This position is located in the Bureau of the Actuary and Research, Railroad Retirement Board. The incumbent will be responsible for assisting in the activities of the financial interchange division, a multibillion dollar project mandated by the Railroad Retirement Act.
This job announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.
Summary
This position is located in the Bureau of the Actuary and Research, Railroad Retirement Board. The incumbent will be responsible for assisting in the activities of the financial interchange division, a multibillion dollar project mandated by the Railroad Retirement Act.
This job announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM? For additional information regarding the Pathways Program, please refer to the following website: Students & Recent Graduates
This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by the Council of AFGE Locals in the Board.
The RRB Recent Graduates Program affords developmental experiences in the Federal Government intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic, developmental program with the potential to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government. Following the completion of program requirements, selectees may be considered for non-competitive conversion to a career-conditional or term appointment. All conversion requirements will be identified in the Participant Agreement. Program requirements include but are not limited to:
Successful completion of at least 1-year of continuous service
Completion of at least 40 hours of interactive training
Demonstration of successful job performance
Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate may be converted
Conversion to the competitive service is not implied nor guaranteed.
As a Pathways Recent Graduate Data Scientist (Financial Interchange), you will:
Provide technical advice and assist in reviewing the accuracy of calculations for inclusion in the annual FI determinations as specified by law
Plan and develop complex statistical programs involving mainframe and personal computer applications
Work closely with the bureau's computer specialists and other staff in the development of computer programs for the processing of data
Conduct individual research in the fields of social insurance, private insurance, and pensions, and make comparisons between the railroad retirement program and similar programs for workers in other industries
Compose a variety of technical publications, memoranda, etc., pertaining to aspects of the FI
Prepare data processing requests for program changes, review documentation, prepare test data, and review test output
Work with reviewers and auditors from the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Government Accountability Office (GAO), and Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to coordinate case reviews and audit issues
Utilize SAS, R, and Microsoft Office software packages (including Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)) to accomplish a variety of work assignments
Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
Complete the online assessment
All selectees must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement.
Please see below regarding vaccination requirements and our reentry plan
Qualifications
COVID-19 INFORMATION:
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
While the RRB continues to monitor the ever-evolving and changing COVID-19 environment, as of March 28, 2022, our agency has transitioned its workforce back to the traditional office setting. Telework eligible positions are available within the RRB and the telework eligibility status is indicated in the vacancy announcement.
Basic Education Requirements for Data Scientist:
A. 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
B. 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.
In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the below minimum qualifications:
GS-07 Level:
A. Superior Academic Achievement: Completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in a field of study that demonstrates the competencies required by this position with either (1) a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale; (2) a 3.5 GPA based on a 4.0 scale for all required courses completed in a qualifying major field of study at either the time of application or during the last two years of your undergraduate curriculum; (3) class standing of upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or a major subdivision of the college; or, (4) membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society certified by the Association of College Honor Societies, excluding freshman honor societies; If applying under this provision, copies of transcripts (from each school attended) for undergraduate courses must be submitted with your application, and originals must be provided prior to entering on duty.;OR
B. One full year of graduate level education in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following related fields: Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Actuarial Science, or Computer Science. The education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work; OR
C. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, that has provided a basic understanding of analytical statistical, and programming techniques (e.g., R, SAS) and basic knowledge of statistical concepts to analyze data and provide insights. OR
D. A combination of education and experience as listed above.
GS-09 Level:
A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the federal service that includes experience building and implementing analytic products using a variety of tools and a basic understanding of analytical statistical, and programming techniques (e.g., R, SAS) and basic knowledge of statistical concepts to analyze data and provide insights. OR
B. A Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field such as Data Science, Mathematics, Actuarial Science, or Computer Science. OR
C. A combination of specialized experience and qualifying graduate education beyond the first year of graduate study that together meet the requirements for this position.
In addition to the above, you must have, within the previous 2 years*, completed all educational requirements for a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying institution. Education requirements must be met by August 15, 2022.
*Veterans who, due to a military service obligation, were precluded from applying to a Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2 year eligibility period may have their eligibility period extended so that they receive the full 2 years of eligibility. The remaining 2-year eligibility period will begin upon his or her release or discharge from active duty. The veteran's eligibility period may not extend beyond 6 years from the date of completion of all requirements of an academic course of study.
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.
Education
ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY?
You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.
Official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Official transcripts will be required if selected. PASS/FAIL COURSES:
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. GRADUATE EDUCATION:
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. 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
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.
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 anAlternate Application.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Category rating procedures will be used to rank eligible candidates. The rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire, and is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Thus, your application should contain information about specific work performed that relates to this position. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. You may view the questionnaire here:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11551856
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).
Qualified candidates will be assigned to the following categories: Best Qualified, Qualified, and Minimally Qualified. Within each quality category, veterans' preference eligibles will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
Applicants will be rated on the following competencies:
Ability to analyze, compile, and review data from various systems, detect trends and develop reports to alert management to the early development of important policy issues
Ability to develop mainframe applications and PC based applications using SQL, SAS, R, Excel and other PC-based analysis tools to evaluate trends and data
Ability to prepare detailed concise technical reports, charts, graphs and other documents analyzing complex issues for presentation in a clear and easily understandable manner
Skill in oral communication in order to effectively express concepts, recommendations, data analysis results, regulations and policies in common sense terms to upper management can make well informed decisions
Skill in the use of various computer applications in order to manipulate and organize data to produce high quality analyses
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.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
Transcripts: Copies of all college courses must be submitted. Original transcripts will be required if selected.
Veterans' Documentation: If you are a veteran, you must provide a copy of your Record of Military Service (DD-214), and proof of your veterans' preference, if applicable. Veterans with a service connected disability must also submit a completed claim form SF-15 (click here for form) along with the required proofs. Go to FedsHireVets-Veterans Preference for more information.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Railroad Retirement Board
844 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and possible referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
Transcripts: Copies of all college courses must be submitted. Original transcripts will be required if selected.
Veterans' Documentation: If you are a veteran, you must provide a copy of your Record of Military Service (DD-214), and proof of your veterans' preference, if applicable. Veterans with a service connected disability must also submit a completed claim form SF-15 (click here for form) along with the required proofs. Go to FedsHireVets-Veterans Preference for more information.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Railroad Retirement Board
844 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and possible referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
