OPERATIONS RESEARCH ANALYST (SENIOR DATA SCIENTIST/ECONOMETRICIAN) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. DE-12781554-25-TR Department Surface Transportation Board
Salary $167,603.00 to $195,200.00 Grade 15 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/8/2025 Close Date 9/25/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is an economic regulatory agency that exercises its statutory authority to support an efficient, competitive, and sound transportation network.

This position is located in the Office of Economics (OE) at the STB and is responsible for assisting OE's Director and Deputy Director in accomplishing the office's technical functions effectively and efficiently.

Duties

In this position, you will serve as an Operations Research Analyst (Senior Data Scientist/ Econometrician) in OE, responsible for managing and conducting analyses and researching items of importance to the agency and industry, such as applying complex concepts and statistical methods, including cost-benefit analysis and econometric analysis, to issues of competition in the rail industry. OE also makes available to the public a variety of statistical and financial analyses of the railroad industry. You apply these models to test economic theories, evaluate policy impacts, and make data-driven recommendations.

You will support OE's work by employing quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate disparate data sources to identify and resolve issues central to the Board's analysis of proposed freight railroad transactions, economic regulation of the rail industry, and other transportation industry segments subject to the agency's jurisdiction.

In addition, the position will focus on using advanced econometrics and data science methods, including machine learning, visual analytics (GIS as well as BI tools), and statistical models in an innovative manner to analyze market dynamics and competitive behavior within the transportation industry.

As a Data Scientist/Econometrician in OE, you will perform the following duties:

  • Lead and develop project plans for the Agency's analysis of freight railroad transactions, with a focus on mergers and transactions that affect the structure, conduct, and performance of the freight rail market.
  • Develop and implement econometric models to analyze competitive effects of mergers, acquisitions, and business practices.
  • Advise senior leadership of the advantages and limitations of various data science approaches, as well as potential applicability of new techniques, including applications of complex statistical methods, analytic tools, and computer languages.
  • Conduct quantitative analysis of market structures, examine freight rail industry trends, perform forecasting of pertinent transportation data-related matters, and other factors relevant to Board proceedings.
  • Apply statistical and economic methods to assess market power, analyze anticompetitive behaviors, and quantify economic harm.
  • Initiate and conduct research by using modern data analytic techniques to assess the effects of agency actions on the transportation industry.
  • Collaborate with other agency staff to analyze freight rail rate reasonableness in cases brought to the Board. Part of this is a determination on whether effective competition exists to constrain the rate-making power of a railroad in the rates it charges shippers.
  • Collaborates with the agency's Office of Chief Counsel and other program offices to integrate economic analysis into Board decisions.
  • Collaborate with other agency staff to work with and analyze a wide variety of data sources ranging from accounting to waybill data; perform data analysis and develop visualizations to answer questions raised by internal and external parties regarding various issues that come before the Board.
  • Develop project plans and serve on project teams in areas that are of strategic interest to the Board, particularly in the areas involving railroad regulation.
  • Employ a variety of quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate disparate data sources and identify and resolve consistency and/or discrepancy issues that may exist.
YOU MUST PROVIDE TRANSCRIPTS TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSITION.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Your most recent performance appraisal is required, as well as any incentive awards.
  • All qualification requirements must be met 09/25/2025.
  • You will not receive consideration if your package is missing any of the items outlined under the Performance Appraisal, Resume, and Transcript
  • Probationary Period: A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • Required to participate in the Direct Deposit program.
  • Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/
  • Background Suitability Investigation: Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability or security clearance. Please Note: If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.
  • E-Verify: If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form 1-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. The STB is an E-Verify Participant.
  • Employment is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability clearance. If selected, you may be offered a tentative offer until the background investigation has been adjudicated.
  • Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must meet the Time-in-Grade Requirement, which is 52 weeks of Federal Service at the next lower grade.
  • Relocation expenses are not authorized.
  • You may be asked for a writing sample during the Interview process.

Qualifications

You must meet the Mandatory Education Requirements listed in the "Education Requirements" section and the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for this series as described below.

Specialized experience must meet 52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade level. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Specialized Experience is defined as the experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position of the Operations Research Analyst, 1515 series.

To qualify for this position, you must meet the Mandatory Education Requirements and Specialized Experience outlined below for the Operations Research Analyst, as described below.

Basic Requirements:

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. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus.

AND

GS-15
To be qualified for this position at the GS-15 grade level, you must demonstrate in your resume one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-14, in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector or volunteer experience) demonstrated by completing all of the following:
(1)Writing and presenting comprehensive technical reports based on research ; (2) Developing new methods and approaches for using data to solve problems and; (3) Problem-solving using applied mathematics, economics, or statistics and; (4) Conducting research on rail transportation involving a data-driven approaches; and (5)Using analytical methods and techniques to evaluate laws, policies, guidelines, or rules related to transportation.

All applicants are required to submit a resume with your application. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please utilize the following date format MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY - or - MM/DD/YY to present and the number of hours worked per week for each period of employment/experience listed in your resume. Your responses to the questionnaire must be supported/demonstrated in your resume.

If, after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and experience, your rating may be lowered to reflect the submitted documentation more accurately.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or education.

Your resume should not exceed 2 pages and must demonstrate the specialized experience related to the position for which you are applying. If your resume goes beyond two pages, we will only consider the first two pages for the required experience as outlined in the specialized experience. It must contain the following information:

  • Name, address, telephone number, email address;
  • Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade);
  • If qualifying based on related unpaid (e.g. volunteer service) experience, you must provide hours worked per week and beginning/ending dates (mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy);
  • If other than full time you must provide hours worked per week.
  • PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination.
  • Should you submit multiple resumes, only the latest uploaded resume will be reviewed.
  • It is recommended to make your resume searchable in your USAJOBS.gov profile.

Education

All grades for the 1515 series have a positive education requirement that must be met.

Basic Requirements:

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. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus.

You must provide your transcripts to support your educational claims. Transcripts may be unofficial copies, but they must come from an accredited college or university, and they also must include the courses' names and number of credit hours. To search the database of accredited institutions, visit: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx

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 the 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 U.S. accredited college or university. For further information visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

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. In addition, STB offers work-life balance flexibilities that may be right for you, such as.

Flexible Work Schedule options.

Access to a cost, have access to the fitness center conveniently located in the building; and

A monthly transit subsidy for a portion of your commuting costs to help defray the commuting costs of employees who use mass transportation, including commuter bus, Metrorail or Metrobus, or commuter rail systems.




The lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be rated well-qualified by scoring 85 or better on the assessment. Please use this link to find out additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources.

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.

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.

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job.
If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to accurately reflect the submitted documentation.

All applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements.

Applicants will be evaluated on their resume and supporting documentation to ensure they meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience will be rated using an Assessment Questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:

  • Data Science
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Research
  • Transportation
  • Written Communication


Please note, Applicants will not be rated or ranked for this position and Veteran's Preference does NOT apply.

All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

Preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12781554.

Required Documents

Please be advised, the following documents are required even if you are already a current Federal or STB employee:

1.Your resume should not exceed 2 pages and must demonstrate the specialized experience related to the position for which you are applying. If your resume goes beyond two pages, we will only consider the first two pages for the required experience as outlined in the specialized experience. It must contain the following information:

  • Name, address, telephone number, email address;
  • Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade);
  • If qualifying based on related unpaid (e.g. volunteer service) experience, you must provide hours worked per week and beginning/ending dates (mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy);
  • If other than full time you must provide hours worked per week.
  • PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination.
  • Should you submit multiple resumes, only the latest uploaded resume will be reviewed.
  • It is recommended to make your resume searchable in your USAJOBS.gov profile.
2. Responses to questionnaire.

3. Transcripts

4. Supporting documentation that will be used to verify your eligibility or any preference eligibility along with your application package. These documents may include, but are not limited to:
  • Veterans documentation: All veterans MUST submit a DD-214, MEMBER 4 copy, if you are currently on active duty, you must submit an official statement of service from your command or other official documentation that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions;
  • Preference eligible documentation: If claiming 10-point preference you must also submit a SF-15 and any other proof that you are eligible for 10-point preference if a job offer is extended to you, final VA letter including percentage (please do not include letter from VA noting specific private medical information);
  • ICTAP documentation: RIF separation notice along with last performance rating or appraisal; and
  • Transcripts are required due to this positions positive education requirement.
You may be asked to provide a writing sample as part of the interview process.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin the application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on09/25/2025 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

  1. To begin the application process, 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 11:59pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification.
  5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the "Additional Application Information" page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to "Update Application." This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account, all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an "Additional Application Information" page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. 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/.

You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking here: {insert assessment questionnaire}

Agency contact information

Tara Rauch
Address
Surface Transportation Board
395 E Street SW
Washington, DC 20423
US

Next steps

Once referred, you may be asked to complete a structured interview, written demonstration, and/or fit interview. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency during the probationary period.

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.

We expect to make a job offer within 40 days after the closing date of the announcement. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.


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


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