Summary

This position is located in the Railroad Retirement Board's Bureau of Information Services. The incumbent will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing group activities related to support of the RRB's mainframe data processing environment.

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

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Duties

As a Supervisory Software Developer, you will:

Supervise group employees, providing instructions for assignments and ensuring adherence to established objectives; prepare performance standards and evaluate section employees.
Lead and supervise a group of technical staff responsible for the development and maintenance of applications using COBOL, CICS, JCL, VSAM, DB2, and other mainframe and PC technologies.
Review work products to assure the efficiency and effectiveness of systems, that all objectives are met, and that operational costs are consistent with estimates.
Develop long-range operations plans and analyze group operations to identify and implement improvements.
Establish special project teams as needed, incorporating personnel from both your section and other sections.
Maintain communication with managers in various bureaus and offices within the Board, as well as in other federal agencies, to coordinate on system development matters of mutual concern.
Provide technical advice to computer operations personnel regarding issues encountered during the processing of the group's work.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen
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
All candidates are expected to reside within 50 miles of the closest field office location listed in this job announcement.
You may be subject to a managerial trial period of 1 year. If you do not perform successfully, you will be returned to a position of no lower pay or grade than that which you occupied before assignment to this position.

Qualifications

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 experience that demonstrated the candidate's expertise in mainframe systems software development, systems analysis, programming and database concepts based on business needs, resource requirements and new technology and/or hardware. Candidates must also demonstrate that they possess experience, or have the potential, to lead and supervise a group of technical staff.

In addition, all applicants qualifying based on experience 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.

1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Applicant should be able to prepare status reports, deployment and test plans, conduct thorough unit and system testing, noting exceptions to processing and investigating any problems found.

2. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the service 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 (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.

4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems, missing or unclear system requirements; 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.

Education

There is no education substitution for this position.

Additional information

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 CompetencyBased 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. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

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 best qualified category.
ICTAP eligibles must submit proof of eligibility for special selection priority. Please see the Required Documents section below for more information. Click here for more information on ICTAP.

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. 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.

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
Customer Service
Decisiveness
Flexibility
Interpersonal Skills
Problem Solving
Resilience

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.
Reasonable Accommodation: If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

How to Apply

THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION. This position requires the incumbent to physically report to the nearest field office.

In accordance with the Merit Herit 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 the closing date of the announcement. 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 at least 3 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 USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

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: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. 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

(312) 751-4580

Email

recruit@rrb.gov

Address

Railroad Retirement Board
844 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and possible referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.

Overview

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

09/29/2025 to 10/17/2025

Salary

$106,382 to - $138,296 per year

The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment once a candidate is selected.

Pay scale & grade

GS 14

Locations

1 vacancy in the following locations:

Birmingham, AL

Little Rock, AR

Mesa, AZ

Covina, CA

Show morefewer locations (50)

Oakland, CA

Roseville, CA

Denver, CO

Washington, DC

Jacksonville, FL

Tampa, FL

Atlanta, GA

Des Moines, IA

Chicago, IL

Decatur, IL

Joliet, IL

Indianapolis, IN

Kansas City, KS

Wichita, KS

Louisville, KY

New Orleans, LA

Boston, MA

Baltimore, MD

Detroit, MI

Duluth, MN

Saint Paul, MN

Saint Louis, MO

Billings, MT

Charlotte, NC

Fargo, ND

Omaha, NE

Newark, NJ

Albuquerque, NM

Albany, NY

Buffalo, NY

Central Islip, NY

New York, NY

Cincinnati, OH

Cleveland, OH

Portland, OR

Altoona, PA

Harrisburg, PA

Philadelphia, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Scranton, PA

Nashville, TN

Fort Worth, TX

Houston, TX

Salt Lake City, UT

Richmond, VA

Roanoke, VA

Seattle, WA

Spokane, WA

Milwaukee, WI

Huntington, WV

Remote job

No

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.

Travel Required

Not required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

14

Job family (Series)

2210 Information Technology Management

Supervisory status

Yes

Security clearance

Not Required

Drug test

No

Position sensitivity and risk

Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure

No

Bargaining unit status

No

Announcement number

250020DE-12791488-CS

Control number

846958000

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

ABOUT_COMPANY

Supervisory Software Developer