Oracle PL/SQL Developer

WHY WORK FOR DFPS?

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is responsible for protecting the unprotected — children, elderly, and people with disabilities — from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. DFPS accomplishes this responsibility by employing over 12,000 workers who live up to the agency's Mission, Vision, & Values in service to the citizens of Texas. DFPS is not only a qualifying organization for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program but also offers excellent health benefits, special discounts on many products and services through the Discount Purchase Program, longevity pay, generous paid leave, access to the Wellness program, lifetime retirement annuity, Texa$aver 401(k) and 457 Programs under the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

General Description:  

The Systems Analyst V functions as Lead Developer on the Batch Interfaces team for on-going support of applications used by Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) staff.

The position performs computer systems analysis or development work. Work involves coordinating, planning and analysis of user requirements, procedures, and problems to automate processing or to improve existing systems.

The position requires an ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing; the ability to manage projects against established timelines with minimal supervision; the ability to learn and apply new technology and work independently and in a team environment; and the ability to collaborate with all levels of staff within DFPS to satisfy business needs.

This position has established performance criteria in key areas: Professionalism, Policy and Rules Compliance, Personal Conduct, Communication, and Team work as well as essential job functions.

The position requires daily, weekly, and weekend on-call work in support of the DFPS Batch Interfaces operations.   This position is 100% telework within the state of Texas and requires that the candidate maintain personal wi-fi and webcam capabilities during work hours to perform their duties.  This position may work outside normal business hours, nights, and weekends.  This position may, on rare occasions, be required to perform work onsite.

This position is a full-time position that includes other State of Texas benefits as described in this SAO site:  http://www.sao.texas.gov/SAOReports/ReportNumber?id=18-704

Essential Job Functions:        

• Designs and codes computer programs, subroutines, triggers, stored procedures, objects, classes, and scripts in support of one or more applications associated with the Agency.

• Performs verification and validation of code, test results, customer acceptance, and documentation at all established levels of testing in SDLC and PMLC guidelines.

• Practices current software development methods/techniques and establishes development standards (which include programming standards, documentation standards, and testing standards) to ensure the quality and maintainability of one or more application.

• Participates in peer-code walk-throughs to ensure the integrity of the solution and its data; and ensures compliance with the Agency development standards and system-business requirements.

• Performs analysis, research, and interpretation of business requirements to document technical requirements and develop technical specifications.

• Works with trainers, technical support staff, network specialists and contract staff to perform modifications and/or updates to existing systems or to implement new systems.

• Participates in project and team technical and functional design, requirement meetings.

• Ensures project schedules are met, and/or re-negotiated, and approved by customer and Team Manager prior to target dates.

• Prepares memos and ad hoc reports upon request related to project statuses; performance measures, and other information requests.

• Conveys technical instructions clearly with team members to foster their understanding and growth of technical matters.

• Assists other Team members in resolving Technical Issues.

• Participates in development processes for all software developed or supported by the team and looks for potential issues during the SDLC phases and communicates and recommends to management possible mitigation or contingency plans.

 • Monitoring Batch Processes

• Performs on-call duties as assigned (responding to problems in an on-call situation 24 hours a day during a rotation).

• Assists others in resolving Batch issues as required

• Communicates and/or collaborates with other functional/technical team members to coordinate development efforts in support of one or more applications within the Agency.

• Communicates progress and issues affecting work assignments to the Team Manager and/or Project Manager as soon as possible.

• Represents team as assigned in meetings; and provides detailed updates to the manager and team members after attending the meeting.

• Stays current on the latest technology updates and development techniques for the applicable area(s) of responsibility. This may be accomplished via books, periodicals, internet, conferences, or training.

• Develops and maintains expertise in a variety of application development tools necessary to meet the needs of the division.

• Develops and maintains technical-functional proficiency in all aspects of the assigned division information systems by learning the business rules, functional requirements, development standards, data design and structure, process and data flow, and client interfaces in support of one or more applications within the Agency.

• Assists in the development and maintenance of systems documentation and ensures that content of the documentation is well organized, complete, and appropriate to the audience.

• Documents all system development activities in accordance with agency Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and Project Management Lifecycle (PMLC) guidelines.

• Reviews and analyzes legislative bills related to the application/system and when applicable, provides a cost estimate and potential impact analysis.

• Adheres to all Texas Department of Family and Protective Services HR policies and performs related work as assigned.

Registrations, Licensure Requirements or Certifications:     

No specific registrations, licenses, or certifications required. 

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:          

• Knowledge of the software development life cycle and project management life cycle.
• Knowledge of Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL), batch or data processing in an automated scheduled environment is desired but not required.
• Knowledge of Java platform or similar developer platforms is desired but not required
• Knowledge of technical and functional requirements of financial applications is highly desired but not required.
• Skill with development and maintenance using Oracle SQL and/or PL-SQL or similar developer tools
• Skill with Microsoft Office Suite productivity tools is preferred.
• Skill in providing effective customer service.
• Ability to simultaneously coordinate and prioritize multiple tasks accurately.
• Ability to communicate effectively in a technical environment, including on-the-job training with coworkers, project team members, and IT management.
• Ability to document issues, risks, and defects.

Initial Screening Criteria:  

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, or Management Information Systems, or related field is also required.  

Five years full-time programming using Oracle, SQL, PL-SQL, or similar programming languages, systems analysis, systems design, other relevant information technology experience or PRS experience.  Additional years of full-time programming, systems analysis, systems design, other relevant information technology experience or DFPS experience may be substituted for the required education on a year for year basis.

Review our Tips for Success when applying for jobs at DFPS, DSHS and HHSC.

Military occupation(s) that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include, but not limited to those listed in this posting. All active-duty military, reservists, guardsmen, and veterans are encouraged to apply if qualified to fill this position. For more information please see the Texas State Auditor’s Job Descriptions, Military Crosswalk and Military Crosswalk Guide at Texas State Auditor's Office - Job Descriptions. You may also contact the DFPS Military Liaison at dfpsmilvets@dfps.texas.gov with additional questions.

Applicants selected for hire must pass a background check and if applicable a driver’s record check.

As a state agency, DFPS is required by Texas Administrative Code (TAC 206 and 213) to ensure all Electronic Information Resources (EIR) follow accessibility standards. The staff must be familiar with the WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508 to create accessible content including but not limited to; Microsoft Office documents, Adobe PDFs, webpages, software, training guides, video, and audio files. 

DFPS uses E-Verify. You must bring your I-9 documentation with you on your first day of work. Employees must provide documentation to DFPS to show their identity and authorization to work in the US. Please review the following link for authorized documents: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents .

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), HHS/DFPS agencies will provide reasonable accommodation during the hiring and selection process for qualified individuals with a disability. If you need assistance completing the on-line application, contact the HHS/DFPS Employee Service Center at 1-888-894-4747. If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodation to participate in the interview process, please notify the person scheduling the interview.