is an excepted service position. This position is not in the competitive service and grants no eligibility to move to the competitive service.

Duties

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 200th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.  

We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.

As an Information Technology Specialist (Data Management), AD-2210-00, you will be responsible for:

  • Providing technical expertise about the data architecture vision and the roadmap to achieve that vision and communicates that information to wide variety of technical and non technical stakeholders.  
  • Providing data and enterprise architecture subject matter expertise to ensure compliance with government and FSA standards and industry best practices.
  • Researching and evaluating Enterprise Architecture impacts resulting from any technology solution system upgrades and enhancements and provides technical recommendations.
  • Developing new theories, concepts, principles, standards, and methods related to data, data management, or enterprise architecture, in support of ongoing and changing business requirements for enterprise data and administers such principles, standards, and methods through development of appropriate policies and methods/procedures.  
  • Conducting continuing evaluations of agency business needs to ensure data architecture plans are aligned with those needs, and works to ensure changes to FSA data architecture are properly documented and communicated within EA.  

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a US Citizen.
  • Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • Must complete a Background Investigation and Fingerprint check.
  • May be required to successfully complete a two-year trial period.
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this 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. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

You may meet the minimum qualifications for the AD-00, if you possess the specialize experience.

Specialized Experience for the AD-00:

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. Experience in large-scale financial services organizations, national finance, loan programs, State or Federal Government Agencies, as a leader and a hands-on technical expert for large-scale efforts to modernize enterprise systems and data, including improving data architecture, unifying data environments, and streamlining technology operations. 
  2. Experience in analyzing complex technical data, IT operations, and software development lifecycle work, developing data-driven recommendations, and preparing written and oral briefings for technical and senior leadership audiences.
  3. Experience implementing data governance frameworks and ensuring effective data management practices by achieving one or more of the following data industry-professional certifications in Enterprise Architecture and/or Data Management.  Examples of appropriate professional certifications include DAMA International's Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP); Certified Information Management Professional (CIMP); Data Governance and Information Quality (DGIQ); TOGAF-9 Enterprise Architecture Certification; FEAC Certified Enterprise Architect (CEA).

Basic Experience Requirements:

 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 four 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. Oral Communication - Expresses information (e.g., ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (e.g., technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

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. Ability to analyze complex data architecture and stakeholder needs in large, nationally scoped organizations, and to synthesize relevant information into strategic plans and operational roadmaps and communicate those to technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior leadership.
  2. Knowledge of modern enterprise architecture frameworks and the legal, regulatory, and policy compliance requirement related to the management and oversight of financial data.  Examples of such frameworks and requirements include those maintained by the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Data Administration Management Association (DAMA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF), the Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF), the Federal Architecture Framework (FEA).
  3. Skill in leading efforts and initiatives that proactively and continuously monitor Enterprise Architecture and Data/System architecture and operations, make authoritative recommendations for reducing identified risks, and conduct efforts to mitigate or manage those risks.
  4. Ability to serve in a hands-on, heavy-technical role on initiatives using Lean Management and Agile methods and DEVSECOPS principles to manage Enterprise-level requirements, implement target-state architecture, and improve delivery of large-scale cloud data and analytics platforms.
  5. Ability to apply best-practice requirements management, technical documentation, and governance concepts  to lead initiatives that improve processes and procedures, or implement and manage Enterprise Architecture and Data Management programs within large organizations.   

Education

Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level. 

Additional information

Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email sro_recruiting@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email).

Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.

Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.

Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.

Financial Disclosure: This position does not require financial disclosure.

Bargaining Unit: This position is not included in the bargaining unit.

Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.

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.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a work life balance, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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 Monster Competency Based 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, 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. 

  1. Referral and Selection

If you are found to be amongst the most highly 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 that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the interview process or written assessment or exercise, please inform the selecting official at the time of scheduling.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

  • Your DD-214 or Statement of Service shows if you qualify for Veterans' Preference, the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 or the Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heros Act. We prefer the member 4 copy of your DD-214.
  • If you are a disabled veteran and want to claim preference, you must submit a letter on VA letterhead with your overall combined service-connected disability rating.

You must submit (REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS):

  1. 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).

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.

How to Apply

Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.

Step 2: Create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the occupational questionnaire.

Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)).

Step 4: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency's hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency's hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.   

NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on "Application Status," clicking on the position title, clicking "Update Application,” and following the prompts.

In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.  

If you have any questions regarding submitting your application, please contact the HR Specialist listed under the Agency Contact Information.

Agency contact information

Tyra Hunter
Phone
202-219-1528
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
Tyra.Hunter@ed.gov
Address
EDUCATION-OFC OF FEDERAL STUDENT AID
400 Maryland Ave S.W.
Attn: Human Resources Services
Washington, District of Columbia 20202
United States

Next steps

As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time.  We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process.
1.    Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received.
2.    After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official.
3.    Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).

Additional locations

Boston, MA
Kansas City, MO
New York, NY
Dallas, TX
Seattle, WA

Federal Student Aid

ED Marketing Statement:

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is looking for the best and brightest to ensure equal access and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation. If you are a highly motivated individual who would like to work for an agency that establishes policies on federal financial aid for education, distributes as well as monitors those funds; collects data on America's schools and disseminates research and focuses national attention on key educational issues, ED is the place for you!

o    Provides national leadership on key educational issues.
o    Awards more than $47 billion annually in grants, mainly to state education agencies, local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education.

FSA's Marketing Statement:

Federal Student Aid (FSA) directs, coordinates, and recommends policies for programs that are designed to provide financial assistance to eligible students enrolled in postsecondary educational institutions. This assistance includes grants, loans, and work-study assistance to nearly 12.9 million students through approximately 6,100 postsecondary institutions.  Additionally, FSA manages the administrative and oversight functions supporting programs authorized under Title I and Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Agency contact information

Tyra Hunter
Phone
202-219-1528
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
Tyra.Hunter@ed.gov
Address
EDUCATION-OFC OF FEDERAL STUDENT AID
400 Maryland Ave S.W.
Attn: Human Resources Services
Washington, District of Columbia 20202
United States