Application Tester (COTS Solutions)

Full Job Description

As a Application Tester - COTS Solutions (IT Specialist (APPSW)) with OPM.

you will be responsible for planning, developing, implementing, and executing comprehensive software quality assurance and testing activities that ensure OPM's enterprise applications meet functional, performance, and accessibility requirements.

Basic Requirement for the Information Technology Specialist, GS-2210 occupation: You must have Information Technology (IT) related experience demonstrating each of the following competencies: 1)Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail; 2)Customer Service - Works with clients and customers 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 to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately; and 4) Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations .Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience.

AND For the GS 13: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) which includes all of the following: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) which includes all of the following: Independently planning, coordinating, and executing comprehensive testing activities for complex, enterprise-level applications across development, staging, and production environments; Developing, maintaining, and applying test plans, test cases, and test scripts to validate functional, integration, regression, and performance requirements; Evaluating application quality, performance, security, accessibility, and compliance with Federal IT standards and organizational policies; and Performing and analyzing automated and manual testing results to validate software functionality and identify complex defects or risks requiring remediation.

Merit promotion applicants must meet the time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS13 level.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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. Major Duties:

Provides advanced technical expertise in software solutions that support OPM's mission and modernization objectives.

Executes advanced functional, regression, performance, and integration testing using tools such as Ranorex Studio, Snaglt, Postman, JMeter, SoapUI / ReadyAP, Visual Studio, Fiddler Classic, Test Runner, Azure DevOps (ADO), and SQL Server Management Studio.

Analyzes testing outcomes and prepares quality assurance reports, dashboards, and metrics to support risk management, compliance monitoring, and process improvement.

Provides guidance and input on SQA methodologies, tool integration, and automation frameworks to cross functional IT teams.

Leverage AI tools to automatically generate test cases, simulate and analyze user loads and identify performance bottlenecks, and automate testing to detect defects.

Conduct accessibility evaluations of web applications and digital content using Trusted Tester methodology to ensure compliance with Section 508 standards and WCAG guidelines.