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Social Scientist

Department of Homeland Security
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Office of Chief Financial Officer
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Who May Be Considered:

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/20/2024 to 02/26/2024
This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$99,200 to - $153,254 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Arlington, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CISAWIDE-MP-12316596-24-JJ
Control number
777278300

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Duties

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Typical work assignments include:

  • Serves as a Social Scientist responsible for developing, carrying out, and overseeing evaluation activities and analyses to further the mission of various Federal agencies.
  • Serves as the Contracting Officer's Representative and/or Project/Program Manager responsible for overseeing, directing, and managing the evaluation efforts of others, including other Federal staff and/or external, third-party contractors.
  • Participates in the execution of the PA&E function, including performance management, program evaluation, and learning agenda capabilities across CISA.
  • Consults and coordinates activities with subject matter experts, representatives of other Federal Government agencies, business concerns, and others.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • Must reside within 50-mile radius of duty location.
  • Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service see http://www.sss.gov/
  • All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
  • DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
  • Pre-Employment Drug Testing: This position requires a pre-employment drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use, and you must have a negative drug test result prior to appointment into the position. A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
  • Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).

Qualifications

To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required education and/or experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Minimum Qualification requirements as listed below.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
OR
Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

You qualify for the GS-12 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level (or equivalent) performing the following duties:

  1. Developing methodologies and techniques for data collection, analysis, and presentation.
  2. Providing technical support, technical assistance, and/or training on evaluation topics for use by internal stakeholders at an agency or organization.
  3. Designing, overseeing, implementing, and conducting evaluation and monitoring studies and projects to assess program and policy effectiveness and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of assigned programs and policies.
  4. Analyzing results of programs, policies, and/or resource allocations as a result of evaluation and monitoring findings.
You qualify for the GS-13 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level (or equivalent) performing the following duties:
  1. Making decisions about adjustments to research and evaluations plans with appropriate supervisory consultation.
  2. Performing complex quantitative and qualitative analysis of programs and policies using appropriate research methodology and presents information and findings in analyses and reports.
  3. Using appropriate behavioral and social science principles and methods to perform a range of technical and substantive program evaluation activities.
  4. Participating in the creation of study data files in statistical software, data entry, and execution of relevant statistical functions, execution of statistical analyses, and interpretation and analysis of data.

National Service Experience (i.e., 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; 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.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying).

Time After Competitive Appointment: By the closing date specified in this job announcement, current Federal civilian employees must wait at least 90 days after their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive service referral certificate before promotion, transfer, reinstatement, reassignment, or detail.

All qualification requirements, including Time-in-Grade, must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification AND Time-in-Grade claims will be subject to verification.

Education

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for a position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements. You must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

Additional information

  • Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expenses will not be paid.
  • Other incentives may be authorized.
  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
  • This position has been designated excluded from bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 U.S.C. 7112(B)(6).
  • When entering a federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified applicants and employees with a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, unless to do so would create an undue hardship to the agency (29 CFR 1614.203 (2017)). If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, contact the CISA Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (OEDIA) by sending an email to CISA_ReasonableAccommodation@cisa.dhs.gov with the subject line, "Reasonable Accommodation Request @ CISA." In the email itself, you must include your name, vacancy announcement number(s), and state your intent to seek a reasonable accommodation. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. For more information or inquiries, please contact the CISA Reasonable Accommodation Program at CISA_ReasonableAccommodation@cisa.dhs.gov.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Shared Certificate: When CISA completes their selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with other DHS Component agencies who are hiring for similar positions. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application materials, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with other DHS Component agencies. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Oral Communication
  • Project Management
  • Research
  • Writing


For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

For Non-competitive Appointment Eligibles: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (I/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well-qualified under I/CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must 1) be a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement. (Note: Veteran's preference does not apply under Merit Promotion procedures.)

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

To preview the application questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12316596

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