Information Technology Specialist (Performance Test Engineer)
What you'd do
WHAT IS What is Information Technology? A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions Position(s) are to be filled in the following area(s): IT - Filing Season and Legislative Delivery - Performance Test Engineer Consider each location carefully when applying. If you are selected for a location, that location will become your official post of duty. REVIEW THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS
Major duties
The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position. Leads the design, development, and execution of performance, load, and stress testing strategies for enterprise applications and systems. Establishes performance testing frameworks integrated into Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using platforms such as GitHub to support continuous delivery and system validation across cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Azure. Develops performance test plans, scripts, and scenarios using industry-standard tools such as LoadRunner and JMeter, and demonstrates proficiency in Java, Python, and C to support script development, execution and test automation across complex systems. Serves as a technical expert and advisor on performance testing methodologies, tools, and best practices, evaluating emerging technologies and advising leadership on their applicability and effectiveness. Translates complex technical and non-functional requirements, including response time, throughput, scalability, and resource utilization, into actionable performance test strategies aligned with federal engineering standards. Leads the full lifecycle of performance testing solutions, including planning, design, development, documentation, implementation, integration, and maintenance. Develops technical documentation, including Performance Engineering Models, test strategies, and performance testing reports. Executes performance tests using industry-standard tools and monitoring platforms (e.g., AppDynamics and Splunk), analyzes results, identifies bottlenecks, and publishes detailed metrics and reports. Ensures performance validation is embedded within Agile and DevSecOps processes through automated testing and continuous monitoring, while identifying risks, addressing performance constraints, and providing technical leadership on complex, enterprise-scale systems to ensure compliance with performance and government standards. Collaborates with developers, architects, and infrastructure teams to ensure systems meet defined performance and scalability requirements. Works closely with stakeholders to define performance criteria and ensure alignment with mission objectives. Supports cross-functional teams in interpreting test results and implementing improvements. Develops and manages project scope, including objectives, timelines, resources, and risk strategies related to performance testing efforts. Serve as a technical point of contact for stakeholders, resolving performance-related issues and ensuring clear communication of testing outcomes. Prepare and present technical reports, dashboards, and briefings to leadership on system performance, risks, and recommendations.
What you need to qualify
Federal experience is not required. Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or through Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume. You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. QUALIFICATION REQUIRMENTS: To qualify for this position, you must meet the qualification requirements outlined below: MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADE 12 LEVEL UP (GS or Equivalent): To be eligible for this position, you must have at least one (1) year Information Technology related experience demonstrating each of the following nine competencies: 1) Attention to Detail, 2) Customer Service, 3) Decision Making, 4) Information Management, 5) Interpersonal Skills, 6) Oral Communication, 7) Problem Solving, 8) Teamwork and 9) Technical Competence. AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-14: To be eligible for this position, you must have one (1) year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: Leading or coordinating IT projects, application-related efforts, operational initiatives, or system-related activities that affect multiple users, teams, programs, or business processes. Applying advanced IT principles, concepts, methods, and practices to evaluate requirements; resolve technical issues; guide system, application, or code testing and configuration decisions; and ensure technical documentation and federal cybersecurity, privacy, or regulatory requirements are addressed. Engaging customers, stakeholders, users, product or business owners, and technical teams to define business or technical requirements, communicate technical impacts, and guide delivery of secure, reliable, scalable IT solutions. Evaluating system, service, or application performance, availability, reliability, security controls, usability, and operational effectiveness; identifying risks, issues, defects, or gaps; and leading corrective actions or improvement efforts. Analyzing competing technical approaches and providing authoritative recommendations to management, stakeholders, or IT specialists on the selection, design, configuration, implementation, or improvement of IT solutions with organizational impact. Developing and executing performance, load, and stress testing strategies to evaluate application performance, scalability, reliability, and system behavior under varying workload conditions. Designing, developing, and maintaining performance test frameworks, test scripts, and test scenarios used to validate system performance requirements. Conducting performance analysis by evaluating response time, throughput, resource utilization, capacity, and system behavior to identify performance limitations and improvement opportunities. Implementing automated performance testing processes within software development pipelines to support continuous system validation and delivery. Performing root cause analysis of performance issues by reviewing testing results, application behavior, monitoring data, and system performance metrics. AND You must also meet the following requirements: MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: Minimum age for federal employment is 18 years old, or at least 16 years old and have: Graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or Completed a formal vocational training program; or Received a statement from school authorities agreeing with your preference for employment rather than continuing your education. For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.