Summary

This position supports the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Medical Disability Examination Office (MDEO) in Washington, D.C. The primary purpose for this position is to serve as a Data Scientist, supporting the data architecture modernization and sustainment, and analyzing data and trends associated with medical disability examinations associated with Veterans and their claims.

Duties

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• Conduct regression analysis, statistical analysis, modeling, machine learning, Natural Language Processing, time series forecasting, exploratory data analysis and data visualization.
• Work in established and emerging data science tools such as Toad, SAS, R, Python, PowerBI, Tableau, and cloud analytics platforms. Conduct data extraction by using computer programming without preset specifications.
• Responsible for identifying the methods, processes, algorithms, tools, and systems to extract and interpret findings from varied structured and unstructured datasets related to the data science lifecycle.
• Complete work that involves the development of algorithms or tools to support data manipulation and processing as well as the use of data visualization techniques to articulate findings.
• Utilize visualization tools, such as Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE), and Power BI.
• Plan and conduct data science projects in support of workload forecasting; identifying Veteran, medical disability examinations, claims, and medical disability examinations.
• Create and design dashboards and other data visualization reports to support MDEO leadership and external stakeholders. Support transition and migration of reporting platforms.
• Monitor, track, and communicate changes and developments in data science research and technology. Report key advances and results from proof-of-concept testing to assigned project lead or supervisor.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary or trial period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements I-9 Acceptable Documents.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this job opportunity announcement, 06/22/2026.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR) / 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.

To qualify at the GS-13 grade level: In addition to basic requirements, applicants must have completed at least 1 full year (52 weeks) equivalent to the next lower grade level of GS-12, in a federal, state and/or private setting. Specialized experience for this position must include: (1) Experience using SQL querying language (such as Oracle SQL or PLSQL) to acquire data from relational databases for data science projects. (2) Experience using data mining techniques to design and execute data science projects. (3) Experience using data visualization tools (such as Microsoft Power BI or Tableau) for data visualization (graphs, tables, charts, etc.,) and end-user business intelligence.

Examples of specialized experience for this position may include:

1. Experience preparing and analyzing structured and unstructured datasets for exploration and evaluating data science centric models.
2. Experience working with multiple data types and formats as a part of a data science project.
3. Experience applying a range of analytic approaches, including (but not limited to) machine learning, text analytics, and natural language processing; graph theory, link analysis and optimization models; complex adaptive systems; and/or deep learning neural networks that are part of the exploration
4. Experience coding in various programming languages (such as R, Python, SQL, or JAVA) to conduct various phases of data science projects.
5. Experience creating and querying different datastores and architectures (such as Sybase, Oracle, and open-source databases) to work with various types of data as part of the data science project.
6. Experience planning and executing a variety of data science and/or analytics projects.

There is no educational substitution authorized for the grade level of GS-13.

Volunteer Experience: 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; religions; 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.

Full-Time vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

An unofficial or official copy of your transcripts must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education

Additional information

This is not a Virtual/Remote Position.

Work Schedule: Regular office hours, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Alternate work schedules may be available.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary.

Promotion Potential: The full performance level of this position is grade GS-13.

VA supports the use of ad-hoc telework to attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Eligibility may be discussed during the interview process. Ad-hoc telework is subject to approval by individual supervisors and managers, is considered a privilege not a right, is subject to approval based on performance and other varying factors, and is not guaranteed.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly appointed federal employees credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used to determine the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

Under the "Fair Chance to Compete Act", the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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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.

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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.