Summary
This position is located within the Office of Planning, Analysis, and Risk Management (OPARM). OPARM performs complementary and collaborative work and is 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.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- You may be subject to satisfactory completion of one year probationary or trial period.
- 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.
- False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from federal service.
- You must have your salary sent to your financial institution by direct deposit/electronic funds transfer.
- If you are newly hired, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the E-Verify system.
- You must pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
- You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. Failure to successfully meet these requirements could lead to adverse action proceedings including possible termination.
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a pre-employment certification statement for Selective Service registration.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
In addition to the specialized experience requirement, both the Mathematical Statistics Series 1529 and the Data Science Series 1560 have an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) that you must meet to qualify for the position.
Mathematical Statistics Series 1529:
- 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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Follow this link for more information on the mathematical statistics series:
OPM Mathematical Statistics Series
Data Science Series 1560:
- 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 paragraph A above, plus additional education or appropriate experience.
Follow this link for more information on the data science series:
OPM Data Science Series 1560
Specialized experience:
In addition to the basic requirement for each series above, your resume must show that you have one year of experience in all the following elements. You must show detailed examples, within your resume, as to how you meet each element.
- Writing computer programs and algorithms using Python and SQL.
- Training or experience extracting and transforming data from relational databases using Python and/or SQL.
- Cleaning data to address issues such as missing values, outliers, duplicates, functional dependencies, etc.
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
You can qualify with the following education. To be creditable, the course of study must be directly related to this position.
- Two years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.
- Combination of education and experience. Note that only education beyond the first two years of progressively higher education is creditable towards meeting the requirement. To determine if you qualify, calculate the percentage of the education you have completed towards the remaining requirement. Then calculate the percentage of the one year of professional work experience that you have completed. When added together, the combination of the two percentages must be at least 100%.
Transcripts must be submitted to show that you meet the basic requirement and substitution of education for experience. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, it must include student name, school name, and enough information to validate qualifications such as course names, prefixes, grades, semester or quarter credit hours, date degree was awarded, etc. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to entering on duty.
Education must have been obtained from an accredited school, college, or university, Follow this link to verify your institution's credentialing:
Department of Education
If any education was completed at a foreign institution, you must submit evidence that the institution is accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. Follow these links to those credentialing organizations:
Benefits
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.
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
In addition to the assessment questionnaire, qualified applicants will also be evaluated with a pre-certificate interview conducted by one or more subject matter experts. Only those applicants who are recommended for further consideration will be referred to the hiring manager. If interviews are conducted, subject matter experts may reach out to you to schedule a phone interview. Please ensure that your contact information is current.
Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience, and the result of the preliminary interview. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Analytical Programming, Manages and Organizes Information, Mathematical Reasoning, Planning and Evaluating, and Problem Solving
If we determine that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience on your resume, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the federal service.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the assessment questionnaire. The link is only a preview and does not initiate the application process.
To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12661651
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:
Resume with the following:
- Personal information such as name, address, contact information.
- Detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties, including work schedule.
- Hours worked per week, dates of employment; and title, series, grade (if applicable).
- Supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check.
- Other qualifications.
Your application may be disqualified if you include any of the information listed here:
What should I leave out of my resume?
Follow this link if you need assistance creating a federal resume
USAJOBS - writing a federal resume.
Transcripts are required. See the
Education section for more information.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL):
- Proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination).
- SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Most recently performance appraisal dated within 18 months showing the official rating of record. The appraisal must be signed by a supervisor, or you must submit statement explaining why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan.
Veteran's preference:
- If claiming veteran's preference, you must submit a DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, showing dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions.
- If currently on active duty, you must submit certification of expected discharge or release from active-duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Enlisted Record Briefs and military identification do not qualify as official documentation. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and show your dates of military service including the expected discharge or release date and the character of service. Without this documentation, you will not receive preference, and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) you submitted. Veterans' preference must be verified prior to appointment.
- To claim 10-point preference, submit a SF-15 Application for 10-point Veteran Preference and documents required to support the type of preference you are claiming.
We cannot accept documents after the announcement has closed.
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
Read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you apply. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the announcement closing date.
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.
Verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBS transfer into the staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.
If you do not have access to the Internet, you are strongly encouraged to visit your library, state employment office, or another establishment that provides internet service to complete the online application and the assessment questionnaire. If this is not an option, refer to the Alternative Methods for Applying section below for specific instructions.
Alternative Methods for Applying: If you are unable to apply using the internet, please fax your request for an application package along with your name and mailing address to: HR (Branch 2) 1-833-840-9219.
Next steps
After submitting your application, you will receive a notification that it has been successfully submitted. Your application package will be reviewed to ensure you meet the IOR and experience requirements.
If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you will be contacted for a pre-certificate Behavioral Event Interview (BEI) to determine if you are among the most highly qualified applicants for the position. If you are found to be one of the best qualified applicants, you may be referred to the hiring official for consideration, and you will receive a notification of referral.
The selecting official may choose to conduct a second interview, and as part of the selection process, applicants may be required to submit additional supplemental documents. Once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision. If interviews are conducted, Behavioral Event Interviews (BEI) will be used.
You can view the status of your application in your USAJOBS account.
Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to fsis.fca@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.