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Mathematical Statistician - PD 21E019 - Division of Statistical and Research Methods

Department of Health and Human Services
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends/ Division of Statistical and Research Methods
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Division of Statistical and Research Methods. The duty location is in Rockville, MD.

**Applicants please note: Additional selections may be made across the Department of Health and Human Services through this vacancy announcement.**

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/30/2021 to 08/13/2021
Salary
$144,128 to - $172,500 per year

Salary range listed includes locality pay.

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
Rockville, MD
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
AHRQ-CFACT-21-DH-11165389
Control number
608669600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy. This position is also open to PHS Commissioned Corps Officers. PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers will be referred as CC personnel and not as a candidate for conversion to a permanent federal appointment.

Duties

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Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during open and closing date of this announcement.

As a Mathematical Statistician in the Division of Statistical and Research Methods, you will conduct research applying principles of mathematical statistics to complex issues in health care financing and healthcare services research.

Specifically, you will:

  • Develop a research agenda related to improvements in the efficiency of data collection processes and the quality of data produced using substantive research tools from the fields of statistics, demography, sociology and survey research methods.
  • Provide expert technical expertise on statistical issues related to establishment surveys including sampling, estimation, nonresponse bias, data quality, and standards for disclosure avoidance.
  • Determine the usefulness of research findings to various audiences and facilities, the dissemination of results through extensive contact with other researchers and persons requesting data or technical assistance.
  • Provide technical assistance and scientific advice to AHRQ, other departments and Agencies, and researchers under government contract or grants in universities and in and proprietary and not-for-profit research organizations. This may involve providing research findings, advice on study design, sampling data collections, management of data files, data processing, and analysis.
NOTE: Do not cut and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U. S. Citizenship is required.
  • Males ages 18 through 25 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of the pre-appointment process (i.e., background investigation, verification of qualifications and job requirements, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, etc.)
  • PHS Commissioned Corps applicants must submit current personnel orders.
  • This position has an education requirement - transcripts are required.
  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • Position is not in the Bargaining Unit.
  • Drug Screening is not required.
  • Recruitment incentives are not authorized.
  • Student loan repayment incentive is not authorized.

Qualifications

THESE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE: 08/13/2021

OPM Individual Occupational Requirements for the 1529 series:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

A. Degree: that included 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, of which at least 12 semester hours were in mathematics and 6 semester hours were in statistics. Courses acceptable toward meeting the mathematics course requirement of paragraphs A or B above must have included at least four of the following: differential calculus, integral calculus, advanced calculus, theory of equations, vector analysis, advanced algebra, linear algebra, mathematical logic, differential equations, or any other advanced course in mathematics for which one of these was a prerequisite. Courses in mathematical statistics or probability theory with a prerequisite of elementary calculus or more advanced courses will be accepted toward meeting the mathematics requirements, with the provision that the same course cannot be counted toward both the mathematics and the statistics requirement.

OR

B. If your degree does not include all of the required coursework for A. You may meet the IOR based on a combination of education and experience. Your education must include the course as shown in A above (at least 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, including at least 12 hours in mathematics and 6 hours in statistics), plus appropriate experience or additional education. Applicable experience should include evidence of statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying known statistical techniques to data such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.

NOTE: Without other indications of statistical experience, work required in the processing of numerical or quantified information by other than statistical methods is not considered appropriate qualifying experience. Examples of such nonqualifying work include statistical clerical work; statistical drafting; calculation of totals, averages, percentages, or other arithmetic summations; preparation of simple tables or charts; or verification of data by simple comparison or proofreading.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT:

In addition to the OPM Education requirements, to qualify for this GS-15 position, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-14 level in federal service.

Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, an applicant's one full year of specialized experience must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successful job performance.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience equal to the GS-14 level include performing the following types of tasks on a regular and recurring basis:

Leading the estimation strategy or overall survey design of a large data collection or data development effort on behalf of an organization; facilitating the dissemination of results through extensive contact with other researchers and persons requesting data or technical assistance; and providing technical advice and guidance to decision makers on complex and intractable design and analytical issues associated with national surveys.

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; community; student; social). If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

TO PREVIEW THE OCCUPATIONAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE, please click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11165389

Education

This position has an education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades) to document that you have met the education requirement. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required prior to your starting work.

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, visit: http://www.ed.gov.

Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. However, agencies must verify that the education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.

Additional information

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

HHS is an equal opportunity employer. Selection for this position will be based solely on merit without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, political affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, marital or family status or other differences.

Click here for information on "Federal hiring for individuals with disabilities".

  1. Security and Background Requirements: If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection and/or appropriate disciplinary action.
  2. E-Verify: AHRQ participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their social security numbers.
  3. Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  4. Creditable Service: A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for annual leave for prior work experience directly related to the duties of the position being filled. The use of this service credit is at the discretion of the selecting official and must be finalized prior to selectee's entrance on duty. For more information, please click here.
  5. Financial Disclosure: This position requires you to file a public or confidential financial disclosure report prior to receiving a final offer letter as well as within 30 days of your appointment. This will require you to report information such as recent sources of income, financial interests you hold, and outside activities you participate in, as well as similar information from a spouse or any dependent children. If you have questions, please contact AskHR@hrsa.gov.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/ Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): Click here for information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy the displaced Federal employee must be found well-qualified.

AHRQ supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. Telework eligibility may be discussed during the interview process.

How you will be evaluated

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

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy. Veterans' Preference does not apply to direct hire recruitment procedures.

Your application will be reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be referred for consideration in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire Authority.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings by the information you provide in your application. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as having knowledge of your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin prior to receiving an offer.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

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