Interdisciplinary Statistician (Economics )/Economist/Operations Research Analyst (Data Scientist) Job in Alexandria, VA

Vacancy No. DHRADPAC-27-13081683-MP Department Defense Human Resources Activity
Salary $57,736.00 to $133,142.00 Grade 7 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/6/2026 Close Date 10/18/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Alexandria, VA


Interdisciplinary Statistician (Economics )/Economist/Operations Research Analyst (Data Scientist)

Department of Defense
Defense Human Resources Activity
Defense Personnel Analytics Center (DPAC)

Summary

This position is part of the Defense Human Resources Activity (Personnel Readiness Management Agency) . The incumbent Serves in a developmental training interdisciplinary position as a Statistician (Economics),Economist, or Operations Research Analyst (Data Scientist) assisting in developing housing and cost-of-living allowances and providing support with managing certain aspects of the BAH, OHA, Overseas COLA, and CONUS COLA programs.

Duties

As a Interdisciplinary Statistician (Economics )/Economist/Operations Research Analyst (Data Scientist) at the GS-0110/1515/1530-7/9/11/12 some of your typical work assignments may include:
GS-7

  • Serves in a developmental capacity, assisting senior analysts in developing housing and cost-of-living allowances (BAH, OHA, COLA).
  • With close supervision, analyzes housing and cost-of-living data to help produce rate recommendations.
  • Assists in researching economic issues and reviewing data reports and statistical summaries to support rate suggestions.
  • Helps prepare reports, memorandums, and allowance materials for publication and dissemination.
  • Assists the team in responding to inquiries regarding allowance programs and survey results.
GS-9
  • Independently carries out recurring assignments to develop and analyze military housing and cost-of-living surveys.
  • Analyzes statistical and economic data to produce allowance rate recommendations in conformance with accepted policies.
  • Conducts in-depth reviews of data reports and statistical summaries, identifying and researching economic issues and facts for allowance determinations.
  • Prepares recommendations, reports, and responses to customer inquiries on allowance programs with limited supervisory review.
  • Designs and builds user-focused analytics to extract actionable information from diverse data sources to inform decision-makers.
GS-11
  • Plans and conducts a variety of complex studies on housing and cost-of-living programs, resolving difficult issues and interpreting policy.
  • Independently analyzes and defends rate-setting methodologies and makes recommendations that have a significant impact on service members.
  • Develops and refines analytical methods and procedures for data collection, validation, and the accomplishment of surveys.
  • Serves as a technical resource, providing professional assistance and advice to the Department on allowance programs.
  • Prepares and presents detailed briefings, complex analyses, and justifications for multiple audiences to defend findings and program recommendations.
GS-12
  • Serves as a senior analyst and subject matter expert responsible for the full lifecycle of developing, analyzing, and managing allowance programs.
  • Leads the most complex and critical analyses of economic and statistical data, formulating and defending final rate recommendations for senior leadership approval.
  • Presents and defends allowance programs and rate-setting methodologies against challenges and public scrutiny, representing the agency in high-level meetings.
  • Develops and implements new analytical techniques and criteria to improve program effectiveness and advises management on long-range plans and objectives.
  • Provides authoritative guidance and mentorship to junior analysts and coordinates with high-ranking officials across DoD, government agencies, and private sources.



Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Work Schedule: Full Time
  • Overtime: Occasionally
  • Tour of Duty: Flexible
  • Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Non-Exempt
  • Financial Disclosure: Not Required
  • Telework Eligibility: This position is telework eligible
  • This position may require occasional travel, as conditions allow.
  • This position is Noncritical-Sensitive, requiring a Secret clearance.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS-12, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service:

  • Applying advanced statistical, economic, or operations-research principles to analyze and evaluate allowance-program issues and provide technical expertise on allowance programs.
  • Leading complex analytical projects involving the development or substantial revision of data-collection approaches, analytical techniques, or program-evaluation criteria.
  • Developing, presenting, and defending recommendations and analytical methodologies for complex allowance-program issues before senior officials, stakeholders, oversight bodies, or other public-facing audiences.
OR

B. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

You may qualify at the GS-11, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

B. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service:
  • Conducting comprehensive analyses of complex data using advanced statistical, economic, or data-science analytical and evaluative methods, and developing recommendations based on the results.
  • Modifying or adapting standard data-science and statistical techniques to address a range of analytical challenges, program issues, or policy questions.
  • Planning and carrying out complex studies, documenting and justifying findings, and presenting results to technical and nontechnical audiences, including senior officials.
OR

B. Master's or equivalent graduate degree.

You may qualify at the GS-09, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

C. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service:
  • Applying established statistical, economic, or data-science methods to analyze and evaluate data for routine projects or assignments.
  • Independently using automated analytical tools, such as SQL, R, Python, or similar software, to extract, organize, and analyze information from complex data sources.
  • Resolving conventional problems in data collection and analysis by applying established program methodologies, procedures, and regulations.
OR

B. 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR

C. Possess some specialized experience as described, but less than one year; and have more than one year of graduate level education as described, but less than two. When added, the percentage of the requirements that you meet must total at least 100%.

You may qualify at the GS-07, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

D. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service:
  • Assisting with developmental assignments by applying statistical, economic, or data-science principles, methods, and techniques under guidance.
  • Using automated systems and software, such as SQL, R, Python, or similar tools, to access, retrieve, organize, and review data from multiple sources.
  • Assisting with research, interpretation, and evaluation of data using qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques for well-precedented assignments.
OR

B. Possess: a Bachelor's degree w/Superior Academic Achievement or 1 year of graduate level education.

OR

C. Have some specialized experience as described, but less than one year; and I have some but less than one year of graduate level education as described. When added, the percentage of the requirements that you meet must total at least 100%.
In addition to meeting qualifications, your application package must reflect the applicable experience to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 0110/1515/1530 series.

E. If you are applying for the Economist0110 series, you must have the following.
  • Degree: economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.
  • OR
  • Combination of education and experience courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
F. If you are applying for the Operations Research 1515 series, you must have the following.
  • Degree: in operations research; or at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics, Engineering (usually Industrial Engineering), Science, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, or Management Science, optimization; mathematical modeling; queueing theory; engineering; physics (except descriptive or survey courses); econometrics; psychometrics; biometrics; experimental psychology; physical chemistry; industrial process analysis; managerial economics; computer science; measurement for management; mathematical models in social phenomena; and courses that involved application of operations research techniques and methodologies to problems of management, marketing, systems design, and other specialized fields; or other comparable quantitative analysis courses. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus.
G. If you are applying for the Statistics 1530 series, you must have the following.
  • Degree: that included 15 semester hours in statistics (or in mathematics and statistics, provided at least 6 semester hours were in statistics), and 9 additional semester hours in one or more of the following: physical or biological sciences, medicine, education, or engineering; or in the social sciences including demography, history, economics, social welfare, geography, international relations, social or cultural anthropology, health sociology, political science, public administration, psychology, etc. Credit toward meeting statistical course requirements should be given for courses in which 50 percent of the course content appears to be statistical methods, e.g., courses that included studies in research methods in psychology or economics such as tests and measurements or business cycles, or courses in methods of processing mass statistical data such as tabulating methods or electronic data processing.
  • OR
  • Combination of education and experience courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience should have included a full range of professional statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying statistical techniques such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.

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 experience.

*NOTE: Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.

All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Foreign education may be qualifying if a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses.

Unofficial transcripts from U.S. Department of Education accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions listing your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned are acceptable for the application process. If selected, official transcripts are required before a firm job offer is made. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable.

When relying on foreign education, submit transcripts and a copy of the equivalency evaluation results letter with a course-by-course listing. Documents must be in English or include an English translation. The hiring employer for this position does not evaluate degrees from foreign colleges or universities. For further information, visit: Foreign Education

Additional information

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: This program applies 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 ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications. and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements:
Persons with Disabilities - Schedule A
Special Hiring Authority for Veterans
Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses
Other Special Appointment Authorities - Subpart F
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/register/)

The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
NOTE: Declining to be interviewed or failure to report for a scheduled interview will be considered as a declination for further consideration for employment against this vacancy.

Selective Service Requirement: Please visit http://www.sss.gov for more information.

For more information, please visit

https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo%2012-1-2020.pdf?ver=ECNbdsHtGilTd3OENN4A0Q%3d%3d

Re-employed Annuitant: This position Does/Does not meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/140025_vol300.PDF?ver=LQ7feWw-8-5DI2tceUpmgA%3d%3d

Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level).

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.

Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Competencies:

  • Communications
  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis


Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):This program applies 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 ICTAP eligibility criteria AND 2) be rated well-qualified for the position AND 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. Well-qualified means you possess the type and quality of experience that exceeds the position's minimum qualifications.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the (RGP) eligibility. If you are claiming RGP and are determined to be Well Qualified for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant.

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible (PPP DoD MRNG):In order to receive this preference, you must choose the (PPP DoD MRNG) eligibility, and fill out and submit the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist and copies of the appropriate documentation.

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) (PPP MSP): In order to receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the(MSP) (PPP MSP) eligibility. If you are claiming MSP (PPP MSP) and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.). Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

The following documents are REQUIRED


1. Resume:

  • All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages showing all relevant experience. Your resume must address your qualifications for the position, and it may not exceed two (2) pages. Your 2-page (or less) resume must be in PDF format, with no smaller than a 0.5" margin and no smaller than a 10-point font. If you submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit and/or does not meet the margin or font limitations stated herein, you will immediately be deemed ineligible for this position and will be removed from further consideration. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
  • Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
2. Transcripts:
  • This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript
  • College transcript (s), required if qualifying based on education. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.
3. SF50
  • All current and former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. This is also a requirement to verify your Time in Grade (TIG).
4. Veteran's Documents:
  • If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents: DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.
PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
  • You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13081683.

Review the General Application Information and Definitions at:
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo%2012-1-2020.pdf?ver=ECNbdsHtGilTd3OENN4A0Q%3d%3d

As required by 5 C.F.R. § 302.106., DLA will provide Section 508 conformant ICT to employees with disabilities. All ICT interfaces with the public related to vacancy announcements and career transition opportunities must conform to the applicable requirements in the current ICT Standards and Guidelines (36 C.F.R. § 1194).

Agency contact information

DHRA Servicing Team
Phone
614-693-0237
Email
DHRS-D-DHRA@dla.mil
Address
Defense Human Resources Activity
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350-110
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application. A list of qualified applicants will be created and sent to the selecting official. All applicants reviewed and/or referred will receive a notification letter. All applicants must meet qualifications and eligibility criteria by the closing date of the announcement.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Defense Human Resources Activity

DPAC is an operational component within DHRA (PRMA) and is designated to serve in direct analytic support to the military Services and OSD to conduct comprehensive analysis on how policy or environmental changes affect the performance or composition of the workforce. DPAC provides the go-to expertise for scientific assessments, data analytics, and outreach, to improve the lives of the DoD community.

Agency contact information

DHRA Servicing Team
Phone
614-693-0237
Email
DHRS-D-DHRA@dla.mil
Address
Defense Human Resources Activity
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350-110
US