Mathematical Statistician (Social Science) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. JP-25-011 Department Office of Justice Programs
Salary $82,764.00 to $128,956.00 Grade 11 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/26/2024 Close Date 12/10/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority. U. S. Citizenship required.

Duties

  • Participates in data collection projects that employ a variety of collection methods.
  • Generates tables and graphical displays of data that are well organized and follow the organization's data quality and style guidelines.
  • Analyzes a variety of data sets using appropriate statistical software such as SPSS, SAS, STATA or R; applies statistical software to develop program code.
  • Prepares studies and technical reports for publication and dissemination.
  • Reviews Federal, state, and local data sources, including statistical and research reports to provide a framework for reference and comparison.
  • Planning, organizing, and implementing projects related to cooperative and interagency agreements.
  • Consults with other professionals concerning on-going and established statistical studies or other projects where extensive methodological or subject-matter advice and interpretation is required.
  • Writes, modifies and/or edits statistical reports that include the analysis and evaluation of varied technical problems and issues.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Subject to background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Federal payments are required to be made by Direct Deposit.
  • Requires registration for the Selective Service. Visit www.sss.gov.
  • Pre-employment drug testing required.
  • 1-year probationary period may be required.
  • Security Requirements: Non-Sensitive/Moderate Risk
  • Confidential Financial Disclosure may be required

Qualifications

Basic Entry Requirements:

Basic Requirements for the GS-1529 Series:
A. 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
B. 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.

***PLEASE SEE Evaluation of Education and Experience in the Education section below***

Basic Requirements for the GS-1530 Series:
A. 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
B. 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.

Specialized Experience:

Specialized Experience for GS-1529 Series:
GS-11: Specialized Experience:
Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level. Specialized experience is experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Performing a variety of routine data collection, mathematical and statistical analysis, and data interpretation activities, and drafts findings/reports.
  • Providing information on standard aspects of criminal justice data and analyses.
  • Participating in the presentation of mathematical and statistical findings to a wide range of audiences.

GS-11: Substitution of Education for Experience: A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. if related.
GS-11: Combination of Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements.

GS-12: Specialized Experience:
Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level. Specialized experience is experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Performing a variety of data collection, mathematical and statistical analysis, and data interpretation activities, and preparation of findings/reports.
  • Proposing and recommending improvements in survey methodology, format, and survey instruments.
  • Providing information on substantive aspects of criminal justice data and analyses.
  • Participating in monitoring, oversight, and analyses of mathematical and statistical programs developed in and outside the organization.
  • Presenting mathematical and statistical findings in a professional and independent manner to a wide range of audiences


Specialized Experience for GS-1530 Series:

GS-11: Specialized Experience:
Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level. Specialized experience is experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Performing a variety of routine data collection, statistical analysis, and data interpretation activities, and drafts findings/reports.
  • Providing information on standard aspects of criminal justice data and analyses.
  • Participating in the presentation of statistical findings to a wide range of audiences.

GS-11: Substitution of Education for Experience: A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. if related.
GS-11: Combination of Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements.

GS-12: Specialized Experience:
Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level. Specialized experience is experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Performing a variety of data collection, statistical analysis, and data interpretation, and preparation of findings/reports.
  • Proposing and recommending improvements in survey methodology, format, and survey instruments.
  • Participating in monitoring, oversight, and analyses of statistical programs developed in and outside the organization.
  • Presenting statistical findings in a professional and independent manner to a wide range of audiences; developing data sets and documentation that meet agency requirements for dissemination.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. Please see the Qualifications section for more information.

Basic Requirements for the GS-1529 Series:

Evaluation of Education and Experience in the Education section below:
Courses acceptable toward meeting the mathematics course requirement of paragraphs A or B above must have included at least four of the following: differential calculus, integral calculus, advanced calculus, theory of equations, vector analysis, advanced algebra, linear algebra, mathematical logic, differential equations, or any other advanced course in mathematics for which one of these was a prerequisite. Courses in mathematical statistics or probability theory with a prerequisite of elementary calculus or more advanced courses will be accepted toward meeting the mathematics requirements, with the provision that the same course cannot be counted toward both the mathematics and the statistics requirement.

Evaluation of Experience:
The experience offered in combination with educational courses to meet the requirements in paragraph B above should include evidence of statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying known statistical techniques to data such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.
Without other indications of statistical experience, work required in the processing of numerical or quantified information by other than statistical methods is not considered appropriate qualifying experience. Examples of such nonqualifying work include statistical clerical work; statistical drafting; calculation of totals, averages, percentages, or other arithmetic summations; preparation of simple tables or charts; or verification of data by simple comparison or proofreading.

Additional information

  • This position may be eligible for telework per agency policy.
  • OJP offers opportunities for flexible work schedules.
  • Recruitment incentives may not be authorized.
  • This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
  • This position has a duty station of Washington, D.C. The selectee will be required to physically report to the OJP office building at least four (4) days per bi-weekly pay period and may incorporate leave and official travel plans into this reporting requirement. The office director or supervisor may request the selectee's presence in the office more frequently, as determined by the needs of the office. The selectee will be responsible for covering all commuting-related travel expenses. OJP employees are eligible for one transportation benefit - parking or the Department of Justice (DOJ) transit subsidy.
  • Please do not indicate current or former position salary in your application or resume.
  • As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

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.

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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Direct Hire applicants: Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Qualified candidates will be considered in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire guidelines. Veterans' Preference does not apply to direct hire recruitment procedures.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)/Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, or if your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website, which can be found at https://www.opm.gov

Required Documents

REMINDER: ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) ON 12/10/2024 .

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (ALL APPLICANTS):

1. Resume (To receive credit for experience, your employment history must be documented in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date and include the number of hours worked per week. Failure to follow this format may result in disqualification), and
2. Unofficial transcripts (official transcripts will be required if selected), and
3. Responses to the online questionnaire.

Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered.

If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility,
you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(u) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the Agency notice, your most recent performance appraisal, and your most recent SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action for Competitive Appointment.

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 supporting documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

A complete application package, to include the responses to the online Assessment Questionnaire, must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/10/2024to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.

  • Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site .

If you are unable to apply online, please contact Abygail Sharrar-Armendariz at
abygail.sharrar-armendariz@usdoj.govor 202-702-9332 for alternate application procedures.

Agency contact information

Abygail Sharrar-Armendariz
Address
Bureau of Justice Statistics
DO NOT MAIL
Washington, DC 20531
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your completed application is certified and received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.


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