Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services (CMCS). As a Social Science Research Analyst, GS-0101-9, you will perform program and policy analyses of services provided by CMCS programs.

Upon successful completion of the Recent Graduate program, the employee MAY be eligible for a conversion to career-conditional or career appointment.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Develops and conducts policy and program analyses to identify and understand the needs and preferences of CMCS health and human services beneficiary programs and the populations they serve.
• Analyze survey data, including analyses of case mix adjustment of survey estimates of satisfaction with plan and provider performance.
• Applies statistical, sociological, political science, and/or other social science theories, techniques, and methodologies to gather and interpret plan-related information.
• Participates in meetings regarding the justification and approval of specific projects.
• Develop clearly written and concise issue papers, talking points, or other written produces for senior staff.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• You must possess a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
• You must meet all program, qualification and education requirements.
• You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
• You must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement before starting employment.

Qualifications

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

GPA Requirement: You must possess a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on the unweighted 4.0 scale upon completion of your academic degree or
certificate program. (GPA 2.95 is rounded to 3.0 and 2.94 is rounded to 2.9.)

To be eligible as a Recent Graduate:

• Individuals who within the previous 2 years, completed a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Therefore, you must have completed your educational program no earlier than 8/22//2017. Veterans who were precluded from applying due to their military service obligation, begin their 2- year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for veterans cannot exceed 6 years from the date on which they completed their degrees (or certification). Therefore, veterans must have completed your educational program no earlier than 8/22/2013.
• To verify your eligibility as a Recent Graduate, you must submit the following at the time of application: A copy of your unofficial transcripts from the educational institution you attended attesting to your possession of the required education. Your unofficial transcripts must reflect: (1) your name; (2) overall grade point average (GPA); (3) Degree Type (e.g., Bachelor's, Master's, etc.) and Degree Major; AND (4) the date your Degree was conferred. Failure to submit proof of degree/certificate completion at time of application will result in the withdrawal of your application from consideration for this position.

To be eligible as a Degree Candidate for Summer 2019:

• Individuals who are degree candidates for this current semester/term, i.e. Summer 2019, scheduled to complete a qualifying Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate, professional, vocational or technical degree or certificate program by August 31, 2019 AND degree/certificate has not been conferred at time of application.
To verify your eligibility as a Degree Candidate for Summer 2019: you must submit the following at the time of application: A copy of your unofficial transcripts from the educational institution you attended attesting to your education completed to date. Your unofficial transcripts must reflect: (1) your name; (2) overall grade point average (GPA); AND (3) Degree Type (e.g., Bachelor's, Master's, etc.) and Degree Major. If referred and selected, you must submit an additional official transcript that confirms the date your degree was conferred before an Official Offer can be made. Failure to submit proof of degree/certificate completion at time of offer will result in the withdrawal of your application from consideration for this position.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

In order to qualify for the GS-09, you must meet the following:

• Specialized Experience: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include: 1) Assisting with the health care operations or policy development for health insurance programs (e.g. Medicare, Medicaid, or private health insurance). (2) Conducting studies to assist in the analysis of the impact of health care operations or policies using statistical methodologies or techniques; and 3) Drafting technical and non-technical documents on various topics for management decisions (i.e. research findings/evidence reporting, issue papers, talking points, policy analysis, regulations interpretation guidance, operational documents.etc).

- OR -

• Substitution of Education for Experience: You may substitute education for specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level by possessing a Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree or at least 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree - degree/coursework must be directly related to position.

- OR -

• Combination of Experience and Education: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the GS-07 grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at the GS-09 grade level. Therefore, only education in excess of one full year of graduate level education may be used to combine education and experience. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

TRANSCRIPTS are required at the time of application to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement related to substitution of education for experience and combination of experience and education. Please see "Required Documents" section below on what documentation is required.

Education

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the above Qualification Requirements, all candidates must meet one of the following education/experience requirements for the Social Science series:

• Degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. - OR -
• Combination of education and experience: some coursework from an accredited college or university in the appropriate disciplines related to the position and some experience that, when combined, provided knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. - OR -
• Four years of appropriate experience related to the position that demonstrates knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

Salary Range by Location:

Chicago, IL - $56,945 to $74,024
Washington, D.C. - $57,510 to $74,759
Woodlawn, MD - $57,510 to $74,759
Dallas, TX- $55,237 to $71,805

Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10543726

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
Tour of Duty: Flexible
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Not Required

For more information about pay based on locality, please visit the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Salaries & Wages Page .

Additional Forms REQUIRED Prior to Appointment:

• Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment and the Background/Suitability Investigation - A background and suitability investigation will be required for all selectees. Appointment will be subject to the successful completion of the investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. In addition, if hired, a reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. If selected, the Optional Form 306 will be required prior to final job offer. Click here to obtain a copy of the Optional Form 306 .
• Form I-9, Employment Verification and the Electronic Eligibility Verification Program - CMS participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. If selected, the Form I-9 will be required at the time of in-processing. Click here for more information about E-Verify and to obtain a copy of the Form I-9 .
• Standard Form 61, Appointment Affidavits - If selected, the Standard Form 61 will be required at the time of in-processing. Click here to obtain a copy of the Standard Form 61 .

Additional selections may be made from this announcement for similar positions within CMS in the same geographical location. For Central Office vacancies, the "same geographical location" includes Baltimore, Maryland; Bethesda, Maryland; and Washington, D.C.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

If you meet the minimum qualifications and education requirements for this position, your application and responses to the online occupational questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and Selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:

• Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
• Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of professional or scientific positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Analysis
• Oral Communication
• Research
• Writing

Once the announcement has closed, your online application, resume, transcripts and CMS required documents will be used to determine if you meet eligibility and qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

CMS Pathways - Recent Graduate candidates will meet the qualification requirement consistent with the OPM qualification standards applicable to the position being filled. Veterans' preference applies to selections made under the Pathways authority in accordance with Part 302 of 5 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Candidates who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements need not be further evaluated.

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
Credentialing

Required Documents

The following documents are REQUIRED:

1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/ .

2. CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Required documents may be necessary to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required documents . Failure to provide the required documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.

3. College Transcripts. Since this position requires specific education, you must submit a transcript attesting to your possession of the required education. You must submit an unofficial transcript at time of application. An official transcript is required if you are selected for the position. If selected, you must provide an original document before the final job offer may be extended.

College Transcripts and Foreign Education: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. For a listing of services that can perform this evaluation, visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services website. This list, which may not be all inclusive, is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement of any specific agency.

PLEASE NOTE: A complete application package includes the online application, resume, transcripts and CMS required documents. Please carefully review the full job announcement to include the "Required Documents" and "How to Apply" sections. Failure to submit the online application, resume, transcripts and CMS required documents, will result in you not being considered for employment.

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.