Senior AI/ML Engineer

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.

This position is officially titled Data Scientist (Artificial Intelligence). The working title is Senior AI/ML Engineer. The incumbent supports the modernization of CPSC's analytical ecosystem by designing and implementing AI/ML models, advanced analytical methods, cloud native workflows, and automation that accelerate hazard triage and strengthen data driven decision making across the agency.

The Senior AI/ML Engineer performs the following duties:

• Designs, develops, tests, and deploys supervised, unsupervised, NLP, deep learning, and agent-enabled AI models that detect product hazards, surface signals, and identify leading indicators.
• Uses modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and scalable compute environments to build high-performance models that meet standards for accuracy, fairness, robustness, and transparency.
• Designs and implements high-quality data pipelines for ingestion, transformation, validation, quality enforcement, and preprocessing of diverse datasets.
• Operationalizes models in secure cloud environments (Azure), leveraging cloud-native services, containerization, CI/CD automation, and scalable compute.
• Conducts analytical research to identify trends, patterns, and emerging hazards through statistical learning, causal inference, scenario modeling, and "what-if" simulations.
• Supports the agency's hazard detection research agenda by proposing new analytical methods, experimenting with novel architectures, and implementing advanced machine learning approaches.
• Develops and maintains state-of-the-art knowledge in AI/ML, participating in working groups, communities of practice, and interagency collaborations.
• Works closely with program offices, engineering teams, compliance staff, field investigators, and agency leadership to translate analytic requirements into operational ML solutions.
• Communicates uncertainty, assumptions, limitations, and risk tradeoffs associated with modeling decisions and analytical findings.
• Designs and develops AI agents and retrieval-augmented systems (e.g., Copilot Studio, Python-based agents) that operationalize hazard detection workflows.
• Integrates AI agents with APIs, event streams, dashboards, and case management systems to reduce cycle time from signal to action.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

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 meet the criteria requirement for the pre-employment waiver and/or a favorable suitability determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed or undisclosed background issues, the 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the CPSC;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the CPSC or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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-14: 1) Demonstrated experience advancing AI/ML and analytics initiatives by leading components of model development, data preprocessing, feature engineering, and model validation; 2) improving data pipelines and cloud-based workflows to ensure scalable, reliable analytics; 3) managing and executing Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery/Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines; 4) applying advanced analytical and machine-learning techniques to detect patterns and identify emerging trends or hazards; 5) developing clear, actionable visualizations and technical documentation; and 6) collaborating closely with technical experts and program stakeholders to design and implement practical, data-driven solutions that strengthen hazard detection and decision-making.

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.

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, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

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

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.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13002154

This announcement uses the cut-off score (job-analysis-based) method under 5 CFR § 332.402. All applicants must score at least 90 to be considered. All applicants tied at the cut line will be referred. We will provide the selecting official a sufficient number of names, when available, to consider at least three candidates per vacancy. If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, we will expand the group in accordance with our pre-announced supplement strategy and OPM policy.

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 by a Subject Matter Expert. 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.

RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience.

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 90 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.

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. Completed USAHire Assessment; and 3. Submission of any required documents (such as unofficial transcripts). 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).

Your resume must clearly demonstrate, in two pages or less, how your skills and experiences align with the "Qualifications" section and support your questionnaire responses. We cannot assume required experience based on your work or academic history. If your resume exceeds two pages, only the first two will be reviewed. You may use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or upload your own resume. If uploading, ensure it includes all required information and is organized so we can match the following to each position:

1. Job title
2. Employer name
3. Employment dates (MM/DD/YYYY)
4. Hours worked per week (full-time assumed; part-time prorated)
5. Detailed duties, accomplishments, skills, responsibilities, and supervisory details (if applicable)
6. Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions, if applicable)

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

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.

Next steps