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Operations Research Specialist

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Wallops Island, Virginia
Closing date
Dec 11, 2022
Duties

This series covers positions managing, supervising, leading, and/or performing professional and scientific work.
  • Vacancies filled under this public notice may have varying levels of promotion potential and supervisory level, if any.
  • Positions may be filled as permanent, term, or temporary with a full-time or part-time work schedule.

As a Operations Research Specialist you will:
  • Provide expert analysis and technically authoritative guidance to originate and perform mathematical, statistical, economic, and/or other analysis projects pertaining to the energy sector, an energy sub-sector, scientific research, and/or national security.
  • Obtain, compile, organize, and select critical elements of real world systems for inclusion in models, and apply analytical techniques in innovative ways.
  • Monitor and conduct studies important to agency decisionmakers.
  • Innovatively analyze effects of different policies and policy options and advises high level managers of positive and negative effects of those different policies and policy options.
  • Document study purposes, methods, assumptions, and conclusions, and brief study sponsors and high level officials on progress and conclusions of studies.
  • Write or adapt computer programs for models being developed.


Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Subject to satisfactory security and suitability requirements.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Positions may be filled as permanent, term, or temporary with a full-time or part-time work schedule. Pay will vary by geographic location.
  • The vacancies filled through these appointments have varying levels of background investigative requirements, up to a Top Secret DOE "Q" clearance.
  • These positions are to be filled under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA - P.L. 117-58).


Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Education Requirement listed in the "Education Requirements" section and the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for this series as described below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-09:
A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Performing segments of analyses and projects using standard techniques and models; AND
  • Observing, studying, and documenting new modeling techniques and approaches; AND
  • Assisting in the development of working papers and coordinating with others to improve models.
OR EDUCATION: Master's orequivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

OR COMBINATION: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education more than the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-11 : A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Gathering, analyzing, and evaluating information concerning mathematical, statistical, economic, or other phenomena that impact energy market conditions or energy industry practices; AND
  • Preparing reports and charts to document study purposes, methods, premises, and conclusions; AND
  • Participating in briefing officials on progress and conclusions of studies.
OR EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

OR COMBINATION: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education more than 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-12 : A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Analyzing effects of different policies and policy options and advises high level managers of positive and negative effects of those different policies and policy options; AND
  • Monitoring, evaluating, and coordinating projects and studies carried out under contract and by other analysts; AND
  • Evaluating the impact of new technologies, systems, innovations, and policies to generate ideas and recommending ways to enhance the effectiveness of operations research tools, techniques and scenarios used in current and future projects.
NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-12 level.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-13 : A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Evaluating the impact of new technologies, systems, innovations, and policies to generate ideas. recommending ways to enhance the effectiveness of operations research tools, techniques and scenarios used in current and future projects.; AND
  • Developing and maintaining new baseline models and simulation techniques and scenarios for use in current and future studies; AND
  • Developing parameters for optimum sample sizes and sources of data appropriate for studies.
NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-13 level.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-14 : A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Developing and maintaining new baseline models and simulation techniques and scenarios for use in current and future studies; AND
  • Developing parameters for optimum sample sizes and sources of data appropriate for studies; AND
  • Presenting results to the scientific community at professional meetings and conferences; AND
  • Developing new methods and approaches to serve as guidelines for other analysts to follow.
NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-14 level.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-15 : A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Developing new methods and approaches to serve as guidelines for other analysts to follow; AND
  • Writing and presenting comprehensive technical reports based on research; AND
  • Preparing comprehensive reports of study results to include discussion of substantive research objectives and disseminates them in a wide range of venues (such as: publications, peer reviewed journals, summaries, manuscripts, and special reports); AND
  • Developing parameters for optimum sample sizes and sources of data appropriate for studies.

NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-15 level.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

OPM Qualification Standards for the GS-1515 series can be found at the following website: Operations Research Series, 1515 (opm.gov) .

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

This public notice may be used to fill multiple positions as needed; therefore, applicants must meet the qualifications at the time the applications are reviewed.

Education

Basic Education Requirements:

All grades for the 1515 series have a positive education requirement that must be met.
Degree: in operations research; or at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus.
Evaluation of Education:
The primary requirement of operations research work is competence in the rigorous methods of scientific inquiry and analysis rather than in the subject matter of the problem. Therefore, applicants should have sufficient knowledge of applied mathematics to understand and use the fundamental concepts and techniques of operations research methods of analysis. In addition, some positions may require knowledge of a specific subject area.

Courses acceptable for qualifying for operations research positions may have been taken in departments other than Operations Research, e.g., Engineering (usually Industrial Engineering), Science, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, or Management Science.

The following are illustrative of acceptable courses: optimization; mathematical modeling; queueing theory; engineering; physics (except descriptive or survey courses); econometrics; psychometrics; biometrics; experimental psychology; physical chemistry; industrial process analysis; managerial economics; computer science; measurement for management; mathematical models in social phenomena; and courses that involved application of operations research techniques and methodologies to problems of management, marketing, systems design, and other specialized fields; or other comparable quantitative analysis courses for which college-level mathematics or statistics is a prerequisite. Courses in theory of probability and statistics are highly desirable, but are not specified as minimum educational requirements because to do so would possibly exclude some applicants who would otherwise be well qualified.

Since this position does have a positive education requirement. You MUST provide documentation supporting any education claims in your application. This documentation can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade.

If selected, official transcripts may be requested.

Additional information

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
  • For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov
  • Status and Non-Status applicants from outside DOE selected under this authority are required to serve a mandatory one (1) year probationary period. A DOE career status employee selected for this position may be required to serve a new one (1) year probationary period, pursuant to 5 CFR 315.802.
  • If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
  • This public notice is to gather applications that may or may not result in a referral or selection.
  • More than one selection may be made under this hiring authority.
  • Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
  • Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • Positions may be filled at varying levels of leadership, ie Team Lead, Manager, Supervisor.
  • Supervisory positions may require a 1-year probationary period, if not yet completed.
  • New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify
  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register . If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.
  • Relocation or Recruitment Incentive may be authorized.
  • This position may be 100% remote.

EEO Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/EEO_Policy_Statement
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Reasonable_Accommodation_Policy_Statement
Veterans Information: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Veterans_Information
Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/

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