Summary
This position is located in GAO’s Science, Technology Assessment, & Analytics (STAA) Team, Innovation Lab. The STAA is devoted to enhancing & expanding its support to Congress in conducting technology assessments, oversight of federal science and technology programs, & development of innovative analytical techniques in carrying out audits and evaluations. The Innovation Lab aims to meet Congress’s growing need to understand the science and technology of the future. To learn more visit: STAA
This job is open to
- The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
This position is being advertised under a Direct Hiring Authority.
Videos
Duties
The STAA, Innovation Lab is seeking an experienced professional to serve as a Technologist (Emerging Technologies) to perform the following:
- Apply knowledge of software, computational, and/or engineering disciplines and interrelated advanced technology concepts to independently evaluate options as well as lead prototyping efforts across the innovation lifecycle on emerging technologies. These emerging technologies may include distributed ledger technologies (DLT or blockchain), Internet of Things, robotic process automation (RPA), virtual/augmented realities, cloud computing, and 5G technologies.
- Apply systems analysis and design methods and techniques (such as requirements gathering, feasibility studies, solutions modelling) during prototype development.
- Expand GAO’s prototyping capabilities through a rigorous process of problem definition, ideation, review, revision, and execution to determine the most promising solutions and approaches which, if successful, could profoundly change the business of audit, investigations, and program evaluation for the future GAO.
- Conduct research across academia, public sector institutions, and commercial providers to collaborate with outside experts for foresights into emerging technologies and how they may impact oversight work in near-term, medium-term, and long-term horizons.
- Participate in forums, conference, seminars, and panels as expert speakers to articulate technical methodologies as well as oversight considerations. The incumbent may also be called to author or contribute contents for publication, review GAO products for supportable conclusions regarding sound methodological practices, and provide presentations to both internal GAO customers and external customers such as Congressional staff.
- Identify deficiencies in problem statements, proposed approaches, and/or data access issues which are significant to the design, development, execution, and reporting out of emerging technologies pilots of the Innovation Lab
- Facilitate change management across processes, methods, and team cultures to successfully integrate innovative emerging technologies (complete user journey and empathy maps). The incumbent needs to understand Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) and other standards relevant to GAO work to advise mission teams on best technical approaches to achieve quality results.
- Applies best practices in DevSecOps (Agile/Lean) to configure, integrate, containerize, orchestrate, and harden open source, web, and cloud-based services, tools, and other computational resources within established information security boundaries. Cloud-based services include Amazon Web Services (AWS) Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS, both GovCloud and standard accounts), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), and other evolving as-a-service capabilities.
- Applies leading federal cybersecurity practices as described in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework to secure prototype solutions, infrastructure, and services.
- Supports the Assistant Director for Emerging Technology in developing, defining, and driving GAO’s strategy with regard to the exploration and deployment of emerging technologies for improved or novel business outcomes.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable. (www.sss.gov)
- Completion of a financial disclosure statement is required.
- Completion of a probationary period is required.
- Must meet/maintain background and suitability requirements for employment. You may be required to obtain and maintain a security clearance depending on the engagements, projects, and initiatives you are assigned to.
Qualifications
In addition to the education requirement, you must have 1 year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the next lower band or level equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal Service, or comparable private/public sector experience which has equipped you with the skills and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
– technical experience across innovation lifecycle on development of prototype use cases across emerging technologies (e.g. distributed ledger (blockchain), Internet of Things, virtual/augmented realities, and 5G technologies);
– developing and/or implementing next generation capabilities in support of audits, investigations, business operations, or other oversight activities; and
– demonstrated experience applying best practices in DevSecOps under an Agile development framework.
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. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
You must meet all requirements before the closing date of the announcement.
Education
This is an interdisciplinary, professional position which may be filled as an Computer Scientist or Computer Engineer.
This position has a positive education requirement. To qualify you must meet the requirements for either occupational series listed below. Documentation to verify your education MUST be submitted with your application in order to be considered.
All Engineering Professional Engineering Positions, 800 series (including 854 series):
Basic Requirements. To qualify for this occupational series, you must posses one of the following :
Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
OR
Combination of education and experience college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
1. Professional registration or licensure Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.
2. Written Test Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
3. Specified academic courses Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
4. Related curriculum Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor’s degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)
Computer Science Series, 1550 series:
Basic Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science;
OR
Bachelor’s degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.
Additional information
This is a bargaining unit position.
Based on the staffing needs, additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.
Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO.
GAO participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. If selected, you will be required to complete the Form I-9 at the time of appointment. Click here for more information about E-Verify and to obtain a copy of the Form I-9.
You will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. At the time of appointment, the selectee will be required to update the OF-306.
You will be subject to a determination of suitability for Federal employment.
GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov.
GAO’s policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
GAO is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. Initial appointments, permanent or indefinite, to the GAO require completion of a probationary period.
- Benefits
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.
Review our benefits
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.
The position(s) advertised in this announcement are covered by a direct hire authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applicants, including category rating, does not apply to this vacancy. Your qualifications will be initially evaluated against the basic qualifications only. Qualified applicants will be referred for consideration in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire guidelines. Veterans’ Preference does not apply to positions covered by the direct hire authority.
Please make sure that your responses to the assessment questions are supported in your resume and follow all instructions carefully. If you provide incomplete answers, fail to provide a narrative response to any assessment question(s) that requires further explanation, or if your response to an assessment question is “see resume” or like answer, you may be determined ineligible.
All applicants will be evaluated based on their responses to the assessment questions, in conjunction with the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA’s):
- Expert understanding of open source, web, and cloud-based services – encompassing best practices in Agile/Lean configuration, integration, containerization, and orchestration.
- Experience in AWS IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and other evolving X-as-a-service capabilities.
- Expert level understanding on each component the innovation lifecycle from ideation through deployment.
- Expert knowledge in federal information assurance concepts described in the NIST cybersecurity framework, including compliance with Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) (e.g., at both moderate or high), Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), and Department of Defense (DOD) Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) standards.
- Expert knowledge of and extensive experience in a variety of software, computational, and/or electrical engineering disciplines and interrelated advanced concepts, including theories, principles, practices, methods, and techniques related to systems, architectures, software, and cybersecurity.
- Extensive experience executing DevSecOps best practices using the SAFe approach.
- Demonstrated understanding of principles and methods promulgated under the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), including developing methods and procedures that are accepted under GAGAS or GAAP.
- Demonstrated ability to define success from ambiguous problem statements and evolving requirements.
- Skill in selecting, organizing, and presenting appropriate information in a concise and balanced manner as well as skill in communicating such information to non-technical and technical target audiences alike.
To preview the assessment questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12076656
- Benefits
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.
Review our benefits
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.
- Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have – whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete application package which includes:
- RESUME: You are encouraged to use the USAJOBS resume builder to create your resume. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. In addition to describing duties performed, you must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. CV’s are not recommended.
- SF-50: Current and former federal employees eligible for reinstatement should submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that indicates your position information (i.e. title, series, grade). Do not submit awards.
- TRANSCRIPTS: If you are using your education to qualify (even partially), you must submit a copy of your transcripts. Foreign Education: If you are submitting a transcript from a non-US educational institution, applicants must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service. For additional information, please visit: Foreign Education
- PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION/LICENSE: Proof of professional registration, licensure, or evidence of passing written test (if applicable).
If you fail to submit any of the documentation listed above, your application will be considered incomplete and will result in loss of consideration.
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
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your rsum (you are encouraged to create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder)and/or other supporting documentsto be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
- To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Agency contact information
Ebonye Watson
Email
watsone@gao.gov
Address
Government Accountability Office Human Capital Office 441 G Street NW Washington, DC 20548 US
Next steps
After the closing date of this announcement, GAO’s Human Capital Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications by reviewing your assessment questionnaire and resume to complete an analysis. Please be as complete and thorough as possible. If your application is rated “best-qualified,” your name will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. At this point you may be contacted for an interview.
If you do not meet the key requirements, and/or basic qualifications or you fail to submit all required application materials, your application will not be considered.
- Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete application package which includes:
- RESUME: You are encouraged to use the USAJOBS resume builder to create your resume. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. In addition to describing duties performed, you must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. CV’s are not recommended.
- SF-50: Current and former federal employees eligible for reinstatement should submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that indicates your position information (i.e. title, series, grade). Do not submit awards.
- TRANSCRIPTS: If you are using your education to qualify (even partially), you must submit a copy of your transcripts. Foreign Education: If you are submitting a transcript from a non-US educational institution, applicants must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service. For additional information, please visit: Foreign Education
- PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION/LICENSE: Proof of professional registration, licensure, or evidence of passing written test (if applicable).
If you fail to submit any of the documentation listed above, your application will be considered incomplete and will result in loss of consideration.
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
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your rsum (you are encouraged to create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder)and/or other supporting documentsto be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
- To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Agency contact information
Ebonye Watson
watsone@gao.gov
Address
Government Accountability Office Human Capital Office 441 G Street NW Washington, DC 20548 US
Next steps
After the closing date of this announcement, GAO’s Human Capital Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications by reviewing your assessment questionnaire and resume to complete an analysis. Please be as complete and thorough as possible. If your application is rated “best-qualified,” your name will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. At this point you may be contacted for an interview.
If you do not meet the key requirements, and/or basic qualifications or you fail to submit all required application materials, your application will not be considered.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request