Overview

Duties

Summary

This vacancy is for multiple Statistician (Data Scientist) positions located within any Directorate at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line-Suitland Station.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Statistician (Data Scientist), GS-1530-7/9, FPL-12 positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • Contributes a full range of professional data science competencies to planning and performing continued programs in data science topics to include advanced scientific, statistical and predictive techniques.
  • Collects, sources, processes and cleans data. Writes and executes program code to perform complex processes, interprets and analyzes results, and uses data visualization to communicate insights and outcomes to stakeholders.
  • Identifies opportunities to incorporate the latest technology or techniques and to minimize potential negative impact on current projects.
  • Defines data requirements and integration of enabling technologies to collect, extract, engineer, and transform data from traditional and non-traditional sources.
  • Responds to challenges, uncertainty, and risks with innovative, data-driven solutions.

Travel Required

Occasional travel – Occasional Travel may be required.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. citizen.
  • Suitable for Federal employment.
  • Registered for Selective Service, if applicable. (www.sss.gov)
  • You may be required to complete a financial disclosure (OGE-450).
  • Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the announcement closing date.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS VACANCY HAS BEEEN EXTENDED UNTIL MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021.

This vacancy is advertised under 2 different announcements. Please read the 'Who May Apply' section carefully to determine your eligibility. If you are not eligible under this announcement, please see BOC-2021-0138, Statistician (Data Scientist), GS-1530-7/9, CENSUS-DE-KJG.

A probationary period may be required.

This position is ELIGIBLE for telework; additional criteria will be required (e.g., supervisory approval).

This is a BARGAINING unit position.

Recruitment incentives may be offered.

Relocation expenses may be paid.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and individual states being in different phases of reopening, once the selectee becomes an employee, the report date to the official duty station/facility may be delayed until such time that management notifies the employee of their requirement to report. Until it is safe to relocate, the employee may be approved to telework to the maximum extent possible, up to and including full-time.

Qualifications

Minimum Education Requirement:

  • Degree: that included 15 semester hours in statistics (or in mathematics and statistics, provided at least 6 semester hours were in statistics), and 9 additional semester hours in one or more of the following: physical or biological sciences, medicine, education, or engineering; or in the social sciences including demography, history, economics, social welfare, geography, international relations, social or cultural anthropology, health sociology, political science, public administration, psychology, etc. Credit toward meeting statistical course requirements should be given for courses in which 50 percent of the course content appears to be statistical methods, e.g., courses that included studies in research methods in psychology or economics such as tests and measurements or business cycles, or courses in methods of processing mass statistical data such as tabulating methods or electronic data processing.
    OR
  • Combination of education and experience — courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience should have included a full range of professional statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying statistical techniques such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.

    • AND

    Specialized Experience: For the GS-07, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes applying data science theories, principles, methods, and practices; experience using data visualization software such as Tableau, Qlikview, ArcGIS, MATLAB; experience using statistical programming languages and/or software (such as Python, R, SAS, and Stata), systems, databases, and technical resources.

    OR

    Education: 1 year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement.

    For the GS-09, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes conducting analysis using statistical programming languages and software packages including Python, R, SAS, and Stata; interpreting and analyzing results from data collected; developing and implementing improvements in any aspect of the survey lifecycle; communicating data results in the form of written reports, texts, graphs, charts, tables, and models; experience collaborating and communicating with individuals within the scientific community.

    OR

    Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education.

    Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

    Education

    Additional information

    The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.

    • VRA (GS-11 or below)
    • VEOA ( permanent positions )
    • 30% or more disabled
    • Persons with Disabilities
    • CTAP
    • ICTAP

    The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.

    How You Will Be Evaluated

    You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

    Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the job opportunity announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions). Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

    Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR § 335.103(b)(3).

    The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

    • Knowledge of the theories, techniques, and methods of data science to gather, analyze, and support scientific and statistical information.
    • Skill in using data visualization software such as Tableau, Qlikview, ArcGIS, MATLAB, etc. to communicate findings to stakeholders.
    • Knowledge of data science techniques to collect, extract, engineer, and transform data.
    • Skill in applying data science topics to incorporate innovative technologies and techniques
    • Ability to collaborate and communicate across the agency to implement data science solutions and accomplish specific goals.

    We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

    Do NOT include the following types of information in your application:

    • Social Security Number (SSN)
    • Date of Birth (DOB)
    • Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position)
    • Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

    To preview questions please click here .

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Other

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

    Trust determination process
    Suitability/Fitness

    Required Documents

    A complete application consists of the following:

    • Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, please include the grade level for the position(s). Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59.
    • SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," supporting your eligibility, with the exception of current Census Bureau employees.
    • Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) documentation, if applicable. For more information, please go to https: www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/vetguide/index.aspx .
    • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable (see other information).
    • Documentation supporting eligibility for non-competitive appointment, (Schedule A disability, 30 percent disabled veteran, certain military spouses, etc).
    • Education Documentation: If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. This also includes Census Bureau employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http: www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.

    You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

    Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website – http: www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html . You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

    CTAP and ICTAP candidates:
    CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: https: www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf .

    CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

  • A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
  • A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;
  • A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  • Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.

    • ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

  • A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.
  • A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
  • A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  • Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

    • NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.

    If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

    Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

    Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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