Programmer - Software Developer

US District Courts, Northern District of California•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Whether launching or continuing a career in public service, the U.S. District Court is a great place to work with competitive salaries and benefits, a work schedule that promotes a work-life balance, and the opportunity to work with colleagues committed to fulfilling the important mission of administering justice in an efficient and effective manner. This position offers an excellent opportunity to advance a career in federal court service. The Software Developer is located in the Clerk’s Office of the U.S. District Court and supports court operations through database application development and maintenance, systems analysis and design, software development, testing, documentation, reporting, automation, and user support and training. At the CL-27 level, the incumbent independently performs assignments of moderate complexity under general supervision, referring to unusual or precedent-setting problems to a supervisor. At the CL-28 level, the incumbent performs more complex assignments involving project management, technology planning, consultation with court leadership, and the development and implementation of court-wide technology solutions. The position does not include supervisory authority at either classification level and does not direct or assign the work of other staff.

Requirements

Minimum of two years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at the CL-26 level for placement at CL-27, or at least one year equivalent to work at the CL-27 level for placement at CL-28.
Specialized Experience is progressively responsible experience related to the technical aspects of data processing, office automation, and data communications and their applications, terminology and methodology, including the accomplishment of computer project assignments that involved systems analysis, design, design, programming, implementation, integration, and management.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing applications using C# and .NET (ASP.NET or ASP.NET Core), T-SQL and SQL Server, and JavaScript, and maintaining existing VB, Perl, or PHP applications.
Experience using Visual Studio, Windows-based development tools, Linux/UNIX environments, and scripting in PowerShell, Bash, or Python.
Experience evaluating, developing, implementing, or supporting approved artificial-intelligence-enabled solutions, including generative AI, machine learning, natural-language processing, intelligent document processing, or AI-assisted workflow automation.
Ability to assess AI solutions for security, privacy, accuracy, accessibility, data governance, records management, and appropriate human oversight.
Professional certifications or equivalent demonstrated experience in Microsoft technologies, SQL Server, Linux, cloud services, cybersecurity, project management, or responsible AI implementation.
Knowledge of systems analysis, database design, application development, implementation, and maintenance.
Experience using integrated development environments for the development, testing, and debugging software applications.
Ability to design, maintain, and support application programs across multiple platforms.
Knowledge of programming techniques and practices used to develop and implement software solutions.
Analytical and problem-solving skills are sufficient to evaluate complex technical issues and identify appropriate solutions.
Experience working directly with executives, judges, or other senior-level stakeholders on technology initiatives (CL-28).
Experience with source control and modern development practices, including Git or comparable version control, automated testing, and structured release and change management.

Responsibilities

Develop and modify software applications using C#, .NET, T-SQL, JavaScript, and other technologies in use by the court, including writing code to specifications, building custom reports, testing and debugging, and documenting completed work.
Confer with technical staff and end users to identify requirements and design software applications, accounting for system capabilities, limitations, performance, and interfaces, and assess the feasibility of proposed solutions within established time and resource constraints.
Install and test new or revised releases of national and local systems, coordinating with judiciary program offices and court staff to minimize disruption to court operations.
Prepare and maintain technical documentation for locally developed software applications and systems.
Develop, maintain, and support database applications and related automated solutions, including database design, queries, stored procedures, and reporting using SQL Server and T-SQL.
Develop and maintain automation scripts using PowerShell, Bash, or Python to support application deployment, data processing, and recurring court operations tasks.
Use source control, integrated development environments, and established change management procedures to manage code and migrate releases between the development, test, and production tiers.
Evaluate, develop, test, and support approved artificial-intelligence-enabled solutions and workflow automation under established court and judicial processes and including validation of accuracy and appropriate human review.
Provide user support and training on locally developed and national applications, including user documentation, job aids, and training materials.
Advise judges, senior managers, and court staff throughout the district on current and emerging technologies and on the automation of manual court processes and recommend technology purchases.
Provide systems and software development services using the court’s development technologies, including PowerShell, Python, and REST or web service integrations, and maintain existing VB, Perl, and PHP applications.
Work with judges, court management, and the user community to define system requirements that support the mission of the court.
Serve as the court’s technical authority for SQL Server database design, administration, and performance tuning, and for the development toolchain, including Visual Studio, source control, and deployment processes.
Design and carry out short- and long-range automation improvement plans for the court, including converting manual processes to current technologies and providing training on system use and capabilities, while ensuring changes are introduced with minimal disruption to court operations.
Represent the district as a technical subject-matter expert in judiciary-wide initiatives and working groups.
Research current and emerging technologies and trends, including commercial off-the-shelf software, cloud services, and artificial-intelligence-enabled solutions.
Analyze the alternatives and assess each against the court’s security, privacy, records management, and data governance requirements.
Develop prototype applications and coordinate with judges, senior managers, and staff to ensure development efforts meet the needs of the court.
Develop, implement, and manage projects from inception to delivery, including complex project plans, design plans, and timelines.
Coordinate and facilitate project meetings, monitor project schedules and expenditures against approved plans and budgets, and escalate resource constraints or schedule variances to IT management.
Perform cost-benefit analysis on development projects.
Serve as a technical resource to other programmers and court staff on non-routine technical questions.
Apply judiciary internal control and separation-of-duties requirements to development work and recommend improvements to testing and deployment controls.