HHS teams up with USDS for IT hires

The Department of Health and Human Services is teaming up with the US Digital Service to hire for IT roles to advance health care modernization.

The new hires will work under HHS in data collection and analysis, use of data in policymaking and acquisitions, customer IT support services and data management.

HHS is seeking candidates who can demonstrate analytical ability, the ability to manage without formal authority, stakeholder engagement, communication with technical and non-technical audiences, as well as IT experience. Other desired traits include customer support experience, data analysis and experience with policy and planning.

USDS Administrator Matt Cutts advertised the pilot for "a new way to hire technical talent for federal roles" on Twitter. The job will close once it receives 100 applicants, the posting states. But any applicants not hired for these specific positions "may be considered for similar positions at HHS within 90 days."

The job posting comes as the executive tech and management offices are honing their focus on hiring for IT and cyber positions, and making sure agencies have the requisite authorities to do so more quickly.

The announcement comes days after the Office of Personnel Management issued its final rule to give agencies the authority to more easily hire for IT and cyber positions.

Federal CIO Suzette Kent has said that expanding the use of pilot hiring programs at the agency level to bring in tech talent is a top priority for her office in 2019. USDS saw a budget cut proposed in the White House's fiscal year 2020 request.

HHS, too, is looking to increase its own uses of data and delivering tech in short sprints. Recently, the agency demoed winners of its The Opportunity Project health tech sprint, stood up with help from the Presidential Innovation Fellows.