18F - User Experience Designer (IT Specialist)

18F is hiring for GS-15 - User Experience Designer (IT Specialist). This page contains information related to the role as well as a link to submit your application. Check out Join TTS Hiring Process to learn more about the application process. Unfortunately, we are only able to reach out to candidates who are selected for interview.

Location: Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Virtual (100% Remote)

Salary Range: The salary range for this position is: GS-15 Step 1 - $128,078 to GS-15 Step 10 $172,500

Your salary will be determined upon selection, dependent on your actual duty location.

You can find more information about this in the compensation and benefits section on our site.

For specific details on locality pay, please visit OPM’s Salaries & Wages page or for a salary calculator OPM’s 2021 General Schedule (GS) Salary Calculator.

Please note the maximum salary available for the GS pay system is $172,500

Note: You may not be eligible for the maximum salary as it is locality dependent. Please refer to the maximum pay for your locality.

Who May Apply: All United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Islands)

Role Summary:

User Experience Designer (IT Specialist) - GS-15

User experience designers at 18F drive research activities, derive insights, generate concepts, communicate those concepts visually, and work with developers and product managers to build and test them. They foster best practices in user-centered design within 18F and across the federal government through advocacy and coaching.

18F UX designers have deep strength in design research (both generative and evaluative). No one can be equally expert at everything, but in addition to design research, we look for strong craft skills, confidence, and sophistication in at least one of the following areas: interaction design, product design, service design, and information architecture.

As a UX designer, you’ll work in cross-functional teams of experts in design, product strategy, technical architecture, software engineering, data science, and procurement. In addition to building useful and usable digital services, you will be helping teams improve their user-centered design practice, and helping teams without those practices get started.

If you are committed to improving government services for all who need them, and to helping the civil servants who deliver those services, this is the position for you.

Key Objectives

Key objective #1: Demonstrate excellence in design research, while grasping the core questions and responsibilities of at least one other UX discipline.

In addition to strong skill in design research, we expect expertise in at least one of the following disciplines:

• Interaction design: Define interface logic and behavior, always keeping human behaviors and needs in mind.
• Information architecture: Organize and structure complex information to help diverse audiences easily find what they need.
• Service design: Improve the relationship of the customer or user and the service provider across all of their interactions and communication channels.
• Product design: Develop clear and accessible visual systems, while advancing human-centered design practices.

Successful 18F UX Designers:

• Zoom in and out. Generate high-level product strategies as well as practical project steps and considerations to get there. Are visionary in objective, but pragmatic in approach.
• Support collaborative decision making by telling compelling stories drawn from research to build shared understanding
• Show persistent commitment to thoughtful, inclusive, ethical user research.
• Deliver whatever’s needed to guide development — this could include wireframes, sitemaps, flowcharts, storyboards, user stories, or other innovative approaches.
• Create written materials and visual presentations that are accessible to non-experts as well as being legally and technically accurate.
• Incorporate UX into agile development sprints, coordinating with visual and content designers, developers, and product managers to achieve a strategic vision.
• Use modern interaction design patterns and best practices, understanding that there are exceptions to every rule.
• Commit to making what we build fully accessible to the people we serve.
• Create a work environment that fosters trust, respect, and collaboration.

Key objective #2: Advance UX practice.

Successful 18F UX Designers:

• Clearly communicate user-centered methods and their value to non-designers.
• Mentor and coach colleagues and partners who are taking on new tasks and roles within design and research.
• Share knowledge, techniques, tools, patterns, and expert advice with colleagues, partners, and the public.
• Promote empathy not just for members of the public, but also for our partners across the government and our co-workers.
• Contribute to team-wide resources and training materials, including methods, tutorials, guides, presentations, and design toolkits.

Key objective #3: Work effectively in the federal government.

Successful 18F UX Designers:

• Skillfully navigate complex organizational relationships to deepen understanding.
• Cooperatively negotiate disagreements and mediate compromises.
• Build inclusive, respectful partnerships with diverse groups of people.
• Conduct design activities remotely and in person, depending on contextual factors.
• Demonstrate genuine interest in the day-to-day activities that keep our government running.

Basic Information

Location: Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Virtual (100% Remote)

Salary Range: Base salary GS-15 - $128,078 to $172,500

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected. Compensation will include locality which is based on the individual’s duty location. For more salary information including locality pay details, please visit OPM’s Salaries & Wages page.

Who May Apply: All United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Islands)

Job announcement number: 21FASC255SBDHA

Opening and closing period for this job application: Wednesday, May 5, 2021 EDT to 11:59pm on Friday, May 14, 2021 EDT

Job Title: Information Technology Specialist (SYSANALYSIS)

Series & Grade: 2210 - 15

Promotion Potential: GS-15

Number of vacancies: 1 (Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement as needed)

Supervisory status: NO

Travel requirement: Occasional travel may be required up to 10%-20% per year

Security clearance: Public trust. Background investigation required.

Work Schedule: Full time

Appointment Type: Initial appointments to last longer than 1 year, but NTE 4 years. GSA, may extend appt up to 4 additional years. No individual hired under this DHA can serve in excess of 8 years with GSA.

Job Summary

This Notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which there is a severe shortage of candidates. We have a severe shortage of qualified applicants for our Information Technology Specialist positions. To help us fill these jobs, we have been granted “Direct Hire Authority” or DHA for IT Specialist by Executive Order 13833. This means that when we have a vacant job, we can hire any qualified candidate, either from this notice or from any source. The benefit of applying to this notice is that your application may be shared with a hiring manager if they request resumes from this notice.

Initial appointments are made lasting longer than 1 year, but not to exceed 4 years. GSA, may extend an appointment up to 4 additional years. No individual hired under this DHA can serve in excess of 8 years with GSA, and cannot be transferred to positions that are not IT positions.

Key facts about this DHA notice:

• TTS is seeking to fill multiple TERM appointments at the GS15 level.
• Positions may be located in Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; Chicago, IL; New York, NY or Full-time Telework.
• Salary to be determined upon selection, depending on duty location.
• Full Time telework is negotiable after the selection (i.e., official worksite/duty location is the residence of the selectee).
• Current civil service employees will receive new appointments if selected under this Direct Hire Authority.
• Current GSA employees on competitive service appointments will not be considered.

This position is located within the General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Technology Transformation Service (TTS), Office of 18F.

GSA has been repeatedly named as one of the ‘Best Places to Work’ in the federal government. You will have access to many benefits including:

• Health insurance (choose from a wide range of plans)
• Life insurance coverage with several options
• Sick leave and vacation time, including 10 paid holidays per year
• Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k) plan)
• Flexible work schedules and telework
• Transit and child care subsidies
• Training and development
• Flexible spending accounts
• Long-term care insurance
• Training and development

Key Requirements

1. You must be a U.S. Citizen or National (residents of American Samoa and Swains Islands)
2. Suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation
3. You may be required to serve a trial period
4. Direct Deposit of salary check to financial organization required
5. Register with Selective Service, if you are required by https://www.sss.gov/Registration-Info/Who-Registration

Employment Requirements

• US Citizens and National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
• Register with Selective Service, if you are a male born after 12/31/1959
• Direct Deposit of salary check to financial organization required.

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch. Serve a one year probationary period, if required. Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 2 investigation level). Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment. Complete a financial disclosure report to verify that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position.

Evaluation

We will use a method called Category Rating to assess your application.

Here’s how it will work:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Have IT-related experience demonstrating EACH of the four competencies listed below:

You will be scored based on a review of your application materials, measuring your possession of each of the following competencies

• Attention to Detail - This skill is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant keeps abreast of latest technology, information, research, etc., to maintain knowledge in field of expertise (for example, reads trade journals, participates in professional/technical associations, maintains credentials).

• Customer Service - skill is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant promotes or develops and maintains good working relationships with key individuals or groups.

• Oral Communication - This skill is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant serves on panels, committees, or task forces as a representative for the organization on technical or professional issues.

• Problem Solving - This skill is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant monitors current trends or events (for example, technological, economic, political, social, educational, or employment trends or events) and applies the information as appropriate

Qualifications

All applications will be reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts against a scoring rubric created for this role. In order to properly be able to evaluate your previous experience, we recommend being as detailed as possible in your resume and following our general guidance on creating federal style resume.

To qualify for this role, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is:

• Experience leading design efforts within complex organizations or highly regulated environments
• Experience applying leading industry practices in the design, development and delivery of digital products or services. This experience could include experimentation-driven methodologies, iterative methodologies, or user-centered design.
• Experience facilitating design sessions or design workshops with teams
• Experience coaching or mentoring on how to use user-centered design methodologies

Qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, so failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.

For each job on your resume, provide:

• the exact dates you held each job (from month/year to month/year or “present”)
• number of hours per week you worked (if part time)