Business Analyst Specialist

This announcement provides the opportunity for a reassignment/promotion to the Business Analyst Specialist position in our Research & Insights Solution Center, located in Arlington, VA. Duties The OIG's Strategic Foresight & Oversight (SFO) team unit provides proactive oversight and insight into postal operations, finances, and emerging market risks. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of USPS and postal/parcel market data, the SFO develops postal and industry intelligence and provides senior OIG leadership with awareness and clear options regarding emerging issues of strategic importance. The SFO's analysis of current and future trends in postal finances and operations supports the USPS OIG's strategic planning, workplans, and helps optimize the alignment of agency resources and attention. The SFO also supports component-level optimization and provides situational intelligence to support the USPS OIG's external stakeholder engagements. Bring your skills and voice to our team! The USPS OIG's mission is to promote integrity, accountability, and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service. The Business Analyst Specialist supports the SFO mission by providing subject matter expertise in postal finances, operations, and market dynamics to help identify emerging trends, risks, and opportunities across the postal and delivery landscape. As a recognized SME and strategic advisor, the incumbent analyzes complex, multi-dimensional data to deliver actionable insights on issues such as market dynamics, USPS strategy, financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and emerging threats. They lead the communication of strategic findings through executive-level presentations, authoritative written memoranda and reports, and advanced data visualizations for internal and external stakeholders. The employee will also support the planning, allocation, and oversight of operational project budgets and assist in identifying, onboarding, and managing specialized external contractor support to advance SFO research initiatives. This position is being advertised at the Specialist Band level, equivalent to a GS-14. The salary range for this position is $143,913.00 - $187,093.00. The salary figures include locality pay. Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the agency's needs at the time of hire. The following description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations. - Lead Comprehensive Strategy Analysis: Serve as the technical expert in analyzing and synthesizing complex USPS financial statements, long-range strategic plans, Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) filings, and proprietary operational datasets to identify enterprise-wide trends, structural vulnerabilities, and long-term financial risks. - Evaluate Industry & Market Transformation: Master and monitor the broader logistics, parcel, and postal industry landscape. Continually evaluate market player strategies, supply chain developments, macroeconomic forces, and policy shifts to determine their strategic implications for the USPS and the OIG. - Architect Advanced Analytical Frameworks: Independently conceptualize, develop, and deploy innovative quantitative and qualitative analytical methodologies to isolate current and future trends across diverse USPS business verticals and market environments. - Identify Emerging Threat Vectors: Utilize advanced data tools and unstructured intelligence to pinpoint, contextualize, and forecast systemic risks, including illicit use of the postal network, counterfeit postage, and fraud trends. - Deliver Executive Communication & Data Visualization: Independently author authoritative internal memoranda, strategic issue briefs, and longer-form analyses on issues of vital importance to the postal ecosystem. Demystify highly intricate financial, operational, and regulatory concepts into clear, executive-level narratives and dynamic, interactive data visualization formats (e.g., real-time dashboards). - Advise Senior Leadership & Stakeholders: Function as a key advisor to the SFO Director and OIG executive leadership, briefing senior officials and external stakeholders on critical findings, emerging market risks, and strategic options. - Represent the Agency Externally: Maintain authoritative situational awareness by representing the SFO and OIG at high-level postal, regulatory, logistics, and supply-chain industry conferences, panel discussions, and inter-agency working groups. - Project Budget Execution: Independently plan, track, and manage allocated project budgets and analytical tool expenditures to ensure alignment with OIG strategic priorities and financial guardrails. - Contractor Sourcing: Identify technical research gaps and draft Statements of Work (SOWs) or performance specifications to source specialized external vendors, academic contractors, or data platforms required for SFO analytical projects. - Performs other duties as assigned. Requirements Conditions of employment - Must be a U.S. citizen - Must be able to pass a drug screening - Must be able to pass a background investigation - Must be able to obtain and maintain Moderate Background Investigations security clearance - Must be able to obtain and maintain a government-issued credit card - May be required to successfully complete a 12-month probationary period Qualifications MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS You must meet ALL of the minimum qualifications listed below. - Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in a relevant field such as business administration, finance, economics, public policy, or data analysis. AND - At least 3 years of professional experience in planning and conducting market or business analysis using both quantitative and qualitative methods, including data analysis, to develop public-facing reports. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS - Demonstrated experience conducting strategic analysis of postal or parcel logistics/delivery industries, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. - Demonstrated expert knowledge of business intelligence tools, visualization platforms, and executive communication techniques sufficient to translate dense, complex data into salient, actionable insights for internal and external audiences. - Knowledge of federal procurement processes, Contracting Officer Representative (COR) functions, Statement of Work (SOW) development, contract administration, and project-level budget formulation. - Expert ability to think strategically by analyzing complex issues, anticipating risks and opportunities, connecting data to broader trends, identifying implications for decisionmakers, and shaping recommendations. - Proven track record of compiling strategic insights into high-quality data visualizations/dashboards, analytical reports, briefs, and other professional written deliverables tailored to various audiences. - Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. - Flexibility and adaptability in managing shifting priorities and contributing to a team-oriented culture. EVALUATION FACTORS You must have the experience, knowledge and skills as listed in EACH of the evaluation factors. Failure to demonstrate that you meet all of the evaluation factor requirements as listed below will result in a score of zero (0); an ineligible status, and you will not be referred for further consideration. Include your major accomplishments relevant to the position requirements in your resume. 1. Demonstrated expertise in financial modeling/analysis sufficient to perform in-depth analyses of financial statements, product costing data, and regulatory filings to assess enterprise-wide financial health and sustainability. 2. Interest in or experience with Postal Service operations, parcel/mail delivery, and/or regulated industries. 3. Demonstrated expertise in evaluating business and economic strategies, macroeconomic forces, and/or policy shifts to assess their strategic implications on the financial and operational health of an organization and forecast emerging operational and financial risks. 4. Demonstrated ability to independently plan, execute, and oversee research and analytical projects sufficient to ensure successful completion and documentation of complex initiatives. 5. Ability and experience expressing and presenting analytical findings and strategic takeaways clearly and concisely, in writing, orally, and through data visualization, to senior leadership and external stakeholders. You will no longer be considered for this position if you: fail to respond to all of the questions in the self-assessment questionnaire; fail to address a factor in the narrative section (no response or "See resume" or similar language will be scored a zero (0)); or receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor. Failure to demonstrate that you meet all evaluation factor requirements will result in a score of zero (0). Upon receipt of a zero score, you will be deemed "not minimally qualified," and you will not be referred for further consideration. The USPS OIG uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale. Grade and salary determinations will be made based upon a candidate's education and professional experience. Candidates will be evaluated on the skills that they possess that are directly related to the duties of the position and the experience, education and training that indicate the applicant's ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Only those candidates who meet all qualification and eligibility requirements and who submit the required information by 11:59 PM EST on 11/12/2026 will be considered. Education Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation here: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation. Special Instructions for Candidates with Foreign Education: Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in U.S. education programs. You must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. credential evaluation service to interpret equivalency of your education against courses given in U.S. accredited colleges and universities. For further information visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications. Additional information Pay is only part of the compensation you will earn working for the USPS OIG. We offer a broad array of benefits programs: As a result of the passage of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (PSRA), USPS employees (including USPS OIG) and retirees will transition from the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program to the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program effective January 1, 2025. Detailed information about eligibility and enrollment will be provided upon hiring. For more information, visit the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program website at https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/pshb/. We offer Health, Dental, Vision, Life and Long-Term Care Insurances with Flexible Spending options as well.For more information about these programs visit: https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/Federal-Employees/ Retirement and Thrift Savings. For more information about these programs see https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/ and tsp.gov/. Flexible Work Schedules. USPS OIG offers a range of family-friendly flexibilities including flexible work schedules, telework and employee assistance programs. Leave and Holidays. In addition to eleven (11) paid holidays each year, you will earn thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave and thirteen (13) to twenty-six (26) paid vacation days each year depending on your years of service. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Status: Exempt (Nonexempt employees are entitled to overtime pay; Exempt employees are not). For further information, please refer to our website at: https://www.uspsoig.gov/frequently-asked-questions Expand Hide additional information 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. 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. Review our 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.