Supervisory Research Scientist (Project Manager)

Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service; applicants with reinstatement eligibility; applicants eligible for appointment under special appointing authorities; special selection priority consideration under either the Career Transition Assistance Program or Interagency Transition Assistance Program for well-qualified displaced or surplus candidates

The Supervisory Research Scientist is responsible for the strategic management and oversight of the team's project portfolio, from initial concept development to the delivery of final reports and analytical tools. This role requires a leader with a strong background in a quantitative social science field (e.g., economics, political science, sociology, public policy) and demonstrated experience managing the full lifecycle of complex research or evaluation projects.

The incumbent will not only manage projects but also provide intellectual leadership, guiding the team in framing research questions, selecting appropriate methodologies, and interpreting findings. They will act as the primary interface between the technical team and its customers, including investigators, auditors, and OIG operational support. The primary aim of the role is in translating mission needs into actionable project plans and communicating complex analytical results in clear, compelling terms.

Key responsibilities include:

• Project and Portfolio Management: Oversee a portfolio of concurrent analytical projects, ensuring they are properly scoped, staffed, and executed to meet deadlines and quality standards. Implement and manage project management systems to track progress, identify risks, and allocate resources effectively.
• Methodological Oversight: Provide expert guidance on research design, quantitative analysis, and causal inference. Review and approve analytical plans to ensure they are methodologically sound, statistically robust, and aligned with project objectives.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication: Serve as the primary point of contact for stakeholders, translating their requirements into technical specifications that are both decision-relevant and methodologically sound. Presenting analytical findings and their limitations to non-technical audiences, including senior leadership.
• Team Leadership and Supervision: As a first-line supervisor, manage a team of quantitative experts, including assigning work, evaluating performance, mentoring staff, and fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Contract and Resource Management: Serve as COR for contracts supporting the team’s mission, manage budget formulation and execution, and coordinate staff professional development. Contribute to the OIG’s strategic planning, identify high-value opportunities for new analytical work and ensure compliance with data privacy, security and use requirements.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 P.M. EST on the closing date.
• This position is subject to a background investigation.
• Relocation is not authorized.
• Drug Screening is required.

Qualifications

All documents must be received and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.  Your resume must be well documented with the specialized experience, otherwise you may be deemed ineligible.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE qualifications and the BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT for the grade(s) at which you are requesting consideration. Applicants must meet qualifications and time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

Quality Ranking Factor: Mastery of an advanced mathematical, statistical, or quantitative social science discipline combined with a deep understanding of advanced statistical, econometric, or causal inference methods. A Ph.D. in a highly quantitative field (e.g., Economics, Statistics, Data Science or any suitable degree that relates to the position) is strongly preferred.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

For GS-15: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) listed below:

• Managing a large portfolio of concurrent, high-complexity analytical or data science projects, including establishing project management systems, resolving competing priorities and resource constraints, and ensuring rigorous delivery of products suitable for federal oversight, litigation support, or congressional reporting.
• Serving as a senior methodological authority for a team or program, reviewing and approving the analytical approaches of economists, statisticians, or data scientists, resolving novel methodological challenges, and ensuring work products meet the highest standards of scientific rigor and reproducibility.
• Exercising first-line supervisory authority over a multidisciplinary team of quantitative professionals, including performance management, workload distribution, and building team capacity through mentoring and professional development.
• Serving as a primary liaison between a specialized analytical team and senior leadership, oversight bodies, or external partners; shaping research agendas collaboratively while maintaining methodological independence, and communicating complex findings and their limitations to executive-level audiences.
• Contributing to strategic planning and interagency partnership development to expand an agency's evidence-building capabilities, including managing contracts or external research partnerships, reviewing and approving the technical and methodological approaches of contractor or external research teams, evaluating deliverable quality, and ensuring compliance with data privacy, security, and ethical data use requirements.

Competencies: Your resume will be evaluated on the following competencies in addition to the specialized experience as stated above:

• Research Portfolio Management: Plans, directs, and monitors a portfolio of concurrent advanced analytical and data science projects to ensure rigorous, timely delivery in support of oversight priorities.
• Supervisory Leadership and Staff Development: Builds and sustains a high-performing multidisciplinary team through performance management, mentoring, and strategic workload allocation to develop organizational capacity.
• Quantitative Research and Methodological Oversight: Provides expert guidance on research design, statistical modeling, causal inference, and machine learning to ensure all analytical products meet the highest standards of scientific rigor and reproducibility.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Technical Communication: Translates complex analytical methods, findings, and limitations into clear, decision-relevant language for senior leaders, investigators, auditors, and other non-technical audiences to drive informed decision-making.
• Strategic Resource and Contract Management: Manages contracts, budgets, and interagency partnerships and contributes to strategic planning to sustain and expand the team's evidence-building capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in a highly quantitative field (e.g., Economics, Statistics, Data Science or any suitable degree that relates to the position) is strongly preferred.
• Background in auditing, law enforcement/criminal justice, or prior experience in an Inspector General office preferred.
• Strong skills in contract management and budgeting with an accompanying COR certification (levels 2 or 3) strongly preferred.

How you will be evaluated

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

All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in two phases to determine how you move forward in the hiring process.

Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.

GS- 15 Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents). Applicants who do not respond to the application questions may be rated ineligible.

Federal employees must meet Time-In-Grade (TIG) requirements for merit promotion consideration.  TIG is the 52-week requirement Federal employees in competitive service, General Schedule (GS) positions at GS-5 and above must serve before they are eligible for promotion to the next grade level. TIG requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Supporting documents may either be uploaded or faxed to 571-258-4052. The requested information MUST be received by fax within 48 hours prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement (not including Saturdays, Sundays or government holidays).

NOTE: If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration.

Applicants who fail to submit all the required documentation listed below, in addition to their resumes, will be considered ineligible for further consideration for this announcement.

Resume (required) - Your resume must sufficiently describe how your experience fully meets the specialized experience requirements as stated in this announcement for each grade level(s) you are applying (see "Qualifications" section). **Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your qualifications. Your resume must also support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. We cannot assume you have performed the experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. Resume must contain all of the following for each experience/position listed: job title, name of employer, beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year format), hours worked per week, detailed description of duties performed, and if a Federal position, series and grade or equivalent. We will not access web pages linked on your resume to determine your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information.

For additional information see:

• USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
• USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements

TRANSCRIPTS: You must provide proof of meeting the basic education requirement. 

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL -Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation (documented within the last 18 months of employment) and 2) a list of any awards (e.g., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last three years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is unavailable and indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at a satisfactory or above level.

Merit Promotion - All current Federal employees must submit a recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, current grade level and full performance level of the position held.  All reinstatement eligibles/former Federal employees must submit a SF-50 documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, grade level and full performance level of the position.  

DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50, current SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks’ time-in-grade requirements. https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/service/SF-50/

Non-competitive eligibles - If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.

DD-214 and/or Vet Letter/SF-15 or VEOA - To receive consideration including veteran's preference points, all veterans must submit a copy of their DD-214 (copy Member #4). If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit your SF-15 (revised 12/04) and Vet letter. The form is available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/sf.asp. If you are a current service member, in lieu of a DD-214, you may submit a statement from your military personnel center certifying the nature and dates of your service and expected date of separation.

SCHEDULE A - To receive consideration for Schedule A appointment, you must submit your certification from a State Vocational Rehabilitation Office or the Department of Veterans Affairs that you are likely to succeed in the performance of the position.

CTAP/ICTAP - If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all the following documents:  

• your most recent performance appraisal,
• the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
• your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

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