Duties

Summary

This vacancy is for a Computer Scientist position in the Associate Director for Research and Methodology (ADRM)located 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 Computer Scientist, GS-1550-12, 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

• Conducts application development with responsibility for analysis, design, development, testing, deployment and documentation of Web-based application systems.
• Develops advanced, innovative software solutions using modern programming languages for projects of immense importance and involving extremely complex and large volumes of data often within a tight time constraint and limited budget.
• Conducts application updates and production releases on multiple IT systems, and develops and implements comprehensive system testing strategies ensuring adherences to user and functional requirements.
• Provides customer service to fulfill internal and external IT client and customer needs, providing information, assistance and/or training, resolving problems, and explaining system and product functionality.
• Adapts and implements software development life cycle and project management best practices for all software development.

Travel Required

Not 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).

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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 Announcement Number ADRM-2021-0020, Computer Scientist, GS-1550-12, CENSUS-MP-MBS .

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.

Relocation expenses may be paid.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Census Bureau employees will be either under mandatory or maximum telework. The Census Bureau continues to closely follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Personnel Management, and state and local health authorities to ensure the safety of its workforce. You are encouraged to work closely with your immediate supervisor regarding any changes related to reporting to the Suitland Federal Center. You will be required to relocate and report to the Suitland Federal Center to begin your employment immediately upon receiving notification.

Qualifications

Minimum Education Requirement:

Basic Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.

AND

Specialized Experience: For the GS-12, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes:

Developing software systems and system documentation; developing software solutions for IT projects; modifying software to correct errors, to adapt it to new hardware or to upgrade interfaces and improve performance; and conducting application updates and production releases on IT systems.

Education: There is no education substitution for experience at 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; 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 do not fall under competitive examining procedures; however, they may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.

• 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) and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "gold," "silver," and "bronze." Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed.

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

• Knowledge of software system design and development, technical programming concepts, languages, and techniques, and ability to program in at least one of the following languages: Python, Java, Java Script, R, or SAS.
• Knowledge of software development related to API development, scientific applications and user interfaces.
• Ability to apply systems data management concepts such as databases and data processing including writing Structured Query Language.
• Knowledge of System Development Life Cycle management concepts.
• Ability to work effectively with others including team members, managers and customers toward a common goal, including obtaining customer requirements and translating them into technical documentation, and diagnosing and solving complex customer requests or problems.

For more information on category rating, please go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Category-Rating .

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
Credentialing , 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. 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.
• Veterans' Preference Documentation: Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans' preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable (see other information).
• 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 applies to 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 Eligibles
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.