Summary

This position is located in the Railroad Retirement Board's Bureau of Information Services. The incumbent will be responsible for the design, development, implementation, and optimization of cloud-based solutions within Microsoft Azure.

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.

Duties

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As an Azure Architect, you will:

• Serve as the organization's senior Azure Architect and recognized subject matter expert (SME) for cloud systems engineering, providing authoritative guidance on the design, development, implementation, and governance of Microsoft Azure solutions.
• Advise senior leadership on cloud strategy, investment planning, and long-term modernization initiatives, influencing the agency's overall IT direction.
• Design and engineer enterprise-level cloud architectures that are secure, scalable, highly available, and resilient, ensuring alignment with mission requirements and seamless integration with on-premises systems in hybrid environments.
• Lead evaluations of existing and proposed IT systems, applications, and services to determine optimal hosting environments, conducting detailed analyses of architectural feasibility, system performance, cybersecurity requirements, and total cost of ownership.
• Perform comprehensive cost-benefit and lifecycle cost analyses comparing Azure-based solutions with traditional on-premises infrastructure, providing data-driven recommendations to leadership to support strategic and investment decisions.

Requirements

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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.

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:

• Experience designing, engineering, and implementing Azure cloud architectures for enterprise environments, including secure, scalable, and highly available solutions.
• Experience leading cloud migration and modernization efforts, including assessments, planning, and execution of transitioning systems to Microsoft Azure.
• Experience ensuring compliance with federal cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST and FISMA in cloud and hybrid environments.

Time-in grade-restrictions: Applicants who are current or former Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level).

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.

Only experience and/or education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

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 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/[redacted]5-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

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. Click here for more information on ICTAP.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements:

Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans

Special Hiring Authorities for Certain Military Spouses

Other Special Appointment Authorities

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.

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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

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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.

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.