Research Survey Statistician Job in Suitland, MD

Vacancy No. 26-BOC-12972416-DHA-DJ Department U.S. Census Bureau
Salary $169,279.00 to $197,200.00 Grade 15 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/2/2026 Close Date 6/16/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Suitland, MD


Summary

This vacancy is being filled via the Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) for a Research Survey Statistician position in the Associate Director for Research and Methodology Directorate located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line - Suitland Station.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

All qualified United States citizens.

Duties

  • Independently carry out and lead a research agenda related to demography, sociology, and/or economics using unique microdata.
  • Lead, build and manage development teams and produce new statistical products and special tabulations.
  • Plan and coordinate project activities related for research using administrative records.
  • Prepare and communicate complex technical issues to a variety of audiences.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • U.S. Citizen.
  • Suitable for Federal employment.
  • Registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • This is a NON-BARGAINING unit position.
  • A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the date you submit your application to complete the assessment.

Qualifications

Minimum Education Requirement: 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

A 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.

AND

Specialized Experience: For the GS-15, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-14 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: conducting and publishing independent, original research using survey, census, and/or administrative records data; leading or guiding others in conducting complex and innovative empirical research using survey, census, and/or administrative records data; monitoring projects and developing project plans and schedules; setting priorities to lead multiple concurrent complex activities; making key decisions and providing technical advice, instruction, and training with minimal guidance; and communicating technical information clearly to a broad variety of stakeholders.

Education: Education cannot be substituted at this grade level.

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.

Additional information

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Research Survey Statistician, 1530-15, positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Direct-Hire: All candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply.Appointments made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the Civil Service.

Current Civil Service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the Civil Service. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).

Individuals who have received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment, otherwise known as a buyout, must repay that incentive if they are reemployed by the Federal Government within five years of separation.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

The Department of Commerce also provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.

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.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire.

This position is announced under a government-wide DHA for Survey Statistician positions in the 1530 series. Under this DHA, applicants are required to meet minimum qualification requirements at the grade level(s) of interest. Veteran's Preference, Schedule A, and other methods of consideration DO NOT APPLY under DHA regulations.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Online Assessment: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Competency Based Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job. Examples used in the assessment may include general situations not directly related to this position.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.


CTAP and ICTAP candidates: CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website, The Employee's Guide to Career Transition.


We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

Do NOT include the following types of information in your application if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position:

  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Date of Birth (DOB)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

You may preview the questionnaire for this vacancy: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12972416.

Required Documents

Your application package should include the following documents:

  • Resume: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be deemed disqualified and removed from consideration. Your resume must include your educational and relevant work experience for the position for which you are applying to include the title and dates (mm/yy) of employment along with the number of hours worked per week. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position.
  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable:
    • CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
      1. A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
      2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;
      3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
      4. Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.
    • ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
      1. A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.
      2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
      3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
      4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
  • Education Documentation:If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. This also includes Census Bureau employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to OPM's Qualification Policy for more information.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at Academic and Professional Mobility | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.

  • Resume

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

This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the date the first 150 applicants are received or on the closing date 06/16/2026, whichever comes first. The application process is as follows:

To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https://www.usajobs.gov.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
  3. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
  4. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  5. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
  6. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
  7. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.


Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources.

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.


To view the announcement status or your application status: USAJOBS Help Center | How to see your application and job status.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online; however, if you are unable to apply online, please email the agency contact.

Agency contact information

Dashonna Jones
Phone
3017634585
Email
dashonna.jones@census.gov
Address
Associate Director for Research and Methodology
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
US

Next steps

You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https://usajobs.gov and clicking on "Applications." The status will be visible next to the corresponding positions. The four points of notification are:

  1. Application Received or Application Incomplete;
  2. Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Requirement Not Met;
  3. Referred or Not Referred; and
  4. Selected or Not Selected.

By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).

U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census Bureau serves as the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. We are guided on this mission by scientific objectivity, strong capable workforce, devotion to research-based innovation, and abiding commitment. We offer competitive salaries, flexible hours/work arrangements, developmental opportunities, a variety of benefits/health insurance plans, and incentives. If working in an environment that allows you to achieve your professional goals appeals to you, then the U.S. Census Bureau is the place for you.

Agency contact information

Dashonna Jones
Phone
3017634585
Email
dashonna.jones@census.gov
Address
Associate Director for Research and Methodology
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
US