QA Automation Engineer

US Bureau of Labor Statistics; Suitland (MD); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) IT positions supported by the Office of Technology and Survey Processing (OTSP) provide critical IT support to data development initiatives across the agency. Requirements include one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal Service.

Positions emphasize competencies in attention to detail, information management, customer service, and cross‑functional collaboration to deliver reliable data systems

Qualifications

• Competencies required for federal IT work at BLS, including detail-orientation and information management.
• Strong communication and customer service orientation for diverse stakeholders.
• Analytical problem solving and sound decision making under varied conditions.
• Advanced interpersonal and teamwork skills for cross‑functional collaboration.
• Technical competence to interpret and apply IT concepts in a federal setting.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Customer Service

Decision Making

Information Management

Interpersonal Skills

Oral Communication

Problem Solving

Teamwork

Technical Competence

Job description

IT positions located in the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Office of Technology and Survey Processing (OTSP) provide IT support to all aspects of BLS data development initiatives. BLS measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making. Qualification requirements include meeting minimum proficiency levels for required competencies and demonstrating one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, i.e. GS-12, in the Federal Service.

Competencies

1. Attention to Detail - is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. (Advanced-level proficiency or higher).
2. Customer Service - works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) 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. (Advanced-level proficiency or higher).
3. Decision Making - makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change. (Intermediate-level proficiency or higher).
4. Information Management - identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems. (Advanced-level proficiency or higher).
5. Interpersonal Skills - shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations. (Advanced-level proficiency or higher).
6. Oral Communication - expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. (Intermediate-level proficiency or higher).
7. Problem Solving - identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. (Advanced-level proficiency or higher).
8. Teamwork - encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals. (Advanced-level proficiency or higher).
9. Technical Competence - uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. (Advanced-level proficiency or higher).

Specialized Experience

Specialized experience serves as evidence that an applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies required for successful performance in the position. For this position, specialized experience is defined as one year of the following:

• Demonstrated experience supporting end-to-end SDLC operations across Agile-Waterfall, Agile, or DevOps environments. Examples of experience indicators at this level may include supporting any of the following:
  • Agile flexibility (i.e. iterative-based work with Agile practices) and Waterfall controls (e.g. change requests, structured release gating, deployment checklists); or
  • Agile (e.g. Scrum, SAFe); or
  • DevOps automation (e.g. CI pipelines, automated testing, environment deployments)