Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last two years or six years for Veterans. No Prior Federal Experience is Required. Applicants separated from excepted service positions filled under the Recent Graduate (Pathways) authority and eligible under PRL.

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Evaluation and Inspections.

• Assists the project lead to identify potential evaluation assignments related to Medicare, Medicaid, and public health and human services programs.
• Assists in conducting pre-inspection research of laws and regulations; GAO reports; OIG audits, investigations, and evaluation reports; other studies conducted within or outside the Department; and pending or recently enacted regulations or legislation related to the assigned evaluations on Medicare, Medicaid, and public health and human service programs.
• Engages in a variety of research, evaluation, and analysis assignments in the Medicare and Medicaid and public health and human service programs to gain broader knowledge of the programs and experience in the evaluation process.
• Gathers and organizes narrative and statistical information using established methods and techniques such as questionnaires, interviews, standard computer software applications, and data trends.
• Assists in developing data driven findings and recommendations for program evaluations and reporting of results to officials and stakeholders. Incumbent is actively engaged in environmental research involving Medicare programs, Medicaid services, and public health and human service programs to identify potential areas for future studies and evaluations.
• Analyzes and prepares program evaluations for review of all levels.
• Reviews internal HHS processes and procedures, making recommendations for improvements to promote efficiency and cost savings.
• Researches and evaluates processes and makes recommendations for effective organizational changes.
• Applies statistical methods for assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of health care programs or a segment of a program; program policies; practices; and procedures. Uses a variety of methods to evaluate programs relative to program goals and objectives.
• Participates in strategic planning, evaluation design, data collection and analysis, synthesis, drawing conclusions, and report generation to support multiple recommendations on improvements to HHS programs and policies.
• Analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of Medicare, Medicaid, and public health and human service programs to identify program vulnerabilities and potential waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Develops draft findings and recommendations for modifying, revising, or implementing procedures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the programs under review.
• Extracts and compiles data from a variety of sources and uses statistical applications in the evaluation process. Prepares reports and briefs for program management.
• Participates in discussions, meetings, conferences, and conference calls with administrative, senior subject matter, and technical personnel, and other federal agency officials to secure and provide information; to evaluate and synthesize facts; to present conclusions, recommendations, and alternatives; and to obtain concurrence and prepares alternate courses of actions.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• U.S Citizenship is required.
• Registration with the Selective Service (if applicable).
• Suitability for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
• Age requirement
• Pathways Program Participant Agreement
• The duration of a Pathways Recent Graduate program is a trial period. Upon conversion, a one-year probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

Applicants that are expected to graduate by June 30, 2026 may apply and be considered for the recent graduate program, however you will not be appointed until your degree/certificate has been conferred. In addition to a copy of your current transcripts (unofficial) you must submit proof of enrollment on university letterhead which includes your expected date of graduation. Education used as part of an application package will only be considered if complete transcripts are submitted and must be from an accredited institution as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To see if your institution is accredited, please follow this link: Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.

Positive Education Requirement: This position has a position education requirement, as indicated below. A complete transcript showing relevant coursework and degrees must be submitted with your application package. A list of completed courses or incomplete transcripts will not be accepted.

Recent Graduate Requirements: Applicants must have completed within the previous two years a qualifying associate, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution; OR must be a veteran, as defined in 5 U.S.C.2108, who due to military service obligation, was precluded from applying to the Recent Graduate Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period. Veterans who were not able to apply during the two-year eligibility period due to service obligation shave a two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty HOWEVER the eligibility period may not extend beyond six years from the date on which the academic requirements were completed.

Basic Requirements:

• Applicants must have completed a 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a behavioral or social science; or related discipline appropriate to this position (must submit copy of unofficial transcripts) OR;
• Must have 4 years of appropriate experience that demonstrates you have acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field OR;
• Must have a combination of the education and experience described above (must submit a copy of unofficial transcripts).

GS-11: Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements above all applicants must meet the additional requirements for the GS -11 grade level applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service which provided the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:

• Identifying and applying appropriate research designs and methodologies;
• Collecting and analyzing quantitative data (e.g., using R, SAS, SPSS, SQL, Python);
• Distilling complex information into key facts or recommendations; and
• Developing written and oral presentations of the results.

Applicants may substitute 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree for the required specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level. (must submit a copy of unofficial transcripts). Applicants may substitute a combination of the specialized experience and education above to qualify for the GS-11 grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the first year may be substituted for specialized experience (must submit a copy of unofficial transcripts).

GS-9: Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements above all applicants must meet the additional requirements for the GS -9 grade level applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service which provided the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:

• Collecting and analyzing quantitative data (e.g., using R, SAS, SPSS, SQL, Python);
• Distilling complex information into key facts or recommendations; and
• Developing written and/or oral presentations of the results.

Applicants may substitute 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree for the required specialized experience at the GS-9 grade level. (must submit a copy of unofficial transcripts). Applicants may substitute a combination of the specialized experience and education above to qualify for the GS-9 grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the first year may be substituted for specialized experience (must submit a copy of unofficial transcripts).

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. Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your education (if applicable), experience, and training that is relevant to the duties of this position. If you are found minimally qualified for the job, your application package will be further evaluated to determine your possession of the critical knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics of this announcement. Applicants found to be among the top candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview.

You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is not received by the closing date of this announcement.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12916024

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar across HHS.

HHS has a critical preparedness and response mission: HHS protects the American people from health threats, researches emerging diseases, and mobilizes public health programs with domestic and international partners. In support of this mission, HHS offers its employees the opportunity to volunteer to become Federal Civilian Detailees and contribute their unique skills through voluntary temporary assignments to humanitarian emergencies or Departmental priorities countering new and emerging health, safety, and security threats.

A resume showing relevant experience (cover letter optional). Proof of enrollment and transcript.

Note: You may submit an unofficial transcript. However, an official transcript from an accredited educational institution may be required if you are selected for the position.

All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):

• Resume
• Transcript

Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s), which may not be required for all applicants:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Proof of Enrollment
• Reasonable Accommodation Documentation
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

• Other Supporting Documents: (Only submit if applicable to you)
• Veterans' Preference documentation - If you are a veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy - 4) and, if applicable, and Application for 10-Point Veterans Preference and an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces that supports your claim.
• PRL Documentation: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for consideration under the PRL, you MUST submit proof of eligibility. Appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, an SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function to another commuting area. You MUST also submit documentation to reflect your current (or last) performance rating of record along with your application package. Those eligible for consideration will need to be rated as well-qualified at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position in order to exercise selection priority.

For additional résumé and application tips:

• For information on how to build or upload a resume, as well as other resume topics, visit the USA Jobs resume help: USA Jobs Help: Resume
• You can also watch: USA Jobs: 5 Tips for Communicating Your Qualifications for additional information.

Next steps

Additional locations