Duties

Summary

This is a mid-level developmental position at the GS-9, leading to the full performance GS-12 Mathematical Statistician PD 6D1040. At this level, the trainee continues to seek advice from higher graded analysts. Management devises structured training and development activities to provide experience and technical competence in the methods, procedures, principles, and techniques of the full performance level.

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Responsibilities

• Assists more senior analysts and supports project teams with mathematical/statistical analytics for research projects and studies to improve the efficiency of SSA's operations and service delivery.
• With direction from more senior analysts, executes complex statistical research into program operations to identify and resolve service delivery issues.
• Includes requisite survey, sample design, sample database development, data wrangling, research, and analysis.
• Provides statistical support on study, experiment, and survey design, sample selection, biases, variance calculations, and data analysis.
• Assists in developing survey, sampling plans, questionnaires, and other reporting forms. Collects statistical data and information pertinent to assigned project by basic or documentary research.
• Analyzes findings from study results and develops descriptive narratives and visualizations.
• Prepares background papers, research reports, briefing materials, and technical guidelines.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• Background and/or security investigation required
• Job offers are contingent on background / security investigation results
• Selectees are required to serve a 1 year probationary period
• Relocation expenses will not be paid
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement

Qualifications

To qualify, applicants must have at least ONE of the following:

52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-07 level, or equivalent, which is in or related to the work of the position to be filled, that has equipped applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience should include statistical work that involves designing, developing, and adapting mathematical methods and techniques to statistical processes; or research that relates to the basic theories and science of statistics. This experience must be related to at least one or more of the following areas: sampling, collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, or applying known statistical techniques to data such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance;
OR
A Master's (or equivalent) Degree
OR
2 full years of graduate level education leading to a Master's (or equivalent) Degree (e.g., education beyond a Bachelor's Degree);
OR
A combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education (beyond a Bachelor's Degree) that together meet 100% of the requirements for this position.

In addition, applicants must have a bachelor's or higher degree that includes 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, of which at least 12 semester hours were in mathematics which includes at least 4 of the following: differential calculus, integral calculus, advanced calculus, theory of equations, vector analysis, advanced algebra, linear algebra, mathematical logic, differential equations, or any other advanced course in mathematics for which one of these was a prerequisite; and 6 semester hours were in statistics.
OR
A combination of education and experience with at least 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, including at least 12 hours in mathematics and 6 hours in statistics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Applicants must have a bachelor's or higher degree that includes 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, of which at least 12 semester hours were in mathematics which includes at least 4 of the following: differential calculus, integral calculus, advanced calculus, theory of equations, vector analysis, advanced algebra, linear algebra, mathematical logic, differential equations, or any other advanced course in mathematics for which one of these was a prerequisite; and 6 semester hours were in statistics.
OR
A combination of education and experience with at least 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, including at least 12 hours in mathematics and 6 hours in statistics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

For more information on the individual occupational requirement, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1500/mathematical-statistics-series-1529/

Providing Proof of Education or Substituting Education
For information on providing proof of education or substituting education for experience, visit http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/group-stds/gs-cler.asp

If you are qualifying on the basis of education or satisfying an educational requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application. You must submit your transcripts according to the application submission details of this announcement. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail. If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of the personnel action placing you into the new position.

Additional information

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov .

Additional selections may be made for this vacancy six months from the closing date of this announcement.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

The evaluation you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire, which is designed to capture the desired competencies for this position. These competencies include:

• Skill in conducting comprehensive research studies and/or developing analytic applications.
• Skill in applying complex mathematical, statistical, and analytical theories, principles, and concepts, including mathematical analysis, statistical inference, biases, survey design, data sampling, and probability theory.
• Data science and data wrangling skills.
• Skill in interpreting results of comprehensive and complex analysis.
• Skill in written and oral communication.

Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. The questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. To preview the questions, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10916452

Your application will be evaluated under the Category Rating method, based on your responses to the Assessment Questions. If you meet the basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of three categories:

1 - Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements.
2 - Well Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and demonstrate a satisfactory level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
3 - Best Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and demonstrate a high level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Candidates eligible for veterans' preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated. Additionally, preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements will automatically be placed in the Best Qualified Category.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process

Required Documents

You must submit supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to claim certain types of preference.

INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP): ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. To receive selection priority, candidates must meet the requirements for the Well Qualified category as described in the vacancy announcement. Candidates must also provide:

• proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation Notice of Personnel Action, (SF-50); and
• proof of your most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent.

For more information visit http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

VETERANS' PREFERENCE: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your military discharge certificate (DD 214 member 4 copy) or an official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty. To be acceptable, the document must show Character of Service. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference based on a service-connected disability, you must also submit the required documentation specified on the reverse of the SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference (SF 15) . Applicants claiming derived preference must submit the SF-15 and the required documentation specified on the reverse of the SF 15. Preference will be granted based on the documents received. For more information visit the Vet Guide .

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO VETERANS : The Office of Personnel Management has published the end date for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as August 31, 2010. To receive veterans' preference for service during the Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom era, you must have served for more than 180 days between September 11, 2001 and August 31, 2010 OR be in receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal. The updated CFR language is available here . Other qualifying eligibility for preference (e.g., disability) remains unchanged.

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.