Summary
The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is an independent Federal agency whose mission is to protect the Federal merit systems and rights of individuals within those systems. MSPB, has a collegial work environment, provides the opportunity to work with considerable independence and encourages participation in professional development activities. MSPB provides excellent benefits including flexible work hours, telework opportunities, and a desirable downtown Washington, DC location.
Duties
This is a non-supervisory, social science analyst position with a well-respected research organization, MSPB's Office of Policy and Evaluation, which has Governmentwide impact on how the Federal workforce is managed. You will work individually and on teams with other research professionals to apply social science theories, research methods, and techniques to design, conduct and report on Federal merit systems and human capital management policies. These studies are conducted to ensure that Federal civil servants are well qualified to perform their jobs and are able to serve the public free from management abuse and partisan political pressure.
We encourage individuals to apply for this position even if you are not currently an expert in all the position duties described below. We do not expect applicants to know everything; however, we do expect applicants to be willing to lead efforts in each of these areas. This may involve seeking outside expert advice and training on techniques for which you are not yet familiar. To be considered for this position, however, applicants must satisfy the minimum qualifications and provide all applicable documents as set forth in the Requirements and Required Documents sections below by the closing date of the announcement.
MSPB values inclusivity and we also encourage individuals to apply from all gender, race, ethnic, disability, veterans, and other under-represented groups.
Your primary responsibilities will also include managing and processing large datasets of qualitative or quantitative information. Analysis of this data will contribute to policy analyses, program assessments, and recommendations to strengthen adherence to merit principles. Your responsibilities will also include stakeholder outreach and providing advisory services to federal agencies.
Specifically, your job duties will include:
- Study design.
- Qualitative and/or quantitative data collection and analysis.
- Drawing conclusions based on sound analysis and developing actionable recommendations.
- Writing the study report and other research-based documents.
- Making presentations to share findings.
- Manage the overall study project, including developing the project plan, objectives, and milestones, implementing the plan, controlling scope, meeting milestones, overcoming barriers, and obtaining support and cooperation from management and other participants.
- Consult with and advise the office director, staff, and other senior MSPB staff members about the meaning and significance of various data sources and analyses and on data reliability, validity, and quality.
- Work closely with OPE research analysts on projects in a team setting Engage in continuing professional development Develop and maintain continuing professional contacts with senior staff of Federal agencies, professional associations and societies, employee and management organizations, and other parties with an interest or a stake in Federal personnel management and research methods.
- Collaborate with other federal agencies to obtain information, provide advice, and discuss study findings and/or recommendations.
IS THIS JOB FOR ME?
The work of an MSPB Social Science Analyst is unique in government.
| This job might be for you if: |
This job might NOT be for you if: |
- You like working on long-term projects that have a broad impact on Government operations.
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- You thrive in a high-pressure work environment where you can see the results of your work daily.
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- You enjoy taking on new projects every year or two that cover a variety of topics.
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- You like to pursue a line of research on the same topic over a long period of time.
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- You enjoy writing for and presenting to non-technical audiences such as Federal policy-makers, managers, and HR Specialists.
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- You prefer writing for and presenting to technical audiences and other researchers.
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- You enjoy the challenge of analyzing data to identify trends, patterns, and useable insights to drive agency performance and support continuous improvement.
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- You prefer to work on data that are stable and predictable and doesn't require much interpretation.
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- You like working on projects that are driven by stakeholder needs.
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- You prefer to set your own project topics and deadlines.
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- You enjoy working both as a member of a team and individually.
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- You prefer to set your own project topics and deadlines.
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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a US Citizen.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
- Successful completion of a one-year probationary or trial period (if new hire to the Federal service).
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Direct Deposit : Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including the following specialized experience and/or education, as identified by grade level.
BASIC REQUIREMENT: In order to be considered for this announcement, applicants must meet one or more of the following:
a) Degree: Four full years of education above high school leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position;
b) Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field;
or
c) Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: In addition to the Basic Requirement, you must meet the following specialized experience requirements. The specialized experience must be equivalent to that of at least one year at the next lower grade level (GS-13) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for these positions includes documented experience:
- Demonstrating expert knowledge and expertise in one or more of the social sciences to include sociology, anthropology, political science, law, ethnic studies, public policy, psychology, or other relevant fields.
- Using mastery knowledge of behavioral science research methods, policy analysis methods and/or program evaluation methods.
- Using knowledge of behavioral research methodologies and survey design.
- Applying research experience analyzing work environments, work processes, and policies.
- Conducting program evaluations or similar analyses of HR-related programs.
- Managing and analyzing large and complex databases related to employment, workforce, or management issues.
- Using knowledge of advanced statistical analyses and statistical software; and/or Using knowledge of qualitative analyses and text analysis software.
- Explaining research results clearly to technical and non-technical audiences via presentations and written products.
- Providing technical assistance to customers or stakeholders.
Desirable Qualifications:
- Experience with Federal personnel databases (e.g. Electronic Human Resources Information data (EHRI), and/or the Civilian Personnel Data File (CPDF), and/or the Office of Personnel Management's Business Intelligence tool).
- Knowledge of Federal human capital policy, programs, and/or employment law.
- A degree in psychology or the social sciences would be preferred.
Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.
TRANSCRIPTS are required if:
- This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
- You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
- This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.
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.
Education
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
Note regarding experience: Specialized experience at the GS-13 level is reflected in research that is difficult and complex, involving many unknowns and obstacles. At this level, basic research guidelines and precedent are limited in usefulness and a high degree of originality is required in defining and solving research problems. At this level, the amount of supervision is minimal and consists of broad guidance and oversight only.
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.
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures using category rating. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Highly Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (or competencies):
- Interpersonal Skills
- Oral Communication
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Research
- Written Communication
The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. Your ratings in this Assessment Questionnaire are subject to evaluation and verification based on the documents and references you submit.
Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your ratings. Attempts to falsify information; inflate your qualifications or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may be grounds to adjust your rating or to not select you. Errors, omissions or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may affect your eligibility. If selected providing inaccurate information on federal documents could also be grounds for dismissing you from the position/agency. Please follow all instructions carefully.
A multi-phased rating process will be used to identify the best-qualified candidates.
- Determination if you meet the minimum qualification requirements of the position.
- Rating and scoring of your application.
- A structured panel interview.
- A final interview.
- Checking of professional references.
To preview the application questionnaire, please visit:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12454148
Required Documents
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
- Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications; and 5) supervisors name and phone number for each work period listed and whether or not they may be contacted for reference checks.
- Cover Letter: A cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications is preferred, but not required.
- If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. 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 interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. For further information, visit the following: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
- If claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions within 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The certification must be on the letterhead of the appropriate military branch and include the dates of military service. Veterans' preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
- If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS
- Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), last performance appraisal that is at least fully successful or its equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
- Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
- Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account. You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.
NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.
Next steps
If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, your will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to pervis.lee@mspb.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.
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