IT Specialist

Federal Emergency Management Agency•Washington, DC

10d

About The Position

This IT Specialist position is in the Resilience Federal Insurance Directorate, Insurance Acquisition & Technology Division. The role seeks a UX specialist with User-Centered Design expertise, user research, prototyping, and process design experience to modernize NFIP insurance, mapping, and digital workflows. The specialist applies User-Centered Design methods throughout discovery, design, testing, and iterative improvement. The role involves researching user needs and documenting current and future-state processes, then developing design recommendations and implementation-ready solutions in collaboration with program and technical stakeholders. FEMA employees also have recurring emergency-management responsibilities; this position may be recalled at any time for operations and may involve irregular hours, extensive travel with little notice, and deployment to austere or operationally challenging locations. If selected, the employee must attend a three-week in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland within six months of onboarding.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Successfully pass and maintain a High Risk background investigation; this may include a credit check and review of financial issues and certain criminal offenses or illegal drug use.
Register for Selective Service, if applicable.
Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements, including 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
Ability to deploy with little or no advance notice anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period.
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal government for qualification at GS-13.
Specialized experience applying User-Centered Design principles to develop or improve digital products, services, workflows, or applications.
Specialized experience conducting user research and usability testing to identify user needs, analyze findings, or recommend design improvements.
Specialized experience designing and documenting digital workflows or interfaces using process maps, user journeys, wireframes, prototypes, or requirements.
IT-related experience; experience may be paid or unpaid and may include appropriate intensive training such as IT certification.
Demonstrated competencies in attention to detail, customer service, decision making, information management, interpersonal skills, oral communication, problem solving, teamwork, and technical competence.
Attend a three-week in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland within six months of onboarding if selected.
There is no educational substitution for the position; applicants must meet the stated experience qualifications.

Responsibilities

Apply User-Centered Design methods to modernize NFIP insurance, mapping, and digital service workflows, including discovery, design, testing, and iterative improvement.
Conduct user research, stakeholder interviews, and usability testing with internal staff, policyholders, insurance partners, flood-mapping partners, and other stakeholders to identify needs, pain points, and process improvements.
Design and document current- and future-state NFIP insurance and mapping workflows, including user journeys, process maps, service blueprints, requirements, and decision points.
Create wireframes, prototypes, and responsive application designs using Figma, Axure, Adobe XD, or similar platforms.
Collaborate with product owners, business partners, technical teams, vendors, and program stakeholders to translate user needs and business requirements into design recommendations, functional requirements, and implementation-ready solutions.
Participate in visioning sessions, design sessions, and other solution-design techniques.
Perform recurring emergency-management responsibilities and, when required, deploy to emergency operations, potentially with little advance notice, irregular work hours, and extensive travel.

Benefits

Health insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life insurance
Long-term care insurance
Retirement plan
Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k))
Flexible Spending Account
Employee Assistance Program
Personal leave days
Paid federal holidays
Flexible work schedules
Tuition reimbursement
Transportation subsidies
Uniform allowance
Health and wellness programs
Fitness centers
Employee training and developmental opportunities
Disabled veteran leave for eligible veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more