Summary

This position is located in the Railroad Retirement Board's Bureau of the Actuary and Research. The incumbent participates in planning and providing technical direction of the statistical programs of the division, including studies of the operations of benefit provisions of the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, and special computations for the Financial Interchange Program.

This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Duties

As a Supervisory Statistician (General)/Supervisory Operations Research Analyst, you will:

Participate in planning, organizing, developing, and providing technical direction of the statistical programs of the division, including studies of the operations of benefit provisions of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), special computations for the Financial Interchange Program, and the employment trends with the railroad industry.
Recommend the commitment of division resources to various projects and studies.
Conduct important statistical and research studies, making complex cost computations, and making recommendations for technical amendments and corrective regulations.
Use various scientific methodologies, simulations, and models to analyze problems of interrelationships and complexities of data to conduct studies involving railroad employment, benefit implications, and Financial Interchange concerns.
Advise RRB officials on the statistical and financial implications of proposed legislation.
Manage and supervise the work activities of employees assigned to the division.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen
Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
You may be subject to a managerial trial period of 1 year. If you do not perform successfully, you will be returned to a position of no lower pay or grade than that which you occupied before assignment to this position.
Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment.

Qualifications

This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in either of the job series listed below.

Basic Education Requirements for Statistics Series 1530:

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.

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.

Basic Education Requirements for Operations Research Series 1515:

Degree: in operations research; or at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as defined below.

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

Conducting important statistical and research projects, special studies including on proposed legislation, and cost calculations using scientific methodologies, simulations, and models to deal with problems of interrelationships and complexities of data;
Knowledge of analytical and technical procedures and techniques in order to study and assess benefit trends to reach sound conclusions and make pertinent recommendations;
Developing and preparing high quality and comprehensive analytical reports; and
Managing personnel, including assigning and balancing work, identifying training needs, and evaluating performance.

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.

Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement; therefore, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Please include a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) that demonstrate that you meet the education requirements listed above. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please be advised that an official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

FOREIGN EDUCATION:
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; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, click here.

Additional information

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP):

ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. You must be determined to be well-qualified for the vacancy to be eligible for special selection priority. After submission of an acceptable application which meets ICTAP eligibility, you will be determined to be well-qualified for a vacancy if your rating places you in the best qualified category.
ICTAP eligibles must submit proof of eligibility for special selection priority. Please see the Required Documents section below for more information. Click here for more information on ICTAP.

If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act; the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

Applying online is highly encouraged. 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 to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

This position will be filled using direct-hire procedures. Qualified candidates will be referred for consideration in accordance with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's direct hire guidelines. Veteran's Preference, category rating, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to the direct hire authority process.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., transcripts, resume), your responses on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessment required for this position.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The Federal Supervisor Assessment questions target seven critical supervisory competencies: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, flexibility, interpersonal skills, problem solving, and resilience.

The following factors are of particular importance to the position to be filled, and applicants should provide specific detailed information in these areas as part of their application.

Ability to communicate orally
Ability to communicate in writing to different levels of agency personnel and stakeholders.
Experience and/or knowledge of the Social Security Act (SSA) or similar Federal benefit program; the provision of unemployment and sickness benefits; and the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax provisions.
Skill in searching, sampling, analyzing and developing data for use in preparing technical reports, charts, graphs, and other documentation.
Knowledge of SAS, R, IBM Db2 Query Management Facility (QMF), Power BI, and other query languages.
Knowledge of spreadsheet software, specifically Microsoft Excel and Visual Basic.
Knowledge of analytical and technical procedures and techniques in order to study and assess benefit trends to reach sound conclusions and make pertinent recommendations.

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.

Required Documents

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

Resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. Resume must not exceed 2 pages. Applicants will be removed from consideration if their resume is longer than 2 pages. Please see "How to Apply" for additional information regarding the limit.
Transcripts: Copies of all college courses must be submitted. Original transcripts will be required if selected.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation: If you are eligible under ICTAP, you must submit all required materials verifying your eligibility as listed in "Additional Information." These materials include:
- Proof of eligibility: You must submit documentation such as a separation notice or other required material; and
- SF-50: You must submit a copy of a recent Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 that shows career or career-conditional competitive service status (Blocks #24 and #34 must be completed); and
- Performance Appraisal: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal, which must be rated at least fully successful or equivalent. (This is not required if you are eligible for ICTAP due to compensable injury or disability retirement.) The performance appraisal may also be used as part of the ranking process and/or to verify your responses to the questionnairre.

How to Apply

In accordance with the Merit Hiring Plan, only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications, and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.

For additional guidance on what to include in your resume, please see USAJOBS Help.

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about one hour to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Agency contact information

RRB Human Resources

Phone: (312) 751-4580
Email: recruit@rrb.gov

Address: Railroad Retirement Board
844 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and possible referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.

Supervisory Statistician (General)/Supervisory Operations Research Analyst - Direct Hire Authority Job in Chicago, IL