Summary

This position is located in the Railroad Retirement Board's Bureau of Information Services. The incumbent will be responsible for designing, developing and deploying advanced analytical solutions and Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled solutions that directly support the RRB's mission.

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

This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by the Council of AFGE Locals in the Board.

Duties

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As a Data Scientist (Direct Hire), you will:

• Serve as the agency's technical authority on data science methodologies and advanced analytical techniques.
• Design and implement data quality frameworks, validation protocols, and governance standards for enterprise datasets.
• Analyze complex datasets to identify trends, anomalies, and patterns of strategic significance.
• Design and implement automated anomaly detection systems to identify irregularities in agency data that may indicate fraud, processing errors, or operational inefficiencies.
• Serve as the agency's recognized subject matter expert on data science, providing technical guidance to IT staff, data teams, and business stakeholders.

Requirements

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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
• Will be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required
• May be required to work outside of normal duty hours, such as nights, weekends, and holidays, due to operational needs.

Qualifications

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Basic Education Requirements:

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-

Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major field of study (30 semester hours) as shown above, plus additional education or appropriate experience.

TRANSCRIPTS are required to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement listed above. Failure to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application WILL result in an ineligible rating. Please see "Required Documents" section below for what documentation is required at the time of application.

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

Minimum Qualifications for GS-13 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as:

• Experience with designing, developing, testing, validating, and deploying machine learning models, algorithms, and predictive analytics solutions.
• Experience designing and implementing data quality frameworks, validation protocols, and governance standards.
• Experience designing and implementing automated anomaly detection systems to identify data irregularities.

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 and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

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.

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

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 85th percentile or higher in total possible points.
• 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.

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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.

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.