Summary Of Program/Project:
The Performance Test Engineer will support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information & Technology (OIT), IT Operations and Services (ITOPS) Infrastructure Operations (IO) Health Benefits Memorial and Corporate (HBMC) Benefits Service Linestrives to provide high quality, effective, and efficient Information Technology (IT) services to those responsible for providing care to the Veterans at the point-of-care as well as throughout all the points of the Veterans’ health care in an effective, timely and compassionate manner.
The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Production Environment (VBA Corporate) is the main payment system for VBA Compensation, Pension, and Vocational Rehabilitation benefits processing. It has interfaces to the Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator System (BIRLS) and the Benefits Delivery Network (BDN). The BIRLS is on an IBM mainframe and the BDN is on a Bull/Atos mainframe. Online traffic into the VBA Corporate environment is via client server technology (currently Tuxedo) and web technology (currently WebLogic). In addition, the VBA Corporate environment has a batch processing component. This infrastructure is subject to change as refresh of equipment and technologies are implemented.
In order for the VBA Production environment to be resilient, a performance environment needs to be available to performance test application and system software changes as well as hardware infrastructure changes before production deployments. This task order (TO) is not for hardware and software maintenance. Rather, it is to simulate production system performance in a dedicated test environment. This involves testing the effect of software and hardware changes.
Primary Responsibilities:
The Performance Test Engineer is responsible for analyzing and conducting performance testing of system software and hardware infrastructure changes and upgrades. The candidate will conduct performance testing on VBA Client-Server, VBA Web-based, Batch, Chapter 33, and VRM/CRM applications. The candidate shall also provide capacity projections based on the testing conducted on the VBA Performance (VBAPERF) Test Systems.
The Performance Test Engineer will update Use Cases and develop new Use Cases which model the most frequently executed and highest cost user-behaviors associated with processing a claim, document capture and Veteran claim folder review. Historically, 10% of Use Cases need to be modified to accommodate new features. The Use Cases can involve Front End Tool (FET), The Image Management System (TIMS), WEAMS, VA-ONCE, Electronic Certification Automated Processing (ECAP), Veterans On-Line Applications (VONAPP), Web Automated Verification Enrollment (WAVE) and VA Defense Information Repository (VADIR). The Use Cases can also involve BIRLS and other external VA systems.
The Performance Test Engineer will analyze performance impacts of system software and hardware infrastructure changes and upgrades identified by the Government (Reference Applicable Document 8, Planned Hardware/Software Upgrades) for the VBAPERF Test System environment. The VBAPERF Test System environment is composed of 5 Weblogic Servers, 5 Apache Servers, 2 SiteMinder Servers, 3 Tuxedo Servers, 1 Oracle database and 6 LoadRunner Servers, Hitachi File Storage System running on Solaris Unix and Windows Operating Systems. The Performance Test Engineer will conduct performance testing of software and hardware changes and upgrades after they are implemented by the Government into the performance testing environment, prior to production deployment, to ensure the changes and upgrades do not cause unacceptable performance degradation. The Performance Test Engineer will use Oracle Tuxedo and WebLogic applications, or other government approved applications/toolsets, to gather performance metrics.
The Performance Test Engineer must have experience in the coordination and execution of test events in accordance with approved test plans, procedures and scripts. Must have knowledge and skills to ensure that test environments are set up accurately. Must be able to create test reports. The test engineer must be able to test IT hardware, software, systems and networks.
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree or higher in computer science, electronics engineering, or other engineering or technical discipline. An additional eight (8) years’ experience may be substituted for degree requirement.
Required Skills:
Experience with maintaining and managing and running performance testing using LoadRunner scripts- Five years of experience with LoadRunner protocols: Web HTTP/HTML, Web Services, Flex, Ajax TruClient, and Tuxedo
- Monitor CPU utilization, memory usage, disk space usage, latency on webpages or database queries, throughput, page hits per second, etc. for possible bottlenecks using AppDynamics
- Triage defects on IBM Rational Team Concert and communicated with project teams on a weekly basis about findings and progress
- Engage stakeholders to present results and provide next step
- Excellent technical, analytical and problem-solving skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Organized and detailed documentation skills
- A work ethic with a focus on quality, results and customer satisfaction
- Must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S
- Must be able to attain and maintain the required public trust (tier 4) clearance
Platforms: Windows 95/98/XP/Vista/7/10, Windows Server, Linux, Solaris
Languages: C/C++, Java, HTML, CSS, COBOL, SQL, AppDynamics,
Tools: Performance Center, LoadRunner (Web HTTP/HTML, Web Services, Flex, Ajax TruClient, Tuxedo), Diagnostics, SiteScope, Performance Manager, Skype, Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), IBM Rational Team Concert(RTC), Oracle SQL Developer, Microsoft Lync, Microsoft SharePoint, Remote Desktop Connection, mRemote, VMware Workstation, HttpWatch, Notepad++, AWS, Bash Shell, Internet Explorer, MS Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Oracle WebLogic, NetBeans IDE, Adobe Dreamweaver CS5
Location
This is a remote position, however, the candidates must be located in the Austin, TX or Fairfax, VA geographical areas.
G2IS’s range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
Job Type: Full-time
Equal Opportunity Employer Veterans Disabled
Our commitment to an inclusive workplace
G2IS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We celebrate the unique differences of our employees because that is what drives curiosity, innovation, and the success of our business. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information, political affiliation, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities.