Data Scientist

Summary

Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program are available.

This position is in the FSIS Office of Planning, Analysis and Risk Management (OPARM), OPARM is the FSIS centralized analytics group and tasked with integrating and analyzing relational data. The program also provides data visualization and analytics services to support FSIS decision-making, policy development, risk management, and strategic planning.

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Duties

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• Analyze, interpret, review, and ensure integrity of, and review data.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts and team members.
• Conduct trend analysis.
• Develop algorithms and analytical methods used in decision-making process.
• Document data science requirements.
• Generate business metrics.
• Interpret data science requirements and make strategic recommendations.
• Perform computer programming and data cleaning.
• Present recommendations to management based on current analytics.
• Provide recommendations for process improvements.
• Utilize diverse analytical approaches.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit
• False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
• If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

FOR GS-11 CONSIDERATION: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems. This specialized experience must include all the following:

• Writing computer programs and algorithms using software/programming languages such as, but not limited to Python, R, SAS, and SQL.
• Cleaning/transforming data to address issues such as missing values, outliers, duplicates, functional dependencies, etc.
• Independently extracting and transforming data from relational databases using Python, R, SAS, or SQL. You must show specific examples of your experience and describe the systems you have utilized.
• Reviewing software coding for accuracy. Your resume should show specific examples of using Python, R, SAS, or SQL.
• Developing visualizations that combine data from multiple sources using tools such as Python, R, Qlik, Tableau, or Power BI.

OR

3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR

Combination of Experience and Education: You must have an appropriate combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that you possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed in the job announcement (1 year of specialized experience); then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate education in excess of 2 years (36 semester hours) may be used to qualify.

FOR GS-12 CONSIDERATION: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems. This specialized experience must include all the following:

• Writing computer programs and algorithms using software/programming languages such as, but not limited to Python, R, SAS, and SQL.
• Cleaning/transforming data to address issues such as missing values, outliers, duplicates, functional dependencies, etc.
• Independently extracting and transforming data from relational databases using Python, R, SAS, or SQL. You must show specific examples of your experience and describe the systems you have utilized.
• Reviewing software coding for accuracy. Your resume should show specific examples of using Python, R, SAS, or SQL.
• Developing visualizations that combine data from multiple sources using tools such as Python, R, Qlik, Tableau, or Power BI.
• Designing and implementing plans to accomplish analytic or computer programming projects.
• Leading data analysis projects to capture and implement data requirements and business rules.

Education is not substitutable at the GS-12 grade level. Applicants must show 52 weeks specialized experience and the required education shown below in the education section.

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 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

Basic Requirements: You must provide transcripts showing, at a minimum, the below educational requirements.

Degree: Mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science or field directly related to the position. The degree must be in a major field of study (at least at the baccalaureate level) that is appropriate for the position.

or

Combination of education and experience : Courses equivalent to a major field of study (30 semester hours) as shown in the degree section above, plus additional education or appropriate experience.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Data Science Series 1560

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Selectees may be eligible for Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual (CSALA).

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information please visit: PSLF Program.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.