Data Scientist

Department of Commerce

U.S. Census Bureau

Summary

This vacancy is being filled via the Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) for a Data Scientist position in the Associate Director for Decennial Census Programs located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Data Scientist, 1560-14, FPL GS-14 positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

All qualified United States citizens.

Duties

Lead the planning, development, and implementation of innovative data science applications and tools that use diverse data sources and advanced analytics to generate insights and improve organizational processes.
Evaluate and assess emerging data and technology solutions to determine their effectiveness, identify limitations, and provide recommendations for implementing new technologies and solutions.
Lead advanced data science research by developing and applying analytical models, computational methods, and data systems to generate insights and support agency programs.
Lead organizational data science transformation by advancing innovative analytical capabilities, modernizing data systems and tools, and guiding the adoption of emerging data science practices across the enterprise.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
U.S. Citizen.
Suitable for Federal employment.
Registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
A one-year probationary period may be required.
This is a BARGAINING unit position.
This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the date the first 150 applicants are received or on July 20, 2026, whichever comes first.
A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the date you submit your application to complete the assessment.

Qualifications

Basic 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.

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

AND

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-14
Specialized Experience: For the GS-14, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS13 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: Designing, developing, and adapting mathematical, computer science, statistical, and data science methods and techniques to organizational processes; Providing guidance on the effective use of applications, data management, visualization tools, and emerging technologies in support of agency programs; Providing data science leadership in the development, analysis, and implementation of data programs; Providing expert guidance and overseeing policies and standards related to the development and use of data science tools and methods.

EDUCATION

A degree in 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 paragraph A above, plus additional education or appropriate experience.

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.

Additional information

This announcement is issued under the Direct-Hire authority. Consistent with 5 U.S.0 3304(a)(3) and OPM regulations (5 CFR 337 Subpart B) on Direct-Hire: All candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply.

Appointments made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the Civil Service. Current Civil Service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the Civil Service. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).

Individuals who have received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment, otherwise known as a buyout, must repay that incentive if they are reemployed by the Federal Government within five years of separation.

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.

The Department of Commerce also 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.

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.

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.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire.

This position is announced under a government-wide DHA for Data Scientist positions in the 1560 series. Under this DHA, applicants are required to meet minimum qualification requirements at the grade level(s) of interest. Veteran's Preference, Schedule A, and other methods of consideration DO NOT APPLY under DHA regulations.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Influencing/Negotiating
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork

Online Assessment: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Competency Based Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job. Examples used in the assessment may include general situations not directly related to this position.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

CTAP and ICTAP candidates: 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, The Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

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 if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position:

Social Security Number (SSN)
Date of Birth (DOB)
Photos of yourself
Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

You may preview the questionnaire for this vacancy: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12996358.

Required Documents

Your application package should include the following documents:

Resume: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be deemed disqualified and removed from consideration. Your resume must include your educational and relevant work experience for the position for which you are applying to include the title and dates (mm/yy) of employment along with the number of hours worked per week. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable:
- CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
  1. 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).
  2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;
  3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  4. Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.
- ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.;
  3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
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 includes Census Bureau employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to OPM's Qualification Policy 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. 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. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at Academic and Professional Mobility | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.

Resume

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.

How to Apply

Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 07/13/2026. The application process is as follows:
To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https://www.usajobs.gov.

To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: USAJOBS Help Center | How to see your application and job status.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online; however, if you are unable to apply online, please email the agency contact.

Agency contact information

Sylvia Harmon

Phone: 301-763-5667
Email: sylvia.c.harmon@census.gov

Address: Associate Director for Decennial Census Programs
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
US

Next steps

You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https://usajobs.gov and clicking on "Applications." The status will be visible next to the corresponding positions. The four points of notification are:

Application Received or Application Incomplete;
Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Requirement Not Met;
Referred or Not Referred; and
Selected or Not Selected.

By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).

Data Scientist Job in Suitland, MD