Head of Technology - Full Time

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is the agency's lead expert on technology strategy, innovation, and modernization initiatives to the Social Security Administration's Commissioner and the Chief Information Officer (CIO). The CTO provides hands-on technical leadership; actively participates in architecture, design, coding, debugging, and code reviews across CIO product portfolio; and provides real-time guidance to engineering teams on complex challenges.
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The CTO strategically advances the modernization of mission-critical systems, digital services, cloud and platform technologies, cybersecurity architecture, data and AI enablement, and enterprise infrastructure supporting the administration of Social Security programs and services to the public. The CTO collaborates with the agency's CIO and senior agency officials to communicate SSA's technology vision and strategy ensuring that agency architecture can support the growing and evolving needs of the enterprise.
Additionally, the CTO defines the agency's overall technology strategy and vision, ensuring alignment with the agency's mission, business goals, and objectives. The incumbent sets policy, provides governance and oversight, and delivers technical expertise in the following areas:

Modernization of mission-critical systems and digital services
Data and artificial intelligence (AI) enablement
Solution engineering and technology integration
Technology governance, standards, and best practices
Data & Systems Excellence:
Guides database design, SQL optimization, transaction management, ACID properties, distributed transactions, consistency models, and data-intensive applications.
Innovation with Al/ML:
Champions the adoption of Al technologies, including Large Language Models (LLMs), machine learning pipelines, and Al-powered development tools (e.g., Fosters a high-performing, collaborative engineering culture focused on craftsmanship, continuous learning, and delivery of high-quality software. Risk & Quality Management:
Oversees technical risk, security, scalability, and performance across all products. Conducts technical interviews, coding assessments, and ongoing skills evaluations.
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Citizen or National.
Federal employees must have a successful performance rating.
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
Must file an Executive Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
You may be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:
Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back;
FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation); To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, candidates must possess specialized experience at a senior level (GS-15 level or equivalent) which demonstrates ability to perform the duties of the position, including progressively responsible experience directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (TQs) below, which includes serving as a lead expert on technology strategy, innovation, and modernization initiatives. Typically, experience of this nature will be gained in a related field; or comparable position with a state or local government, or private sector organization.
TQ1: Experience as a hands-on technical leader and engineer who actively designs, develops, tests, deploys, and supports production-grade applications, services, APIs, integrations, and prototypes.
TQ2: Expert at writing high-quality code, solving complex engineering problems, debug issues, perform code reviews, and consistently delivering software in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.
TQ3: Experience developing software for Mainframe system, Enterprise Java, and modern cloud-based solutions including Typescript, Node.js, Python, and Native Cloud Services.
TQ4: Experience building large, distributed, polyglot and heterogeneous microservices architecture that includes complex service orchestration and distributed transactions.
TQ5: Experience in advanced full-stack proficiency across user interface (UI) development, backend services, API design and development, database architecture, cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD), DevSecOps, security, observability, and production operations.
TQ6: Experience establishing technical standards, mentoring engineers, driving modernization efforts, improving reliability and performance, and ensuring all solutions are scalable, secure, maintainable, and aligned with an organization's mission.
TQ7: Sustained track record of expert-level, hands-on software engineering shifting between architecture, coding, troubleshooting, deployment, and technical leadership.
TQ8: Deep, hands-on experience with modern AI solutions, including large language models (LLMs), generative AI, machine learning pipelines, agentic AI systems, intelligent automation, and AI-driven decision engines.
Applications will only be accepted from applicants eligible for one of the following categories.
Federal employees currently serving under career or career conditional appointments, or currently serving in a career SES appointment;
Federal employees currently serving under the following types of appointments: 213.3102 (U) appointments for individuals with disabilities; and time limited appointments for veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more;
Current or former Federal employees eligible under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP); Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) Eligibles (i.e., Preference-eligible veterans OR veterans who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous service).
Federal employees serving under excepted service appointments with competitive service compatibility (e.g., NOTE : Excepted service employees serving under Schedule A appointments for Attorney positions or Pathways Programs appointments (Presidential Management Fellows, Recent Graduates, and Interns) are not eligible for consideration.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement :
All application materials are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and become property of SSA.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact Kathryn.Help
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.