Summary
This position is located in the Air Traffic Organization, Safety Service Unit, Policy & Performance Directorate (AJI-3). This Directorate collects safety data, tracks and monitors safety performance, analyzes risk for emerging trends, and evaluates emerging entrants, such as commercial space operations and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), for safe integration into the NAS.
This job is open to
Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.
Clarification from the agency
Open to permanent FAA employees
Duties
The Data Scientist applies advanced knowledge of computer science, mathematical and statistical theories, techniques and methods to gather and analyze data and disseminate the results. Conducts regression and statistical analysis to track and monitor safety performance in the National Airspace System (NAS). Performs multiple, varying, and complex assignments under the limited direction of a project/program manager, team leader, or more experienced technical specialist. This work typically supports and is vital to the success of a variety of projects that significantly impact the NAS and the accomplishment of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strategic objectives.
As a contributing specialist on large work activities, the Data Scientist identifies the methods, processes, algorithms, tools, and systems to extract and interpret findings from varied structured and unstructured data sets related to the data science lifecycle. Applies experience and advanced technical knowledge of data analytics, governance and visualization to accomplish assignments and to develop plans and techniques to improve programs and policies. Uses a combination of computational and machine learning methods to develop machine learning models. Evaluates model performance and selection through use of advanced programming languages such as R or Python. Extracts data without preset specifications. Designs computational algorithms and statistical methods to find patterns and relationships in large volumes of data.
The Data Scientist applies statistical methods and machine learning techniques to perform statistical modeling, such as regression, classification, and anomaly detection to analyze various datasets from the aviation industry, which includes air navigation service providers, commercial air transportation service providers, general aviation, airports, and aviation support industries. Organizes and interprets data to inform decision makers.
Using knowledge of the aviation industry and public and private sector entities that operate within the NAS, the Data Scientist analyzes occurrence and event data, electronically gathered data (such as radar), and voluntarily reported information. Identifies risks in the NAS through the use of data sets, such as voice data, track data, incident/accident data, maps, etc. Designs computational algorithms and statistical methods to find patterns and relationships in large volumes of data. Performs quantitative analysis to evaluate safety risks.
Contacts are internal and external to AJI and include representatives from other ATO Service Units, FAA Lines of Business, and members of the aviation industry. The Data Scientist may act as a key technical point of contact for assigned activities. Contributes to the preparation of management/technical reports or contractual documents, and may communicate the overall results of a project or work activity to FAA management, the aviation and aerospace industries, and other external parties.
Although established policies and objectives provide general guidance for addressing issues, the Data Scientist is allowed considerable discretion to select the most appropriate approach or to recommend new approaches. Provides guidance to lower-level technical staff on how to solve difficult technical issues. Resolves all but unique technical problems without the intervention of management or a more experienced technical specialist. Identifies and informs management of problems that require their attention. Often develops and recommends techniques to address problem situations. Work is reviewed periodically, typically at major milestones and at completion, for technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of the project or other work activity.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- US Citizenship is required.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents).
- This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.
- Some, all, or none of the applicants may be interviewed.
Qualifications
Candidates must have one year (52 weeks) of SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (FV-H or FG/GS- 11) that is typically related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position successfully. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as:
- Experience conducting regression and statistical analysis to track and monitor safety performance.
- Experience using quantitative analysis to evaluate safety risks.
You should include relevant examples of the specialized experience in your work history. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered.
Answer all questions to the best of your ability. DO NOT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE YOU HOLD, OR HAVE HELD THIS POSITION, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOUND ELIGIBLE. You may be asked to provide evidence or documentation that you have this type of experience later in the selection process. Your responses are subject to verification through job interviews, or any other information obtained during the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience or any attempt to conceal information can result in disqualification.
* Applicants who fail to demonstrate possession of any of the above criteria AND who do not provide the required documentation will receive no further consideration for this position. *
Applicants may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA.
** All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. **
Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and/or selective placement factor(s) (SPF) may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) and/or Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: (1) score order; (2) category grouping; or (3) alphabetical, and referred to the selecting official for selection consideration.
Education
This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).
Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.
Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation.
Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.
Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.
If you are a current or former Federal employee and you currently hold or previously held a position classified in the 1500 occupational series, you are not required to submit a college transcript, provided you upload a copy of the SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, verifying your classification in the 1500 occupational series.
Applicants who are not currently in the 1560 occupational series in the Federal Government and fail to provide a copy of an unofficial or official transcript will not receive further consideration for this vacancy. Upon selection, if not currently employed in the 1500 occupational series, you will be required to submit an official transcript prior to appointment. If you do not have an official transcript ( original, with the raised seal), you should contact your school immediately to request it.
Foreign Education: For additional information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.
Additional information
We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.
The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements
NOTES:
1) As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.
In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA section, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a human resource specialist as appropriate.
2) This Level 5 (Moderate Risk; Public Trust) position requires favorable adjudication of a Minimum Background Investigation (MBI) background investigation prior to appointment, unless a waiver is obtained.
3) This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan. Additional information about core compensation is available on the following website: http://jobs.faa.gov/FAACoreCompensation.htm
This is not a bargaining unit position.
Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA
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.
Review our 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.
IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.
Required Documents
· Only supplemental documentation (e.g. transcript, certifications, SF-50, and/or veterans¿ documentation) will be accepted in combination with your on-line application. These documents must be uploaded or faxed to 202-267-7032 or 1-866-291-3009 on or before the closing date of the announcement. All submitted documents must reference the announcement number.
· ALL applicants MUST submit the following:
(1) resume with complete work history; and
(2) a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).
· For guidance on how to create a Federal resume, visit http://www.archives.gov/careers/jobs/forms/resume-guide.pdf.
· Failure to submit all required documents by the closing date will result in a finding of ineligible. We are not responsible for incomplete, illegible or missing documents.
Please DO NOT email your application documents. We cannot accept documents received via the email system. Documents sent via email will NOT receive consideration.
This position has a positive education requirement; college transcripts are required for ALL candidates newly appointed to the FAA in the 1560 series.
College transcripts must be submitted from current FAA employees applying for internal vacancies if they have never held a position in the 1560 series with the FAA.
College transcripts are not required from current FAA employees who are currently occupying a 1560 series.
If selected, official transcripts are required prior to employment.
If you are an FAA employee, you
MUST provide a copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) containing information in Blocks 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, and 24 so it can be used to verify your position title, series, grade, tenure, and organization of record by the closing date of the announcement. You may fax your SF-50 or upload it into the on-line application. If faxing the SF-50, please ensure you include the vacancy announcement number on the faxed copy.
If you are an FAA employee, you can access and print your SF-50 from the eOPF system
https://eopf.opm.gov/dot/.
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
Applicants may be required to complete one or multiple assessments as part of the evaluation process. This assessment aims to evaluate the competencies and qualifications essential for the position.
You must apply online to receive consideration. Your application must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the Close Date for it to be accepted. If you are applying for positions associated with FAA registers, your application must be submitted at the time a referral list is created in order to receive consideration for positions associated with a register.
RESUMES ARE LIMITED TO TWO PAGES. IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC AND INCLUDE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO THE QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION.
Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:
Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job)
- Relevant work experience: should align to the Job Announcement and address all required qualifications and include job title, employer name, start/end dates, number of hours worked per week.
- Education, certification or licensure: If required, education should include school/institution name, completion date, degree type and GPA.
Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information may result in a finding of ineligible.You may upload completed documents to your USAJOBS Account. This will provide you the opportunity to utilize the uploaded information again when applying for future vacancies.
Next steps
Once we receive your complete application, the Human Resources Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Eligible and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. You will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.
For instructions on how to check the status of your application, please go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.
Important - If you make any changes to your application, you must resubmit it. If you make changes to your application and do not resubmit it, your changes will not be considered part of your application package, and only your previously submitted application will be evaluated.
All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. DOT 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 agency contact listed in the Agency Contact Information section of this announcement or the hiring manager. An employee with a disability must notify the decision-maker of the accommodation request. Job applicants and employees are required to follow up oral requests in writing. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional information on reasonable accommodations procedures or on EEO Programs is available on Office of Civil Rights (ACR) or by contacting the local FAA Civil Rights Office.