Chief Technology Officer

Summary

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 the CIO product portfolio; and provides real‑time guidance to engineering teams on complex challenges.

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;
Enterprise infrastructure;
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 AI/ML:
Champions the adoption of AI technologies, including Large Language Models (LLMs), machine learning pipelines, and AI‑powered development tools (e.g., Git Hub Copilot, Claude Opus 4.6, etc.). Integrates these capabilities to accelerate development, improve product features, and enhance internal tooling. – Engineering Culture:
Fosters a high‑performing, collaborative engineering culture focused on craftsmanship, continuous learning, and delivery of high‑quality software. Eliminates unnecessary process overhead while maintaining rigor. – Risk & Quality Management:
Oversees technical risk, security, scalability, and performance across all products. Leads incident response and long‑term reliability improvements. – Talent & Team Development:
Attracts, retains, and grows top technical talent. Conducts technical interviews, coding assessments, and ongoing skills evaluations.

To be considered minimally qualified for this position, candidates must have had responsible professional experience at a senior level (equivalent to the GS‑15 in either the General Schedule (GS) or a comparable pay plan). Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. May be subject to a 1‑year probationary period (unless already completed). Federal employees must be in good standing and have a successful performance rating.

Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine suitability for Federal employment at the time requested by the agency. 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. May be subject to pre‑employment and random drug tests. Must file an Executive Financial Disclosure Report OGE‑278e within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.

This position is covered under the post‑employment restrictions of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (PL 95‑521). You may be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty, and failure to obtain or maintain the required clearance may result in withdrawal of a job offer or removal. There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations.

Please read and retain these documents:
Non‑criminal 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…