Chief Technology Officer

About the role

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is the agency's lead expert on technology strategy, innovation, and modernization initiatives to the Social Security Administration's Commissioner and the Chief Information Officer (CIO). The CTO provides hands-on technical leadership; actively participates in architecture, design, coding, debugging, and code reviews across CIO product portfolio; and provides real-time guidance to engineering teams on complex challenges. To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, candidates must possess specialized experience at a senior level (GS-15 level or equivalent) which demonstrates ability to perform the duties of the position, including progressively responsible experience directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (TQs) below, which includes serving as a lead expert on technology strategy, innovation, and modernization initiatives. Typically, experience of this nature will be gained in a related field; in a position held for at least one year at the GS-15, comparable pay band or level above in the federal government; or comparable position with a state or local government, or private sector organization. Mandatory Qualifications Requirements: All applicants are required to address each of the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) below. Candidates must demonstrate that their experience meets the Mandatory Technical Qualifications for this position in their two-page resume and this experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show the candidate possesses the required subject matter expertise and technical qualifications listed below. Candidates will not be considered for this position if each mandatory TQ requirement is not specifically addressed. Failure to meet any of the mandatory TQs will eliminate the candidate from further consideration. To be considered, the resume must not exceed two pages. Written narratives for the Mandatory Technical Qualifications are not required. Candidates must demonstrate their experience meets the Mandatory Technical Qualifications for this position in their two-page resume. Resumes over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQs): Resumes must demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications. TQ1: Experience as a hands-on technical leader and engineer who actively designs, develops, tests, deploys, and supports production-grade applications, services, APIs, integrations, and prototypes. TQ2: Expert at writing high-quality code, solving complex engineering problems, debug issues, perform code reviews, and consistently delivering software in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment. TQ3: Experience developing software for Mainframe system, Enterprise Java, and modern cloud-based solutions including Typescript, Node.js, Python, and Native Cloud Services. TQ4: Experience building large, distributed, polyglot and heterogeneous microservices architecture that includes complex service orchestration and distributed transactions. TQ5: Experience in advanced full-stack proficiency across user interface (UI) development, backend services, API design and development, database architecture, cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD), DevSecOps, security, observability, and production operations. TQ6: Experience establishing technical standards, mentoring engineers, driving modernization efforts, improving reliability and performance, and ensuring all solutions are scalable, secure, maintainable, and aligned with an organization's mission. TQ7: Sustained track record of expert-level, hands-on software engineering shifting between architecture, coding, troubleshooting, deployment, and technical leadership. TQ8: Deep, hands-on experience with modern AI solutions, including large language models (LLMs), generative AI, machine learning pipelines, agentic AI systems, intelligent automation, and AI-driven decision engines. Time-in-grade requirements do not apply to SL positions. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. WHO MAY APPLY: Applications will only be accepted from applicants eligible for one of the following categories. Federal employees currently serving under career or career conditional appointments, or currently serving in a career SES appointment; Federal employees currently serving under the following types of appointments: Schedule A, Reg. 213.3102 (U) appointments for individuals with disabilities; and time limited appointments for veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more; Former Federal employees eligible for reinstatement (i.e., those who have career status or separated from a career-conditional appointment less than 3 years ago); Current or former Federal employees eligible under the Career Transition Assistance

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