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Social Science Analyst

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Jun 20, 2019

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Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health And Human Services, Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources, Office of Budget, located in Washington, District of Columbia.

Additional selections may be made across the Department of Health and Human Services through this vacancy announcement.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • Conducts program and policy analyses to identify and understand the needs and preferences of HHS health and human services programs and the populations they serve.
  • Utilizes appropriate research and statistical techniques to identify ways to improve services to these programs.
  • Conducts analyses of the quality and performance of HHS health, human services and sciences programs.
  • Develops and implements processes to analyze, develop, and account for budget and performance-based data used to create the Budget Request and Performance Plan and the strategic plan.
  • Monitors activities involved in conducting surveys of program populations.
  • Analyzes and interprets studies regarding the influence of communications about health, human services and sciences programs.
  • Develops and coordinates analyses of operational policy and program operations.


Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Registered or exempt from Selective Service (www.sss.gov)
  • If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • One year probationary period may be required
  • If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
  • Financial disclosure statement may be required.
  • Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses may be paid: No
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No
  • Drug Screening Required: No
  • Recruitment incentives may be authorized: No
  • Student loan repayment incentive may be authorized: No
  • Annual leave for non-federal service may be authorized: No
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
  • Must have a qualifying degree or certificate.


Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Eligibility, Basic, AND Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.

Pathways Recent Graduate Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants MUST MEET the following eligibility requirements to participate in the Pathways Recent Graduate Program:
Have completed, within the last two (2) years as of the closing date of this announcement, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying education institute. Veterans who were unable to apply within two (2) years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, may be extended up to six years.

Note: You must submit transcripts (unofficial or official) and/or a letter from an education institute stating that you have meet all degree requirements to be considered eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. Official transcripts will be required prior to an official job offer, if selected for this position.

Basic Requirement: You must meet one of the items listed below (A, B, or C):
A. Possess a degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (Must provide transcripts)
B. Possess a combination of education and experience -- that provided you with the knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. (Must provide transcript)
C. Possess four years of appropriate experience that demonstrates acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

Minimum Qualifications:
GS-09: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service that includes the following:
  • Applying sociological, political science, and/or other social science theories, techniques, methodologies and program policies to assist with designing questionnaires, sampling, field operations, estimating and analyzing, and reporting for surveys;
  • Utilizing computer databases to perform research, analyze data, and manage projects;
OR two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree; or a combination of the required experience and education for this grade level.

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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ .

Additional information

Conversion Requirements:
Recent Graduates may be non-competitively converted to a term or permanent, competitive service appointment within HHS upon successful completion of Pathways Program requirements. However, non-competitive conversion or placement is not guaranteed, this is based on various factors such as budget, organizational needs, student performance, education, etc.

Eligibility for Conversion to Competitive Service:
  • Complete one continuous year of work experience acquired through a Recent Graduate Program.
  • Complete 40 hours of formal interactive training.
  • Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted: Social Science Series, 0101
  • Meet any agency-specific requirements specified in the Participant's Agreement.
  • Demonstrate successful job performance that results in a rating of record of at least Fully Successful and a recommendation for conversion by the first level supervisor
Veterans' Preference - https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx

Selective Service: Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap . To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Political appointment: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Category rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following quality categories:
  • Best Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is almost identical to those required by the position.
  • Well Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is very similar to those required by the position.
  • Qualified - Applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements, but do not identify any additional qualifying experience or skill.
Candidates in the highest category will be referred to the hiring agency.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher).

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10521326

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

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

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. You must provide a complete online Application Package which includes:
  • Your Resume must clearly articulate how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. For each position you must describe your duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities. Your resume must also include the day, month, and year that you began and ended as well as hours worked per week (if less than 40) for each position held. Full-time employment will be assumed unless otherwise stated on your resume. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Not providing this information may result in the lowering of your assessment score or an ineligible rating. For resume writing guidance, please visit the USAJobs Resource Center or view their video tutorial .
  • A complete Assessment Questionnaire ( https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10521326 )
Other Supporting Documents: (Only Submit if applicable to you.)
  • If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here .
  • College transcript (if qualifying all or in part based on your education)
  • Veterans' Preference documentation:
    • Discharged Veterans: If you are claiming 5 point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that supports dates of service and discharge status; if claiming 10 point preference, an application for 10-Point Veterans Preference (SF-15) and an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.
    • Active Duty Members: Under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, if claiming 5 point preference, submit written documentation from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.
  • ICTAP/CTAP Documentation:
    • A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, 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 positions, grade 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.
You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

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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