STATISTICIAN (HEALTH) Job in Bethesda, MD

Vacancy No. 4311EPDSS-2024-0001 Department Consumer Product Safety Commission
Salary $82,764.00 to $153,354.00 Grade 11 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/13/2024 Close Date 9/23/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Bethesda, MD


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

Join the team! This position is in the Directorate for Epidemiology, Division of Hazard & Injury Data Systems, Statistical Support Branch at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The Branch is responsible for designing, implementing and operating the various data systems used by the Commission to learn about how people are injured with specific consumer products.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

UNITED STATES CITIZENS MAY APPLY (no prior federal experience is required). This position will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority (DHA). Veteran's Preference does not apply to this announcement.

Duties

As a Statistician (Health), the selectee will:

  • Monitor and evaluate the quality of data from multiple sources, including the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), death certificates, investigations, and other surveillance data.
  • Develop and implement text analytics and machine learning-based tools to evaluate and classify injury and product hazards in NEISS and other data sources.
  • Use statistical software and programming tools such as SAS and Python to develop programs for data processing, cleaning, preparation, analysis, and reporting.
  • Support current processes, data management, and reporting while also working to identify, recommend, and implement improvements in workflows and quality control programs.
  • Provide reports for internal and external dissemination, such as product injury summary reports which may include coefficients of variation and population rates.
  • Design, monitor, and evaluate statistical studies and questionnaires in collaboration or consultation with staff from other Divisions or other government agencies.
  • Provide technical expertise to support statistical analyses of trends in injury and mortality surveillance data.
  • Prepare technical reports and presentations to acquaint internal and external customers with uses and limitations of Commission data.
  • Provide organizational support to project initiatives (e.g., preparing agendas, project plans, presentations, and reports; coordinating meetings; maintaining records).

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required.
  • Background Investigation Required.
  • Must meet education requirements.

Must be a U.S. Citizen.

This is a Public Trust Position. Employment in this position requires a background investigation. If you are selected and cannot obtain a favorable security determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed or undisclosed background issues, the tentative employment offer may be withdrawn.

If you are a male 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. Please see http://www.sss.gov for more information.

Selectees will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment", (OF-306), prior to appointment and the appropriate background investigation forms to determine suitability for Federal employment.  False statements or responses on these forms can jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.

The selectee will be required to complete a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the I-9 Form. We will compare information provided on the I-9 Form to records available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  The system confirms employee’s identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

Depending on your status, this position may require serving a 1-year probationary period.

Qualifications

In addition to the mandatory education requirement, all applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:  

GS-11: 1) Using software to write programs to conduct data quality checks, detect abnormalities, and create data summaries and reports; 2) applying statistical techniques to analyze datasets; 3) developing data for sampling, maintaining a statistical sample, or conducting data collection activities with minimal assistance; and 4) preparing operating procedures or training materials.

GS-12: 1) Using software to write a broad variety of programs related to data collection, processing, and quality control; 2) independently developing, monitoring, or managing project components, such as data collection methods, training materials, programming specifications, or time schedules; 3) using machine learning algorithms to classify data; and 4) experience writing methodological or technical documents for internal and public audiences.

GS-13: 1) Applying statistical theory and techniques to analyze, plan, and organize data collection and processing efforts for large censuses, surveys, or data collection efforts; 2) independently developing and maintaining machine learning-based tools for classifying data; 3) providing statistical and technical expertise and guidance on projects; and 4) planning statistical analyses, writing related reports, and making professional presentations on such.

Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held.  Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone.  If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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.

Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Mandatory Education Requirement. All applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify:

  1. 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

  2. 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.

In addition to meeting the basic education requirements indicated above, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts shown below:

GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related or 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level or a combination of education AND specialized experience.

GS-12: There is no substitution for specialized experience for this grade level. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience (as stated above) equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level.

GS-13: There is no substitution for specialized experience for this grade level. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience (as stated above) equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level.

You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable during the application process. Official transcripts will be required upon appointment.

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

All education claimed by applicants will be verified. 

Additional information

CPSC provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed in this vacancy announcement.

Payment of relocation expenses is NOT authorized.

All the information you provide will be verified by a review of the work experience and/or education as shown on your application, by checking reference and through other means, such as the interview process. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for not hiring you or for firing you after you begin work.

Additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

As a condition of employment, the selectee must reside in the local commuting area of the duty station listed in this announcement.  Telework schedules (within the local commuting area) are approved on a case-by-case basis.  Employees will have an onsite requirement each week.  Proof of residence may be required. 

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.

CPSC offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes: paid vacation, sick leave, 11 paid holidays per year, life and health insurance, Long Term Care insurance, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending account program, and retirement savings and investment plan similar to 401(k) (Thrift Savings Plan). 

CPSC also offers a broad array of work-life flexibilities and services to employees such as, flexible work schedules, teleworking, transit subsidies, fitness center, and employee assistance and wellness programs.

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.

After the vacancy closes, we will review your application package to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your resume and supporting documentation will then be reviewed.  Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, salary, duties performed for each position, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level/pay band. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited to an interview. Qualified candidates will be considered in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire Guidelines.

CTAP/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 "well qualified" rating (Rating of at least 85 out of 100).

Veterans' Preference does not apply to the direct hire recruitment procedures. Selections made under this notice will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. You may not be considered for the position if any part of the application is incomplete. Your application may not receive appropriate consideration without the required supporting documentation.  


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Your package must be complete and submitted in the manner specified in this section.  Packages that are submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the agency point of contact will not be considered.

A complete application includes: 1. Resume; 2. Vacancy question responses; and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must annotate your questionnaire to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible and you must submit appropriate documentation (such as: 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).

Other documents identified in this announcement.

All supplemental documents must be submitted electronically before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You have two choices for submitting your supplemental documents:
1. Download from your USAJOBS account; or
2. Upload your file(s)

Failure to submit required documents, based upon how you apply, may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Official documents are not required at the time of application, copies are sufficient. If selected, official documentation must be submitted prior to 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

You MUST apply on-line through USAJOBS. Your application must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. Uploaded resumes must include the following: applicant contact information and educational and professional background information including dates of employment and education, salary (and Federal grade level, if appropriate), and work schedule (i.e., FT/PT). Incomplete applications will not be considered, and you will not be contacted to provide any missing information.

To begin the application process, select the "Apply On-line" button to the right on this screen.  Then follow the prompts to login/register, submit all required supplemental documents, and complete the application process.

If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center.

If experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Continue to Agency Site' button): please email recruitapps@cpsc.gov between normal business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET; except federal holidays). If receiving any kind of error message, please provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text number.

Agency contact information

HR Specialist
Phone
301-504-7925
TDD
301-504-7925
Fax
301-504-0432
Email
recruitapps@cpsc.gov
Address
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Human Resources Management Room 838
4330 East West Highway
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After the closing date of the announcement, your package will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Best qualified candidates will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration and may be interviewed.

You may check the status of your application at any time after the announcement closes by logging onto USAJOBS and selecting "Application Status."

You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable.


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