Statistician (Data Scientist)

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This position is open for current permanent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) applicants and those eligible under CTAP.

Major duties include (but not limited to):

• Is responsible for data analysis, data management, reporting and program development for designated areas as assigned (for example, performance, access and waiting times, patient centered care, planning and enrollment and provider, patient and customer satisfaction, etc.)
• Designs and implements numerous data reporting systems for retrieving and displaying statistical data from VA database.
• Designs and implements complex national studies and analyses and performs analytical and evaluative work related to specific content areas.
• Designs and develops national tools and knowledge products, including surveys, databases, reports, etc.
• Proactively work with API/CART programs and Central Office and field leaders to identify needs and develop information products to meet those needs.
• Evaluates information and makes recommendations for effective organizational changes, including those related to the collection analysis of data and presentation of information. Performs organizational analysis for key VA or VHA programs or specific national projects of CART.
• Produces analytical reports and studies that are made available to a wide variety of constituents, including oversight bodies and external stakeholders. Translates data into meaningful management information.
• Produces information and evaluates/analyzes, on a quantitative or qualitative bases, the effectiveness of programs or operations in meeting established goals and objectives.
• Ensures the accuracy of information delivered and is responsible for total management for all functions related to assigned program areas. This includes, but is not limited to, technical delivery, program ownership, accountability and long-range strategic planning.
• Provides CART oversight for the total quality management of information delivered, including information produced via the Corporate Data Warehouse as well as specific ad-hoc reports and analyses. Sets standards and ensures that data and statistical inferential presentations adhere to standards.
• Develops training materials or other tools to assist managers in utilizing data and reports that are produced. Ensures comprehensive documentation regarding all data and analyses produced. Monitors end user satisfaction to drive enhancements and increase performance. Responds to user feedback mechanisms.
• Reviews and recommends appropriate analytical tools and software for unique and challenging problems and studies.
• Reviews, justifies and recommends acquisition of appropriate resources to perform detailed analyses.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Authorized
Telework: This position may be authorized for ad hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Ad hoc is defined as occasional, non-recurring telework.
Virtual: This position may be authorized for Virtual Work. Virtual Work eligibility is for current VA employees that are already subject to the return to the in-person work mandate in their current position.
Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA-owned or leased space.
Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption. Any approval for an RTO exception, exemption, or extension will happen after a tentative job offer, but before a final job offer.
PD #: 66067-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. There may be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Work Requirements: Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted climate-controlled office space.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial 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 agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Requirements:

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Requirements:

A. 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

B. 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. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Selective Placement Factor: A Selective Placement Factor* has been requested by the facility to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for this position. The selective placement factor for this position is:

• Do you have experience improving complex management processes and data systems, including retrieving and displaying statistical data from a Corporate Data Warehouse; designing and developing national SQL databases; translating data into meaningful management information; and performing data analysis/estimation using R and/or SAS.

You must provide evidence of your knowledge, skills, or abilities that meet the above Selective Placement Factor in your Resume in order to receive credit.*Selective Placement Factors represent knowledge, skills, or abilities that are essential for successful job performance and cannot reasonably be acquired on the job during the period of orientation/training customary for the position. Selective Placement Factors will be used for qualification purposes. Applicants with no evidence of the Selective Placement Factor present in their Resume will be disqualified from consideration.

AND

Specialized Experience:In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, you must also meet the specialized experience requirement.Specialized experience for the GS-13 grade level is defined as one year of experience at the GS-12 level, or equivalent that is directly related to the position and which has equipped the candidate with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to:

• Mastering of a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness or the improvement of complex management processes and data systems.
• Applying methods of scientific inquiry and quantitative techniques, specifically statistical design and analysis, data modeling, network analysis and other operations research analytical techniques, statistical estimation and inference.
• Planning and organizing work and negotiating effectively with management to accept and implement recommendations where the proposals involve substantial agency resources, require extensive changes in established procedures, or that may be in conflict with the desires of the activity studied.
• Understanding the principles of corporate databases, including those related to performance, financial management, enrollment, planning and workload.
• Communicating both orally and in writing to diverse audiences at all levels of VA, as well as oversight organizations and external stakeholders.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-13 level.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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; religions; 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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• Transcript

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

Next steps