Statistician

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, Office of Budget Service, Cost Estimation and Analysis Division (CEAD), in Washington, DC. CEAD is responsible for developing full-cost estimates for multiple educational programs, as well as aiding in administrative cost estimates for Federal student financial assistance programs.

Duties

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APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 200 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 200th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first. We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.

As a Statistician, GS-1530-11, you will be responsible for:

• Assisting in identifying problems of data quality and completeness and working to develop statistically sound solutions to statistical problems Incumbent coordinates security, communications, transportation, and logistics requirement for the Secretary of Education.
• With supervisory guidance, carries out analytical projects requiring statistical methods. Providing statistical support for both policy development and program management initiatives within the program office and advising other principal offices within the agency on the collection and use of data.
• Assisting in implementing improved methods and techniques for assembling, evaluating, analyzing, and representing data. Supporting implementation of changes in analytical practices and procedures. This work supports the work of other principal offices within the agency and supports policy development within the program office.

As a Statistician, GS-1530-12, you will be responsible for:

• Planning analytical projects requiring statistical methods. Assembling, evaluating, analyzing, and representing data. Preparing quantitative analyses from Federal Student Aid, National Center for Education Statistics, Census, and other sources to estimate the costs of the federal student aid programs (e.g. Federal Pell Grant, FDSL), drawing upon a range of statistical software, including SAS and other statistical applications
• Providing advice about problems of data quality and completeness and working to develop statistically sound solutions to statistical problems. Initiating improved methods and techniques for assembling, evaluating, analyzing, and representing data. Proposing and assisting in implementing changes in analytic practices and procedures. This work supports the work of other principal offices within the agency and supports policy development within other program offices.
• Writing a variety of statistical, technical, and general information memos and reports for agency and external audiences, including Executive Office of the President, other federal agencies, states, and professional organizations. Presenting findings that are both rigorous and accessible and does so orally and in writing.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has interagency agreements (IAAs) with other agencies to ensure efficient delivery of funded programs and activities and move closer to fulfilling the President's promise to return education to the states. Employees may receive detail assignments to these agencies in support of the IAAs.

Condition of Employment:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary or trial 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 OR trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

If you are a current federal employee, you must meet all time-in-grade and time-after competitive appointment qualifications within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. To verify that you meet these requirements, we will review your responses to the core eligibility questions on the occupational questionnaire, as well as your submitted resume and required documents. To make an accurate determination, you will need to include on your resume your federal position title, pay plan, occupational series, grade level, agency, dates for which you held the grade level (stated as MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY, OR MM/YYYY to PRESENT), and total hours worked per week. 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).

Key Requirements

• Relocation expenses will not be paid.
• Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
• You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
• Must be a US Citizen.
• Must complete a Background Investigation and Fingerprint check.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements

You may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-11/12, if you possess the following specialized experience.

Specialized Experience for the GS-11

One year of experience in either federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-9 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:

1. Experience performing defined parts of major projects involving unpredictable factors and carrying out of integrated procedures.

2. Experience assisting in the evaluation of alternatives used to determine the appropriate procedures for efficiency, reliability, and feasibility.

3. Experience preparing documentation of procedures, technical documentation and code, and problems encountered.

Specialized Experience for the GS-12

One year of experience in either federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-11 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:

1. Experience leading projects involving unpredictable factors and carrying out of integrated procedures.

2. Experience leading the evaluation of alternatives used to determine the appropriate procedures for efficiency, reliability, and feasibility.

3. Experience reviewing and editing documentation of procedures, technical documentation and code, and problems encountered.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

GS-11

1. Ability to analyze factual information and evaluate significant factors and solve problems based on statistical data.
2. Knowledge of statistical theories and methodologies to coordinate simultaneous projects.
3. Ability to prepare reports and documentation.

GS-12

1. Ability to apply analytical mathematical, and statistical methods to research, plan, and direct analyses of education databases.
2. Ability to analyze program requirements to plan, conduct and oversee analytic studies.
3. Ability to evaluate factors relative to the assignment area and draw rational references to prepare reports of methods and findings.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. (use the correct information for the series you are announcing)

A. 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

or

B. 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.

You may meet the minimum qualifications of this position by meeting the following education options.

GS-11

Ph.D.

or

equivalent doctoral degree

or

3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related

or

A combination of specialized experience and education that when taken as a percentage of the required education and experience total 100% or more.

GS-12 - Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level.

Additional information

Veterans' Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email [redacted] to schedule a session with a career counselor ("Veterans Counseling Session" should be placed in the subject line of the email).

Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.

Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.

Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.

Financial Disclosure: This position does not require financial disclosure.

Bargaining Unit: This position is included in the bargaining unit.

Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.

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.

As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a work life balance, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Educa