Branch Chief - Supervisory IT Specialist (SYSANALYSIS/APPSW) - DE Department Of Commerce - Join a dynamic and growing information technology (IT) organization in the place where innovation begins -- the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO)! You will serve as a Branch Chief, bringing your leadership and technical skills to bear for the next generation of Patents & Trademarks processing systems.
This position is located in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Application Engineering & Development (OAED). The successful candidate will perform assigned duties as a Branch Chief within OAED. OAED is responsible for the full life-cycle management of the USPTO's automated information systems. This responsibility is guided by the agency's strategic IT plans and supporting technical architecture. Activities in this job include: Programmatic responsibility for the design of computer-based solutions consistent with USPTO System Architect guidance; construction or selection of software components necessary to support those designs; integration of software components; associated implementation support services; and post implementation support services. The person in this position develops project plans and supporting budgets, monitors project schedules and costs against approved plans, maintains process models and related documentation for assigned automated information systems and ensures consistency with the data architecture documented in the enterprise. If selected, you will be placed as head of a Branch in Trademark Systems Division. One of the three Systems Divisions in OAED.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
- You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
- You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
DUTIES:
The successful candidate in this job:
- Manages teams of assigned IT personnel and contractors to fulfill project requirements and initiatives that are mission-critical to the business applications of patents and/or trademarks, and/or IT technology;
- Works with team leaders, senior IT specialists, supervisors and customers to complete tasks and project requirements;
- Analyzes software problems and provides solutions; troubleshooting a wide range of operational and support issues; AND,
- Participates in special projects and provides advice to managers and customers on software needs, new technologies, and recommendations for modifications/enhancements to current software.
Supervises a staff of technical and support personnel, including a number of branches that deliver specialized IT support. Provides significant, constructive input into multi-year and longer range work plans and manages work to accomplish goals and objectives.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at click here !
Candidates for the GS-15 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: experience supervising or leading a staff of IT professionals in applications development infrastructure; and technical experience with all the following skill sets:
Skill Set 1 - Job experience in supervising or leading a team of at least four software developers, software technical leads, or software systems analysts, AND
Skill Set 2 – Job experience using SDLC methodologies; e.g. Waterfall and/or Agile/Scrum, AND
Skill Set 3 - Job experience in being responsible for and actively managing budgets for software development project(s) AND
Skill Set 4 - Job experience in either programming in and managing projects that used one or more of the following programming languages: Java, C#, C++ AND
Skill Set 5 - Job experience working with all these technologies:
Web Frameworks (e.g. Spring MVC, Struts, MyFaces, Restlet, etc.) and/or Web Services (e.g. RESTful or SOAP based Web Services) and
Web Server and/or EJB Server development e.g. Apache, Tomcat, and /or WebSphere, WebLogic, JBoss and
Relational Database design and development using e.g. Oracle, MySQL and/or SQL Server Database, and
For each of the above skill sets, you must have current/recent work experience within the last 36 months and used these on a regular and recurring basis (i.e., on a daily basis for at least 12 months in duration). Desired candidates will have at least 4 years of progressive experience with each of the skill sets mentioned above.
For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed in the link below: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/IORs/gs2200/2210-AltA.asp
In addition, applicants must possess proficiency or the potential to develop proficiency in the 10 Competencies Most Important for Supervisory Work prior to entry into a supervisory position as identified in the Office of Personnel Management's Supervisory Qualification Guide found at:
http://www.opm.gov/employ/qualifications/sec-iv/a/gs-supv.htm
Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Your resume will be reviewed to determine if you meet the basic eligibility requirements (i.e., are a U.S. citizen or National and meet the "Who May Apply" description) and qualification and other job-related requirements. We will determine your eligibility and qualifications by reviewing: your detailed resume, your responses to job-specific self assessment questions, and your required supporting documentation. The self assessment questions cover the following knowledge, skills and abilities/competencies:
1. Skill in directing and overseeing complex, technical program areas that involve the planning, design, development, modification, testing, installation, implementation, and support of USPTO's automated information systems.
2. Knowledge of project management techniques in order to successfully achieve customer delivery goals on time.
3. Knowledge of relationships among multiple IT disciplines, including IT security concept standards and methods in order to provide expert advice and guidance on a wide range of and variety of complex application software designs.
4. Knowledge of project-specific processes to assist in reviews and manage workflow.
5. Ability to communicate, explain, or defend complex ideas or information clearly and adapt to the audience's level of knowledge.
Your application will then be evaluated and rated under Category Rating and Selection procedures. Category rating procedures evaluate your total qualifying experience, education, and training and assigns them into a single, pre-defined quality category Qualified applicants are assigned to one of three categories following a review of their resume and other supporting documentation. Each category is defined as follows:
Best Qualified - Applicant possesses exceptional experience with a background that demonstrates a superior level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies required to perform the duties of the position.
Well Qualified - Applicant possesses good experience with a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies required to perform the duties of the position.
Qualified - Applicant possesses the minimum qualifications with a background that demonstrates a basic level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies required to perform the duties of the position.
Veterans’ preference is applied by listing preference eligibles ahead of non-preference eligibles within the same quality category in which they are placed. Qualified preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be placed at the top of the highest quality category (‘Best Qualified’), except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Qualified) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category.
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
Certified applicants who are referred to the Hiring Manager will be asked to come in for interviews which will consist of two parts:
Behavioral interview assessing supervisory and project management skills
Technical interview including demonstration of working knowledge of technical skills in software engineering and systems architecture. Selections will be made based on performance in these two areas.
To preview questions please click here .
BENEFITS:
The United States Patent and Trademark Office offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, paid holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) and Telework Program are available to eligible employees.
Visit USPTO links below for information concerning USPTO New Employee Information:
(Please note by clicking on the links below you will be redirected away from this page and to the Website)
USPTO Campus
Reporting to Work
Work/Life Balance
Financial
Employee Assistance
Living in the D.C. Metro Area
Visit the link below to explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees.
Working for the Federal Government
OTHER INFORMATION:
Applicants applying for this position must be a United States Citizen or National.
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System . If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.
This is not a Bargaining Unit position .
This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of “High”.
Except as prohibited by law, all applicants tentatively selected for positions needing a Top Secret Clearance will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and, if appointed, the incumbent will be subjected to random drug testing procedures.
Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.
The USPTO participates in E-Verify . For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm
Probationary Period - If selected, you may be required to complete an initial one-year probationary period.
Supervisory Probationary Period- If selected, you may be required to complete an initial one-year supervisory probationary period.
All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.
Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transaction Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management’s Career Transition Resources website at:
http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp . CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the ‘Required Documents’ section of this announcement.
More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.
All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
