Information Technology

As the nation’s central bank, the Federal Reserve depends on information to make policy and to conduct the Board’s business. The Board offers information technology professionals many opportunities in all divisions to work with sophisticated information technologies that contribute to its mission. IT professionals build distributed, web-based, and mainframe-based applications, they implement local and wide-area networks, and evaluate and introduce innovative new technologies. IT staff also provide other services such as database administration, data and statistical analysis, information security, and technical training.

• Communications analysts design, deploy, and support telecommunications networks.
• Computer applications analysts, drawing on knowledge of economics and finance, design and develop systems using contemporary database management systems and web development tools.
• Financial systems analysts use statistical techniques to ensure that data used for decision making are accurate.

The Board employs modern management techniques that emphasize partnership between the divisions and information technology staff in developing information systems. The technologies used at the Board include JAVA, Microsoft.NET, ColdFusion, C++, Lotus Notes, Visual Basic, Microsoft Windows, Unix, Linux, HTML, XML, and advanced IBM mainframe databases and languages.

Qualifications

The Board offers graduates in computer science, engineering, and information science challenging career opportunities in many information technology fields. Applicants should have experience in distributed systems, web technology, mainframes, or telecommunications. Some IT positions require hands-on work experience while others require academic knowledge. Knowledge of economics, finance, or accounting is also valuable for many positions.

IT Positions in the Division of Reserve Bank Operations

The Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems hires information technology (IT) professionals to assess and provide direction for the IT environment of the Federal Reserve Banks. Staff members analyze, assess, and provide guidance for various aspects of the Reserve Bank IT operations:

• Strategic direction and governance;
• Efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of IT operations and development activities;
• Effectiveness and quality of project management activities;
• Resiliency, security, and risks posed to the technical infrastructure supporting the Reserve Banks' critical payments systems, banking supervision, monetary policy, U.S. Treasury, and internal operations functions;
• Potential implications of legal, policy, and operations changes on the Reserve Banks' IT environment.

Qualifications

Positions in the Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems require a master’s degree in information technology, computer science, auditing, or business administration. Applicants should also have four years of experience in IT, banking operations/auditing, or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Considerable expertise with IT as it relates to banking operations or payment systems is also preferred. IT professionals should also have excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, as well as strong project management, technology assessment, financial analysis, or auditing experience. CISA, PMP, CISSP, or other related professional designations is preferred.