Open-Source Developer

This position is located in the Railroad Retirement Board''s Bureau of Information Services. The incumbent will be responsible for the design, development, modernization, and maintenance of enterprise software systems that support agency-wide business operations and information technology modernization initiatives.

This job announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by the Council of AFGE Locals in the Board.

Apply by 7/22/2026

Work site options
Telework eligible -Yes—as determined by the agency policy. THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION, and the incumbent must physically report to the office for work.
Remote job - No
Relocation expenses reimbursed - No
Salary -$90,925 - $139,684 per year
The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality pay once a candidate is selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Promotion potential
14

Work schedule - Full-time - Incumbent may be required to work outside of normal duty hours, such as nights, weekends, and holidays, due to operational needs.
Travel Required -Not required
Appointment type -Permanent
Occupations and job series -2210 Information Technology Management
Supervisory status -No
Federal service type -This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test -No
Security clearance -Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk -Moderate Risk (MR). Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type - Suitability/Fitness
Financial disclosure required -No. Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
USAJOBS Announcement number - 260019DE-12997030-CS
USAJOBS Control number - 875649000

Conditions of employment

• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
• Incumbent may be required to work outside of normal duty hours, such as nights, weekends, and holidays, due to operational needs.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications for GS-13 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as:

• Experience implementing microservices/ Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and United States Web Design System (USWDS)/Section 508 front ends: refactoring code and participating in design/code reviews.
• Experience deploying containerized apps (Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (Azure/AWS; Docker/Kubernetes)) and building Continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) with automated tests and security checks using Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
• Experience assessing Open -Source Software (OSS) licensing and maintaining/tuning Structured Query Language Server and IBM DB2 databases (SQL Server/DB2) with comprehensive testing and validation, including integration with mainframe applications.

Minimum Qualifications for GS-14 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as:

• Experience leading microservices/ Microservices and Application Programming Interfaces (API) and accessible front-end delivery (United States Web Design System (USWDS), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (federal accessibility requirements) (Section 508)) and providing senior technical guidance.
• Experience architecting multi-cloud containers/Kubernetes and building/operating Development, Security, and Operations (DevSecOps) continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) aligned to federal security frameworks and automated testing.
• Experience governing Open -Source Software (OSS) licensing/supply chain (e.g., Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)/ Software Composition Analysis (SCA)) and optimizing enterprise databases with robust testing and validation, including integration with mainframe applications.

• Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
• Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, 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.
• Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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 questionnaire, 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
Flexibility
Influencing/ Negotiating
Integrity/ Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
Decision Making
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning

The USA Hire Assessments 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.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Category rating procedures will be used to rank eligible candidates. Qualified candidates will be assigned to the following categories: Best Qualified, Qualified, and Minimally Qualified. Within each quality category, veterans'' preference eligibles will receive selection priority over non-veterans.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans'' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans'' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. Resume must not exceed 2 pages. Applicants will be removed from consideration if their resume is longer than 2 pages. Please see "How to Apply" for additional information regarding the limit.
• 
  Veterans'' Documentation: If you are a veteran, you must provide a copy of your Record of Military Service (DD-214), and proof of your veterans'' preference, if applicable. Veterans with a service connected disability must also submit a completed claim form SF-15 (click here for form) along with the required proofs. Go to FedsHireVets-Veterans Preference for more information.
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation: If you are eligible under ICTAP, you must submit all required materials verifying your eligibility as listed in "Additional Information." These materials include:

Proof of eligibility:

• You must submit documentation such as a separation notice or other required material; and
• SF-50: You must submit a copy of a recent Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 that shows career or career-conditional competitive service status (Blocks #24 and #34 must be completed); and
• Performance Appraisal: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal, which must be rated at least fully successful or equivalent. (This is not required if you are eligible for ICTAP due to compensable injury or disability retirement.) The performance appraisal may also be used as part of the ranking process and/or to verify your responses to the questionnaire.

How to Apply

You must apply on the USAJOBS website.

In accordance with the Merit Hiring Plan, only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
For additional guidance on what to include in your resume, please see USAJOBS Help.

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Agency contact information
RRB Human Resources
Phone -
Email
Address:
Railroad Retirement Board
844 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
US