Clarification from the agency

Vacancy is open to All US Citizens. One or more vacancies may be filled at any of the listed Official Duty Stations (ODS). SSA employees currently assigned to other geographic locations may be approved to remain in their current official duty station, if selected. Relocation costs will not be paid. To participate in telework, you must reside within a 2-hour commute to the assigned ODS by the time of your appointment.

• Develops, implements and refines projects and statistical studies of SSA programs; develops models to correct deficiencies or improve the efficiency of SSA's processes, operations and systems related to administering the Program Integrity Program.
• Determines if problems are amenable to statistical inquiry; assesses sources of data needed; explores methods for obtaining data, estimated cost and limitations; and determines the most appropriate methods for analyzing and interpreting data.
• Analyzes findings, evaluates the statistical limitations of available data and specifies the range of logically possible explanations of the findings.
• Provides technical guidance to lower-graded analyst(s), including consultative advice and technical direction to specialists in the use of computer and statistical methodology applicable to individual projects.
• The GS-11 is an Advanced Developmental position leading to the GS-12 full performance level. At this level, assignments are not as broad and/or inclusive as assignments at the full performance level.
• The supervisor or higher-graded analyst provide general instructions on new assignments, furnish advice and guidance and are available to answer questions and assist in solving problems that may arise.
• Work is reviewed upon completion for adequacy and compliance with policies, guidelines and procedures. The extent of guidance and review gradually decreases as the employee develops.
• Consideration for promotion is at the discretion of management and is based on the existence of higher-level work, your ability to perform that work, administrative requirements and current agency and/or organizational restrictions.

Conditions of employment

• This announcement serves as public notice. Applications will be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection as positions become available.
• Vacancies may be filled for up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.
• STEM position(s) are being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority and are open to all U.S. citizens.
• Selections made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees selected under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service.
• Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and the "Rule of Many" do not apply.
• U.S. Citizenship is required. Selective Service Registration is required, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
• Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation may be required. Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results.
• See QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED and REQUIRED DOCUMENTS for other important information.
• You must submit a resume (2 page maximum) that shows your name and contact information and includes full TO and FROM dates (month/day/year) for each position you describe. Include your grade if your position is federal.

Qualifications

To qualify for this Statistician position you must demonstrate:
(1) the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for the federal 1530 series AND
(2) at least 52 weeks of Specialized Experience

For GS-11 ONLY: a Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) OR at least 3 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related competencies for this position may be substituted for Specialized Experience.

(1) INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR) (All Applicants)

A. Successful completion of a course of study in an accredited college or university resulting in a bachelor's or higher degree that includes at least 15 semester hours in statistics (or in mathematics and statistics, with at least 6 semester hours in statistics) and 9 additional semester hours in one or more of the following:
- physical or biological sciences
- medicine,
- education or
- engineering OR
- in social sciences, including
- demography
- history,
- economics
- social welfare
- geography,
- international relations
- social or cultural anthropology,
- health sociology,
- political science
- public administration
- psychology

B. In lieu of a degree, successful completion of courses as shown in A above plus appropriate experience or additional education. Experience must include a full range of professional statistical work, such as:

(1) sampling,
(2) collecting, computing and analyzing statistical data and
(3) applying statistical techniques such as
- measurement of central tendency
- dispersion
- skewness
- sampling error
- simple and multiple correction
- analysis of variance and
- tests of significance

SEE EDUCATION BELOW - Applicants who don't demonstrate these requirements will not be considered.

(2) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

FOR GS-11: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-09 OR (if your position is on another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-09 or above.

Specialized Experience for GS-11 is work that primarily consists of :
(1) participating as a data analyst/statistician in studies involving statistical techniques and processes;
(2) transforming data into a form suitable for analysis using R, Python, SAS, or SQL; and
(3) summarizing projects in writing for a project leader or supervisor.

**If you have this experience, your resume must describe, in your own words, the specific duties you perform that demonstrate it.**

In lieu of Specialized Experience, you may qualify with a Ph.D. in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related competencies necessary for this position. This education must be in addition to the education used to meet the IOR.

In lieu of Specialized Experience or a Ph.D. you may qualify with at least 3 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. (or equivalent degree) in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related for this position. This education must be in addition to the education used to meet the IOR.

In lieu of the full amount of Specialized Experience or the full amount of Optional Education, you may qualify with a portion of each that can be combined to meet the full requirement. Only education beyond the second year of graduate education can be used for this option and it must be in addition to the education used to meet the IOR. Experience used in combination with education must also be in addition to the experience used in IOR Option B. (HR will determine if the combination of experience and education is sufficient to meet the requirements.)

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FOR GS-12: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-11 OR (if your position is on another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-11 or above.

Specialized Experience for GS-12 is work that primarily consists of:
(1) performing studies involving large datasets comprised of messy data and statistical or machine learning analytical techniques and processes;
(2) transforming data into a form suitable for analysis using R, Python, SAS, or SQL; and
(3) summarizing projects in writing for a project leader or supervisor.

**If you have this experience, your resume must describe, in your own words, the specific duties you perform that demonstrate it.**

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FOR GS-13: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-12 OR (if your position is on another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-12 or above.

Specialized Experience for GS-13 is work that primarily consists of:
(1) overseeing studies involving large datasets comprised of messy data and statistical or machine learning analytical techniques and processes;
(2) transforming data into a form suitable for analysis using R, Python, SAS, or SQL;
(3) summarizing projects in writing for technical and non-technical audiences.

**If you have this experience, your resume must describe, in your own words, the specific duties you perform that demonstrate it.**

Reviewers cannot assume you perform duties you don't describe.

Since Specialized Experience also has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (IOR and Specialized Experience for GS-12 and GS-13 or IOR and Specialized Experience and/or Optional Education for GS-11) must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Information on this job series can be found at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1500/statistics-series-1530/ .

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 on the experience you describe in your resume* as well as the education supported by the transcripts you submit.

Do not simply list projects on which you worked or list experience in terms of accomplishments or achievements. You must describe duties you perform that pertain to the requirements for this position.

If your resume doesn't clearly describe the duties you perform that demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you will lose consideration for this position.

Information not specifically stated in your resume cannot be assumed, even if you hold (or held) a position in this series.

The experience you claim is subject to verification by the selecting official.

SEE QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR RESUME AND TRANSCRIPT MUST DEMONSTRATE.

Preview questions here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12970418

Information not specifically stated in your resume cannot be assumed. Information copied or restated from the announcement will not be considered. If this occurs, you may be found ineligible.

Applicants who demonstrate the IOR and Specialized Experience will be referred to the hiring manager following *Priority Selection procedures and applicable documents will be forwarded for further review.

Your claimed knowledge, skills and abilities are subject to verification by the selecting official. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation or to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed experience.


PRIORITY SELECTION:
Well-Qualified ICTAP eligibles will receive first consideration IF appropriate supporting documents are provided (see Career Transition Guide AND Required Documents below).

Veterans' Preference is not considered under Direct Hire.

See Required Documents for information on how to support these claims.

Next steps