IT Specialist (System Analysis)"Product Manager", GS-2210-15, FPL GS-15 (DH)

Summary This position is located in Federal Student Aid/Office of Student Aid Program Management /Production Management Div in Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Kansas City, KS, San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA. FSA directs, coordinates, and recommends policies for programs that are designed to provide financial assistance to eligible students enrolled in postsecondary educational institutions. 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 a IT Specialist (System Analysis)"Product Manager", GS-2210-15, you will be responsible for: •    Leading the definition and evolution of Federal Student Aid (FSA) products by executing the full product lifecycle using modern product delivery solutions, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-enabling technologies. •    Leveraging expertise in leading cross-functional teams of designers and software engineers to deliver products and services iteratively, translating the needs of students, families, and financial aid administrators into prioritized product roadmaps and measurable outcomes that improve access to aid and simplify the user experience. •    Serving as the bridge between policy goals, technical systems, and user needs. Distill complex financial aid rules and technology constraints into clear, actionable requirements for engineering teams and contractors. •    Ensuring that solutions meet compliance and security standards while still delivering straightforward, user-friendly experiences at national scale. •    Directing and align the efforts of contractors and partner agencies, ensuring their work supports the product vision and delivers tangible improvements for users. •    Connecting day-to-day work to the larger mission of expanding educational opportunity, ensuring that teams stay motivated and focused on impact.  •    Providing vision and leadership that helps both government staff and vendors understand the “why” behind the work, and rally around shared goals for students and families. •    Appling deep experience in building and managing products that serve millions of users at scale, with high stakes for accuracy, security, and reliability. •    Ensuring FSA systems meet the demands of peak traffic periods, protect sensitive personal and financial data, and deliver seamless experiences for students, families, and institutions. Requirements Conditions of employment Relocation will not be paid. Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service. You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period. Must be a US Citizen Must complete a Background Investigation and a Fingerprint check. 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 Specialized Experience for the GS-15 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 leading production in the development of scalable information technology platforms and software solutions. 2. Experienced in managing production while overseeing internal and external software development, testing, integration, and operations. 3. Experience communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences and translating business requirements into technical user stories. 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.    Knowledge of product management principles, with a focus on user-centered design and measurable outcomes 2.    Skill in translating complex policy and technical requirements into intuitive, scalable products 3.    Skill in managing vendors and cross-functional teams to deliver results 4.    Ability to inspire and sustain a mission-driven product culture 5.    Skill in building and operating large-scale, mission-critical aid (student etc.) or comparable financial systems Education Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level.  Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.  For further information, please click Foreign Education. 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 [email protected] 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. 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. 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. 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.