This position is located in the Railroad Retirement Board''s Bureau of Information Services; Policy & Compliance; Project Management Office. The incumbent will be responsible for implementation of information technology projects using waterfall, hybrid or agile methodologies for the Railroad Retirement Board.
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.
Work site options
Telework eligible - Yes - as determined by 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
- The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment once a candidate is selected
Pay Scale & Grade: GS-14
Promotion Potential - GS-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 - Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Duties
As an IT Project Manager/Scrum Master, you will:
- Lead multifaceted Information Technology (IT) software and infrastructure projects using waterfall, hybrid or agile delivery methods for the Railroad Retirement Board.
- Work across functional and organizational lines and deal with the full range of issues and concerns associated with IT systems within the agency.
- Manage project resources, including overseeing contractors and mentoring IT and business teams.
- Develop and implement plans, providing cost-benefit analysis, designing and conducting analytical studies, managing resources, and defining objectives and risks.
- Develop information systems testing strategies, identifying standards for infrastructure configuration, and developing information security plans and procedures.
- Serve as an Agile scrum master for application development projects by developing and executing user/epic stories, roadmap, product backlog, sprints, Kanban tracking, retrospectives, etc.
Requirements
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.
- Within 1 year of appointment as Project Manager must acquire and maintain certification as a Contracting Officer''s Representative (FAC-COR), Level 1 or higher. (Contracting Officer''s Representative (FAC-COR) | FAI.GOV)
- Within 2 years of appointment as Project Manager must acquire and maintain certification as a Certified Program and/or Project Manager from the Federal Acquisition Institute as a Mid-Level P/PM IT. (Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) | FAI.GOV)
- Incumbent may be required to work outside of normal duty hours, such as nights, weekends, and holidays, due to operational needs.
Qualifications
Selective Placement Factor:
This position includes a job-related knowledge, skill, and/or ability that is required for satisfactory performance for the position. Selective placement factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represents minimum requirements for a position. Application materials must demonstrate the selective placement factor. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.
The Selective Placement Factor for this position is:
Certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute. (Project Management Professional (PMP)® Certification | PMI)
In addition to meeting the selective placement factor above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below.
For Grade GS-14:
Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. Applicants must demonstrate possession of these competencies within the body of the resume; no separate statements addressing them are required.
- 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.
-AND-
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service.
Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.
Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
- Leading complex software and infrastructure IT projects using waterfall, hybrid, and Agile methodology.
- Developing IT project plans that incorporate risk controls, testing/training needs, acceptance criteria, change management, and IT governance.
- Executing IT project work by monitoring technical progress, updating activities in tracking tools, resolving system-related impediments, and ensuring all required IT deliverables are completed accurately and on schedule.
- Planning and leading scrum ceremonies such as standups meetings, backlog grooming, sprint planning, sprint review (demonstrations), release planning, and sprint retrospectives.
- Leading project teams and contractors by coaching, establishing goals, monitoring performance, and providing constructive feedback.
- Managing stakeholder expectations by gathering input, resolving issues, and communicating project status to ensure transparency.
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.
Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.
Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
<>Education
There is no education substitution for this position.
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 on the USAJOBS website.
INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP):
- ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. You must be determined to be well-qualified for the vacancy to be eligible for special selection priority. After submission of an acceptable application which meets ICTAP eligibility, you will be determined to be well-qualified for a vacancy if your rating places you in the 85th percentile or higher in total possible points.
- ICTAP eligibles must submit proof of eligibility for special selection priority. Please see the Required Documents section below for more information.
If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act; the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered, or you are not eligible for appointment in this 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.
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.
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.
Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification: Submit a copy of your PMP certification from the Project Management Institute with your supporting documentation.
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 ( for form) along with the required proofs. Go to 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
Please visit the USAJOBS website to apply.
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:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- 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.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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
Railroad Retirement Board - 844 N Rush St Chicago, IL 60611 US
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