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We're recruiting actively across many disciplines. 18F employs a huge range of amazing people with diverse histories from both inside and outside of government.

We're recruiting actively across many disciplines. 18F employs a huge range of amazing people with diverse histories from both inside and outside of government. Everyone is an impact junkie. Salary is competitive with industry through a special hiring authority although capped at government levels without bonus, stock, etc. There are intangibles that come from actually being able to improve the way government approaches technology and adopts user-centered design, agile culture, and DevOps that are totally unique. https://18f.gsa.gov/join https://18f.gsa.gov/join

a12k 10y ago
Hey I'm very interested in pursuing FOIA modernization with you guys. Is sending in a resume through the link the best way to proceed?
- aidanfeldman 10y ago
  The way we operate is that agencies come to us to do projects (or we initiate shared services like cloud.gov), so we don't exactly get to pick anything we want. That being said, there is a lot of freedom within the projects we have to work on things that interest you.
  - bmogilefsky 10y ago
    (And yes, sending a resume is how you get started.)
bmogilefsky 10y ago
I said "through a special hiring authority" above but that's inaccurate, sorry for the mix-up... We use the normal GS scale.
gooserock 10y ago
For what it's worth, I applied to work with 18F late last year. I'm a web developer with a wide array of skills - front-end, back-end, and even UI/UX design, product design, and some marketing and management - with about 8 years of experience, mostly doing independent consulting with a couple years at a SF startup in there. I'm also very civic minded, doing a bunch of pro-bono work and (since) getting involved in community activism. I had two phone interviews in which both interviewers asked almost the exact same questions (which struck me as odd). Then I had a third phone interview in which the interviewer - who had a law background, as I recall - seemed very disappointed that I had not worked on Google-sized teams before. Maybe he was having a bad day, but his tone made it sound like I was wasting his time. That was the last I heard from them. Sorry, this probably isn't the right place to comment on this, but I just wanted to share my experience with you. I was somewhat disappointed in the process, even though I LOVE the mission of 18F. I was prepared to up and move to DC, and honestly take whatever salary you offered - I was in it for the mission, not the money.
- jrockway 10y ago
  What is a Google-sized team?
  - rcaught 10y ago
    A team the size of Google.
  - gooserock 10y ago
    My experience has all been with teams and companies < 15 people, and he seemed unhappy about that. The startup I worked on had 12 people at its height (before it was bought by a large tech company), and I was the first employee hire so I was in a position of some leadership. He kept asking me strange questions that presupposed I knew how to negotiate with large entities like government agencies... as a developer. That interview - plus the other two "groundhog day" interviews - were the strangest interview process I've ever experienced.
    - jcrites 10y ago
      > He kept asking me strange questions that presupposed I knew how to negotiate with large entities like government agencies... as a developer. Perhaps that's part of the skills that are needed to succeed at 18F. It sounds like these folks are in a sort of consulting position where they help other government agencies with technical projects and policy efforts. Take a look at the 18F Innovation Specialist GS-14 and -15 roles: https://pages.18f.gov/joining-18f/pay-grades/ https://pages.18f.gov/joining-18f/pay-grades/ - based on your background, they might have expected you to fall somewhere around, I'm guessing, GS-14 (1). Some of the qualifications required are: > Knowledge of and expertise in driving and implementing technology solutions that overcome significant challenges resulting from complex or bureaucratic environments, or technically difficult problems > Skill in oral communication to present sensitive recommendations to higher authority, to obtain compliance with policies from activities nationwide, to articulate positions/policy of vast technical complexity, and to represent the agency on task forces > Comprehensive knowledge of and expertise in all stages of product or business development, and ability to lead complex technology and policy initiatives from inception to implementation Bureaucratic environment is right there in the job description :-) More seriously, this sounds like a reasonably senior technical role in which one would likely interface with other agencies in the way you're describing. GS-15 is even more demanding. While it's disappointing that the interview expressed condescension at your lack of expertise in this area (and expressed anything other than professionalism), I can understand given these qualifications why they'd probe into those skills. It appears they're looking for technical leaders, and not exclusively heads-down individual contributors -- this makes sense to me given their mission. These positions seem to be about influencing the government through policy and technology initiatives, and influencing other government agencies (which is harder than influencing one's local environment), not just delivering technical projects. I am not trying to excuse the interview experience that you had, just to be clear. I'm just making an observation about the kind of challenges they appear to have, and the kind of qualifications they might be looking for in candidates to tackle them. Innovation Specialist GS-14 and GS-15 sounds like pretty interesting roles. I am personally glad that they expect such leadership from technical specialists; this kind of broader influence is key to career growth as a technical person past a certain point. Organizations that don't expect this and foster this in individual contributors are organizations where you need to move into management in order to keep moving up. However, it sounds like they could have done a lot better job communicating with you respectfully and professionally, as well as conveying what they're looking for. (1) I know nothing about 18F beyond what I've read on these sites, nor about government pay grades. I'm just taking a guess based on your industry experience, and by comparing the 18F job role levels to the qualifications expected of candidates with similar background in private industry.
Redoubts 10y ago
> Open positions > We're pausing applications while we evolve how 18F plans for open roles. We estimate that we’ll post new open positions at the end of June. ???

a12k 10y ago

Hey I'm very interested in pursuing FOIA modernization with you guys. Is sending in a resume through the link the best way to proceed?

aidanfeldman 10y ago
The way we operate is that agencies come to us to do projects (or we initiate shared services like cloud.gov), so we don't exactly get to pick anything we want. That being said, there is a lot of freedom within the projects we have to work on things that interest you.
- bmogilefsky 10y ago
  (And yes, sending a resume is how you get started.)

bmogilefsky 10y ago

I said "through a special hiring authority" above but that's inaccurate, sorry for the mix-up... We use the normal GS scale.

gooserock 10y ago

For what it's worth, I applied to work with 18F late last year. I'm a web developer with a wide array of skills - front-end, back-end, and even UI/UX design, product design, and some marketing and management - with about 8 years of experience, mostly doing independent consulting with a couple years at a SF startup in there. I'm also very civic minded, doing a bunch of pro-bono work and (since) getting involved in community activism. I had two phone interviews in which both interviewers asked almost the exact same questions (which struck me as odd). Then I had a third phone interview in which the interviewer - who had a law background, as I recall - seemed very disappointed that I had not worked on Google-sized teams before. Maybe he was having a bad day, but his tone made it sound like I was wasting his time. That was the last I heard from them. Sorry, this probably isn't the right place to comment on this, but I just wanted to share my experience with you. I was somewhat disappointed in the process, even though I LOVE the mission of 18F. I was prepared to up and move to DC, and honestly take whatever salary you offered - I was in it for the mission, not the money.

jrockway 10y ago
What is a Google-sized team?
- rcaught 10y ago
  A team the size of Google.
- gooserock 10y ago
  My experience has all been with teams and companies < 15 people, and he seemed unhappy about that. The startup I worked on had 12 people at its height (before it was bought by a large tech company), and I was the first employee hire so I was in a position of some leadership. He kept asking me strange questions that presupposed I knew how to negotiate with large entities like government agencies... as a developer. That interview - plus the other two "groundhog day" interviews - were the strangest interview process I've ever experienced.
  - jcrites 10y ago
    > He kept asking me strange questions that presupposed I knew how to negotiate with large entities like government agencies... as a developer. Perhaps that's part of the skills that are needed to succeed at 18F. It sounds like these folks are in a sort of consulting position where they help other government agencies with technical projects and policy efforts. Take a look at the 18F Innovation Specialist GS-14 and -15 roles: https://pages.18f.gov/joining-18f/pay-grades/ https://pages.18f.gov/joining-18f/pay-grades/ - based on your background, they might have expected you to fall somewhere around, I'm guessing, GS-14 (1). Some of the qualifications required are: > Knowledge of and expertise in driving and implementing technology solutions that overcome significant challenges resulting from complex or bureaucratic environments, or technically difficult problems > Skill in oral communication to present sensitive recommendations to higher authority, to obtain compliance with policies from activities nationwide, to articulate positions/policy of vast technical complexity, and to represent the agency on task forces > Comprehensive knowledge of and expertise in all stages of product or business development, and ability to lead complex technology and policy initiatives from inception to implementation Bureaucratic environment is right there in the job description :-) More seriously, this sounds like a reasonably senior technical role in which one would likely interface with other agencies in the way you're describing. GS-15 is even more demanding. While it's disappointing that the interview expressed condescension at your lack of expertise in this area (and expressed anything other than professionalism), I can understand given these qualifications why they'd probe into those skills. It appears they're looking for technical leaders, and not exclusively heads-down individual contributors -- this makes sense to me given their mission. These positions seem to be about influencing the government through policy and technology initiatives, and influencing other government agencies (which is harder than influencing one's local environment), not just delivering technical projects. I am not trying to excuse the interview experience that you had, just to be clear. I'm just making an observation about the kind of challenges they appear to have, and the kind of qualifications they might be looking for in candidates to tackle them. Innovation Specialist GS-14 and GS-15 sounds like pretty interesting roles. I am personally glad that they expect such leadership from technical specialists; this kind of broader influence is key to career growth as a technical person past a certain point. Organizations that don't expect this and foster this in individual contributors are organizations where you need to move into management in order to keep moving up. However, it sounds like they could have done a lot better job communicating with you respectfully and professionally, as well as conveying what they're looking for. (1) I know nothing about 18F beyond what I've read on these sites, nor about government pay grades. I'm just taking a guess based on your industry experience, and by comparing the 18F job role levels to the qualifications expected of candidates with similar background in private industry.

Redoubts 10y ago

> Open positions > We're pausing applications while we evolve how 18F plans for open roles. We estimate that we’ll post new open positions at the end of June. ???