Cobol Developer

Job summary

This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. For more information, visit USA Hire Assessment. If selected, the job title of this position will be IT SPECIALIST (APPSW).

Major duties

Prepares system change/programming specifications, and specifies programming instructions, inputs and outputs, structures, and other analytical products to document the functional and technical requirements. Prepares design documents and participates in critical design reviews to study and verify impacts on current systems. Participates in test readiness reviews and briefs technical and non-technical staff. Trains supporting analysts on the interrelationship of systems or subsystems and the detailed logic of each system. Prepares and executes tests for system or subsystem software validation. Reviews test results for effectiveness in meeting specifications and takes necessary corrective actions based on testing results. Analyzes production processing to identify viable systems improvements in application response, usability, flexibility, and data integrity. Identifies alternative approaches to the design of current or proposed systems.

Qualification

Basic Requirement: Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating the following competencies appropriate to, or above, the level of this position. For vacancies below the full-performance level of the position, the basic requirement will be evaluated on a developmental basis. Your resume and work experience should clearly support your ability to meet these competencies and will be evaluated as part of the entire application process. Attention to Detail - experience reviewing my own information technology-related work or data and have been asked by others to review their work or data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency with standards. Customer Service - experience maintaining relationships with customers, assessing current information technology needs of customers, and developing or identifying information technology products and services that are tailored to meet customer needs. Oral Communication - briefing mid-level management and IT staff on the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the communication of technical information to a non-technical audience. Problem Solving - identifying alternatives to address complex information technology-related issues by gathering and applying information from a variety of sources that provide a number of potential solutions. One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade (GS-11) within the federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position, is required. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience utilizing COBOL to design, develop, and maintain automated information systems and software; expertise in Job Control Language (JCL) or other scripting languages (e.g. Python) to support job processing. Time-in-Grade: Current or former federal employees who have held a GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, must meet the time in grade requirement. Applicant must have served 52 weeks as a GS-11 or higher grade in Federal Service. ** The effective date of your SF-50 must reflect that you will meet the 52-week time in grade requirement within 30 days of the announcement closing. ** You may qualify for consideration if meeting time-in grade, specialized experience, education requirement, 90 days after competitive appointment requirement, and all other qualification requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the announcement, unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.

Education

Education is not substitutable for specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level.

Evaluations

IMPORTANT NOTE - YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR RATING. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.