Information Technology Specialist (Performance Test Engineer)

USAJOBS is seeking an Information Technology Specialist (Performance Test Engineer) to lead the design, development, and execution of performance testing strategies for enterprise applications. The role involves collaborating with teams to ensure systems meet performance criteria and managing project scope related to performance testing efforts.

Responsibilities:

• Leads the design, development, and execution of performance, load, and stress testing strategies for enterprise applications and systems
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Serves as a technical point of contact for stakeholders, resolving performance-related issues and ensuring clear communication of testing outcomes
• Prepares and presents technical reports, dashboards, and briefings to leadership on system performance, risks, and recommendations

Requirements:

• A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
• Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program
• You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement
• To qualify for this position, you must meet the qualification requirements outlined below
• 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
• 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
• Experience developing and executing performance, load, and stress testing strategies to evaluate application performance, scalability, reliability, and system behavior under varying workload conditions
• Experience designing, developing, and maintaining performance test frameworks, test scripts, and test scenarios used to validate system performance requirements
• Experience conducting performance analysis by evaluating response time, throughput, resource utilization, capacity, and system behavior to identify performance limitations and improvement opportunities
• Experience implementing automated performance testing processes within software development pipelines to support continuous system validation and delivery
• Experience performing root cause analysis of performance issues by reviewing testing results, application behavior, monitoring data, and system performance metrics
• Current federal employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration
• By the closing date specified in this job announcement, current civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive referral certificate
• Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements. For positions above the GS-05, applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship
• Males born after December 31, 1959 are required to be registered with the Selective Service System or prove they are exempt from having to do so
• Must provide 2 forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S