Data Scientist (AI)

Duties

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In this role as a Data Scientist, you will be responsible for:

• Serving as a subject matter expert in the science of artificial intelligence and machine learning, advising and/or consulting with both internal and external stakeholders on issues concerning application of those technologies as needed. Communicating complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborating with other technical teams to integrate research and development outputs into production environments. Managing and guiding the technical development of projects by contracted developers.
• Designing, developing, maintaining, and modifying quantitative models, metrics, and reports that support various program areas. Conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses and evaluations using a wide variety of commercial and SEC databases to support the mission of the SEC.
• Developing and operationalizing AI models programmatically, including generating, parsing, and interpreting structured AI responses. Engineering high-performing prompts and retrieval-augmented workflows to refine accuracy and reduce errors. Designing agentic workflows to solve challenging tasks. Implementing responsible AI practices to ensure outputs are reliable and aligned with organizational risk objectives.
• Writing clear, maintainable, well-documented code that supports long-term readability and team collaboration. Familiar with version control practices to ensure transparency, traceability, and collaborative development. Designing analyses and experimenting to be fully reproducible through structured project organization, environment management, pinned dependencies, and deterministic workflows.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• CITZENSHIP: You must be a US Citizen.
• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/).
• SECURITY CLEARANCE: Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. Favorable results on a Background Investigation may be a condition of employment or selection to another position.
• PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized.
• DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: This appointment may require completion of a one-year probationary period.
• The selectee is required to report to the duty station(s) listed.

Qualifications

Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please check the HowYou Will Be Evaluated and Required Documents sections carefully, as missing documents will render the application incomplete and ineligible for review.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

1. Degree: Mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science or field directly related to the position. The degree must be in a major field of study (at least at the baccalaureate level) that is appropriate for the position.
   
   or
2. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major field of study (30 semester hours) as shown in paragraph A above, plus additional education or appropriate experience.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement.

SK-14: Applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-13 level:

1. Implementing and operationalizing advanced artificial intelligence, and/or network analysis on datasets using the Python (or comparable) programming language; AND

2. Leading and overseeing the implementation of advanced intelligence projects.

ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information:

Competency 1: Technical Expertise in AI/ML: Applies AI/ML, quantitative modeling, and statistical analysis skills to build and

maintain models and advance research while applying responsible AI practices. Operationalizes AI systems into production.

Competency 2: Technical Execution: Produces clean, well-documented code. Uses reproducible workflows through strong version

control, structured processes, and consistent attention to technical quality.

Competency 3: Technical Communication: Translates technical information into non-technical terms and accurately convey technical

information to end users (e.g., staff, management) and outside parties, including the technical documentation of applications, systems,

Standard Operating Procedures, etc.

Competency 4: Teamwork and Collaboration: Interacts with internal and external others in a manner that advances SEC goals and

objectives.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts or equivalent by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Internal Applicants: OHR will verify education qualifications for internal applicants using documents in the Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). If required transcripts or certificates are not present in your eOPF, you will be required to provide them to OHR. If selected, a start date will not be established until official transcripts are received.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. For more information, click here.

Applicants may also find the following helpful:

National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is an association of 19 credential evaluation services with admission standards and an enforced code of good practice.

Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE) is an association of 10 credential evaluation services with a board of advisors and an enforced code of ethics.

Additional information

Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement and may be filled from any division or office within the agency.

SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: Total salary (base pay + locality) is dependent upon duty location. The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes; a selectee's initial pay will be established below the maximum rate of the range. The pay for current SEC employees will be determined according to the procedures specified in the agency's policy. Please click here for a compensation overview.

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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

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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.