Senior Developer

MISSION:
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

Core Values

• We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students.
• We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students.
• We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students.
• We are Servant Leaders: Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them.

New hires, re-hires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees in their same classification. Offers will be commensurate with the candidate's experience and qualifications and will thoughtfully consider internal pay equity for agency staff who perform similar duties and have similar qualifications. The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates who exceed the requirements and qualifications for the role. The maximum salary range is reserved for candidates that far exceed the required and preferred qualifications for the role.
About The Office Of IT
The Office of Information Technology works closely with all agency divisions to implement innovative technology solutions in a cost-efficient manner that supports the goals and priorities of the Texas Education Agency. The Office of IT provides efficient technology solutions and stellar customer services to internal staff, 20 Educational Service Centers, and 1,200-plus public-school districts and charter schools. The following services are provided by IT: leadership on IT initiatives; guidance on security/policy issues; new application development/enhancements; software acquisition; technical support; assistance with technical sections of purchasing documents such as Request for Information (RFI), Request for Offers (RFO), Request for Proposals (RFP); and oversight on the data collection process which helps to support and improve outcomes for all of Texas' 5 million-plus students.

Position Overview
The Senior Lead Developer is responsible for advanced programming tasks that support, enhance, and optimize enterprise-level applications within a large-scale project. This role requires strong expertise in C#.NET, JavaScript, and T-SQL, along with a proactive approach to solving production issues and implementing application improvements. The developer will work within a structured Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), following an Agile-inspired methodology to deliver code changes aligned with scheduled release cycles. Collaboration with multiple agency stakeholders is essential to ensure the accuracy, performance, and effectiveness of assigned application components, all in service of Texas' 1,247 school districts. This position reports directly to the Development Manager within the Information Technology (IT) department.

Flexible work location within the state of Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.
Please note that a resume and cover letter are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.
Essential Functions
Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

• Application Development Best Practices: Develop database, software or reports components, ensuring they adhere to TEA and industry standards, best practices, and customer requirements. Perform testing to verify the product matches the requirements, including the creation of test data, test cases and automated unit test scripts. Prepare and maintain technical documentation as required (i.e. process flows, object/data models, environment/flow diagrams, etc.).
• Technical Skill: Deliver high quality software to perform according to specifications and requirements. Perform technical analysis on existing defects or proposed enhancements to increase efficiency and provide accurate estimates to implement the solution with the goal to increase efficiency or to adapt to new procedures. Identify root cause and solution for complex problems. Ability to adapt to different languages, tools, and technologies.
• Team Contribution: Collaborate with the project team for sprint/release work to discuss architecture and design, perform code reviews, triage and resolve defects or issues in multiple environments and provide accurate status on work assignments or issues. Trains self and team to increase technical and business knowledge of the system. Clarifies requirements for other developers.
• Leadership: Utilize leadership skills required to guide the team to design, create, and maintain software applications. Works with team to analyze issues to produce and implement solutions. Performs code reviews and provides feedback. Builds consensus to make decisions and follows up. Enforces best practices and coding standards. Set example for work ethic. Conduct technical and non-technical meetings effectively.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• Experience: At least five [5] years of experience in Application Development as a Senior Developer.
• Substitutions: Each additional year of related experience above the required minimum may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

Other Qualifications

• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military
• A desire to self-reflect, give/receive feedback and continuously improve
• Knowledge of current software development best practices and technologies and how they can be applied to create high quality, high-performing applications
• Skill in designing, coding and supporting medium to large applications using C#.NET, ASP.NET Core, and SQL Server
• Ability to develop high quality form-style web and backend applications using the .NET framework and JavaScript
• Ability to provide strong, senior level database and SQL technical expertise working in a team environment
• Prior experience troubleshooting and resolving complex technical issues
• Highly organized; ability to manage multiple projects at once and meet deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work in a cube environment with potential for significant auditory distractions; May be required to work remotely
• Must be available some nights and weekends for supporting code deployments and application support

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference.
To review the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to each job classification series in the State's Position Classification Plan (provided by the State Auditor's Office), please access the
Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) Guide
and click on the military "occupational category" that corresponds with the state classification in this job posting title.
This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.
No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. Please add "" and "" to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy.