Interdisciplinary Economist/Data Scientist -DH Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. OPEA-2025-0003 Department Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Salary $117,962.00 to $153,354.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/16/2024 Close Date 12/30/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is located in the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's (PBGC), Office of Policy & External Affairs, (OPEA). Policy, Research, and Analysis Department, (PRAD). 

More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position, Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy. This is an interdisciplinary, professional position. The nature of the work is such that persons with education and experience in the following occupational series are equally well qualified to do the work: GS-1560, Data Scientist or GS-0110, Economics Occupational Series.

Duties

The candidate selected for this position will serve as a Data Scientist or Economist collecting, managing, and analyzing statistical and economic data required to support PRAD’s varied needs.

  • Provide professional and scientific expertise to ingest, analyze, correlate, and conduct trend analytics, from past and current assessments, on data using Economics capabilities.
  • Utilize a wide range of technical competencies such as statistical theory, coding languages, data mining, and other evolving data-related technologies including reporting and visualization techniques through the creation of graphs, tables, charts, etc. for various research projects or reporting of information to government officials, within PBGC or to the general public.
  • Leverage data tools, collect and manage data, and evaluate alternatives to assess projected capabilities for future mission support. Assist in efforts to coordinate data accumulation and usage within the department and PBGC.
  • Explore novel methods of retrieving data and develop innovative recommendations to management and senior leadership as a means for making data driven decisions such as modification of processes and policies.
  • Organize and integrate economic and statistical data from the varied sources in a manner conducive to immediate electronic retrieval to support positions taken by PBGC.
  • Prepare data-centric projects to provide insight and informed decisions for mission-oriented programs.
  • Communicate on complex analyses to advance the use of data-driven decision making in PBGC operations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen
  • You may undergo a personnel security background investigation
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt
  • 1-year probationary period required unless met during prior Federal service
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

All qualification and eligibility requirements must be met by the announcement closing date.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. You must also meet the basic requirements.

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the private sector using original research, current economic theory and current statistical and econometric methods to analyze current policy, legislative and regulatory issues.  Examples include: 

  • Using algorithmic and programmatic approaches to clean, manipulate, and sub-set (i.e., shrinking a large database to benefit information storage) data for the purposes of analysis. Developing novel ways to analyze and identify trends and patterns in data using advanced mathematical, statistical, and / or algorithmic techniques.
  • Conducting independent research into questions of economic significance and using advanced statistical and econometric techniques.
  • Developing research studies or analytical projects to address relevant problems, using the scientific method.
  • Researching relevant Internal Revenue Code, and policy issues related to defined benefit plan financial accounting and disclosure.

**Experience with stochastic projection models and familiarity with econometrics relating to defined benefit pension plans is highly desirable.**

BASIC REQIREMENTS

To qualify for the Data Scientist GS-1560 series, you must have:

A. 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

B. 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.

To qualify for the Economist GS-0110 series, you must have:

A. Degree: economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus experience or additional education.

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet these criteria, see www.ed.gov.

Education

To qualify for the Data Scientist GS-1560 series, you must have:

A. 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

B. 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.

To qualify for the Economist GS-0110 series, you must have:

A. Degree: economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus experience or additional education.

Additional information

If you are requiring reasonable accommodations, please contact PBGC’s Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator, Roderick Duncan, at (202) 286-7803 or Duncan.Roderick@pbgc.gov. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 80 or above based on the competencies listed above (which is equivalent to PBGC’s “Silver” quality category); and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs.

If you believe that you have been subjected to discrimination, you may contact the PBGC Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (OEEO):

OEEO Main Office Phone: 202-229-4363

Email: EEO@PBGC.gov

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.

Visit PBGC Benefits for information on our Agency Benefits offered.

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.

THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEING ADVERTISED UNDER THE DIRECT HIRE APPOINTING AUTHORITY.

  • There will be no applicant self-assessment or rating and ranking process.
  • You will be evaluated for this job based on whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements listed above.
  • Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Appointing Authority, veterans' preference does not apply.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application for this Public Notice:

RESUME: You must submit a resume. Your resume must include your name and contact information and should clearly show your possession of the specialized experience and KSAs so that we can determine your qualifications for this position. Your resume should be specific to the position you are applying for, relating your skills and experience to those noted in the job posting.

PLEASE DO NOT include photographs, hypertext/hyperlinks, or other inappropriate material or content. This information will not be used to make eligibility or qualification determinations.

COVER LETTER (OPTIONAL): Your cover letter should state your interest in this position and the strengths that you feel will make you an asset to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. We will not use your cover letter to determine your qualifications; however, your cover letter will go to the Selecting Official along with your resume if you are referred.  

TRANSCRIPT(S) : This position has a positive education requirement, you must submit transcripts to verify that you meet the requirement. Information on the specific education requirement can be found under the Education in the vacancy announcement. Your transcripts should include course titles, school name/location, date completed, grades, and number of credits earned. Applicants who obtained their qualifying education outside of the U.S. and its territories must provide proof that their degrees have been validated as equivalent to a degree conferred by a college or university in the U.S. Unofficial transcripts may be submitted with your application; however, you must bring official transcripts with your first day if you are hired. Please see the Education section of this announcement for additional information.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP and ICTAP candidates must submit documents showing eligibility for selection priority (e.g., RIF separation notice, Certificate of Expected Separation, or other proof of eligibility for priority selection); an SF-50 showing the current (or former) position, grade level, promotion potential, and duty location; and the most current performance appraisal including the performance rating.

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.

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

In order to be considered, submit all of the required information (including your supplemental documentation) before midnight EST on the closing date.

If you are not able to apply online or require reasonable accommodations, contact Rozena Bearon (202) 229-4946or at bear.rozena@pbgc.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Please complete all the steps in the online application process at USAJOBS (www.usajobs.gov). You may make updates to your information at any time prior to midnight EST on the closing date of this announcement.

  • Register with USAJOBS, which will store your information and resume. You will only need to complete this step once.
  • Locate and review the vacancy announcement on USAJOBS. Click the “Apply” link and then select a resume to submit with your application. If you do not have a resume to select, or you want to upload a new one, click “Add Resume” and upload your resume. You can also click “Edit” to edit an already-uploaded resume. Once you have selected a resume, click “Save and Continue.”
  • Add or remove your supporting documents.
  • Once you have attached your resume and supporting documents, review your application package to ensure that they have been attached, then check the box next to “I acknowledge that I have reviewed my resume and document(s).” Then Click “Save and Continue.”
  • Complete the “Include Personal Information” page and click “Save and Continue,”
  • On the “Continue Application with Agency” page, read the terms and certify by checking the box if you agree. Then click “Continue to Agency Site.” This will take you to the application for the position.
  • Click “Apply to this Vacancy.”
  • Complete or review the eligibility questions, which determine the types of positions you are eligible for.
  • Specify which series, grade(s), and location(s) you wish to be considered for.
  • Complete the online vacancy questions, then click "Finish". You will continue to the Vacancy Documents page.
  • Review your attached documents from USAJobs. If there are other documents that you need to attach, upload those here as well.
  • You will then see a summary of your application, including the documents that you submitted. You are strongly encouraged to save or print a copy of this page as proof of submission and receipt of your application and documents.
  • To finish, click "Submit Application."

Agency contact information

Rozena Bear
Phone
202-229-4946
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
bear.rozena@pbgc.gov
Address
PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION
Human Resources Department
445 12th Street SW
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You are encouraged to complete your USAJOBS personal account completely to receive notifications at each point in the recruiting process. Utilizing this option allows you to review and track the status of your application and receive email notifications from the hiring office.

You may check the status of your applications by clicking on the My USAJOBS tab at the USAJOBS website.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


© 2006-2024, exclusive of U. S. government job opportunity announcements