Information Technology Specialist (Software Engineer)

Summary WHAT IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY? A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions Position(s) are to be filled in the following area(s): IT - Taxpayer Services / Online Accounts Consider each location carefully when applying. If you are selected for a location, that location will become your official post of duty. REVIEW THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS Learn more about this agency Duties The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position. Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain secure application components that support IRS business and mission needs. Analyze and refactor codebases to derive undocumented requirements, modernize architecture, and align systems with current frameworks, accessibility and security standards. Work across multiple software layers and languages, including front-end, Application Programming Interface (API), service, and data layers, potentially spanning multiple products. Collaborate across one or more delivery teams with technical and non-technical stakeholders to clarify requirements, triage issues, validate implementation plans, and ensure technical cohesion and consistent standards across the enterprise. Participate in incident response and support operations, including proactive identification and correction of software defects through code inspection, telemetry analysis and log review. Conduct root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Solicit, refine, and document functional and technical requirements, and maintain reusable technical patterns, architectural decisions, and troubleshooting playbooks to support knowledge sharing across teams. Requirements Conditions of employment Probationary Period - All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding. Government Credit Card - Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. Key Eligibility Requirements: U.S Citizenship - Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Selective Service Registration - Males born after December 31, 1959 are required to be registered with the Selective Service System or prove they are exempt from having to do so. Personal Identity Verification (PIV) - Must provide 2 forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS SHOWN IN QUALIFICATIONS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTIONS Qualifications Federal experience is not required. Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or through Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume. You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Basic Qualifications Basic requirements, all grades. Applicants must have Information Technology related experience demonstrating each of the following four competencies: 1) Attention to Detail, 2) Customer Service, 3) Oral Communication, and 4) Problem Solving. Specialized Experience GS-13 Level: In addition to meeting basic requirements, to be eligible for this position at this grade level, you must have one (1) year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, specialized experience includes: Independently applying IT principles, concepts, methods, and practices to plan, analyze, implement, maintain, troubleshoot, or enhance IT systems, services, hardware, software, applications, interfaces, scripts, or related technology environments. Performing computer projects, operational, or application-related assignments involving IT requirements and techniques, including resolving technical issues; validating system, application, or code testing and configuration; preparing technical documentation; and applying federal cybersecurity, privacy, or regulatory requirements. Working directly with customers, stakeholders, users, and technical teams to define business or technical requirements, advising on feasible IT approaches, and implementing secure, reliable, scalable IT solutions, including application enhancements where applicable. Assessing system, service, or application performance, availability, reliability, usability, and operational effectiveness; identifying risks, recurring issues, or defects; and recommending or implementing corrective actions consistent with established policies and procedures. Analyzing multiple technical alternatives and advising management or IT specialists on the selection, configuration, implementation, or improvement of IT solutions, including application components where applicable, to support mission and operational requirements. Applying software engineering principles, methods and practices to design, develop, modernize, integrate, test or maintain software applications and systems to analyze and resolve technical issues and improve IT systems and processes. Developing, integrating or supporting front-end, back-end, API, cloud-based, or enterprise application solutions using programming languages, frameworks and development tools. Applying software engineering, system development life cycles (SDLC), Agile, DevOps or CI/CD methodologies along with AI-powered tools, to improve development velocity, automate documentation, and increase overall engineering productivity. Evaluating and implementing emerging technologies, including cloud-based architecture, containerization, infrastructure-as-code, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted development. Applying secure coding principles, cybersecurity requirements, technical standards or compliance requirements during software development, implementation or maintenance activities. Developing or implementing technical guidance, procedures or solutions related to software engineering, application modernization, systems integration or IT service delivery. Supporting IT software development projects by assisting with planning activities, defining milestones and deliverables, monitoring progress and communicating information or recommendations to customers, stakeholders and team members. Applying project management principles, methods, and practices including developing plans and schedules, identifying resource requirements, reporting project status and providing training to support IT projects or initiatives. Communicating technical information both orally and in writing to technical and non-technical audiences AND You must also meet the following requirements: MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: Minimum age for federal employment is 18 years old, or at least 16 years old and have: Graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or Completed a formal vocational training program; or Received a statement from school authorities agreeing with your preference for employment rather than continuing your education. For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards. Education A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click here (Section 3, Explanation of Terms) or here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions. We recommend choosing an evaluator from a member organization of one of the following national associations of credential evaluation services: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE). Additional information In the event that a building is closed due to rent management, new hires may be placed in a local commuting location. Additional jobs may be filled from this announcement or any other source to fill these vacancies. Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours may be available. Salary: General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. Cost-of-Living Allowances (COLA): Puerto Rico includes COLA. See COLA Rates 2026. Key Suitability Requirements: Prior IRS Employment - Former employees will be subject to a screening of their prior performance and conduct with the Service. The Taxpayer First Act of 2019, 26 U.S. Code 7804, prohibits the IRS from rehiring certain former employees who were removed from service. Tax Check - Must undergo a review of income tax verification. To check the status of your tax record go to: (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript). If you are not in compliance, you will be determined unsuitable for employment with IRS. Fingerprint/Criminal History Check - This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information regarding your rights refer to Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov). Expand Hide  additional information 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. 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.