Mathematical Statistician

Summary

If selected, you'll serve as a Mathematical Statistician supporting the analysis of the New World Screwworm (NWS) outbreak and response. You'll work under the supervision of a NWS Directorate Chief, exercising a high degree of autonomy and leadership in conducting quantitative risk analysis and the development of quantitative and spatial analytic methods to support the NWS response and advising on technical data issues, and representing the Agency in interagency and international forums.

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Duties

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• The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Serves as a senior quantitative risk analyst expert for the analysis of the NWS eradication initiative for APHIS.
• Advises and is the principal specialist on NWS case analysis that include but not limited to epidemiology, geographic proximity, and overall impact to current response efforts.
• Develops and oversees the execution of data analyses, geospatial products, case reports, international surveillance data and epidemiological risk assessments.
• Develops new or adapts practical advanced statistical modeling tools for evaluation of management actions, determining optimal management strategies
• Provides subject matter expertise to internal and external partners on international surveillance data, including recommendation on the strategic planning and deployment of sterile NWS within existing operational limits.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male 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
• All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.

Qualifications

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

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

Degree : that included 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, of which at least 12 semester hours were in mathematics and 6 semester hours were in statistics.

OR

Combination of education and experience - at least 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, including at least 12 hours in mathematics and 6 hours in statistics, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must demonstrate the below experience.

FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Analyzing international surveillance, operational, and epidemiological data to assess program effectiveness and inform evidence-based recommendations for pest/disease eradication across multinational zones of operation.
• Conducting advanced quantitative risk analysis, computer modeling disease/pest spread including, spatial analysis, and applied statistics-emphasizing probabilistic scenario analysis and geospatial systems proficiency to support APHIS emergency response strategies.
• Applying subject matter expertise in disease management and ecology to determine appropriate analytical methods, predict and evaluate impacts on emergency response to identify critical trends, and recommend surveillance and monitoring approaches to mitigate risk.

Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS are required:

• This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
• This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.

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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Additional information

• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP/RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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. CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100 to receive selection priority.
• Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
• 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 here.

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.

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.