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Data Scientist

Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making.

This position is inside the bargaining unit. 

Rest of US locality rate listed but final duty location and commensurate salary based on locality pay rules will be determined at time of selection.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/08/2022 to 08/18/2022
This job will close when we have received 120 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$94,373 to - $122,683 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Location Negotiable After Selection, United States
Few vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and supervisor’s recommendation to the next grade.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DE-22-CHI-BLS-309
Control number
669987500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens; Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program and Career Transition Assistance Program eligibles in the local commuting area.

Duties

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The selectee from this announcement will fill a staff position in the newly formed Data Science Research Center in the Office of Survey Methods Research.  The purpose of this center is to provide data science project and methodological support and consulting services to survey programs at BLS as well as build BLS' data science maturity through support of personnel training, hiring initiatives, and infrastructure improvements. 

The selectee will support a broad range of data science projects and use cases across the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The ideal candidate should have subject matter expertise and documented work experience in one or more substantive areas (machine learning, natural language processing, big data tools, etc.) and training in/familiarity with other areas.

The duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Researches, extends, and applies state-of-the-art data science tools and techniques to solve important operational problems at BLS
  • Designs and builds robust, automated data pipelines and machine learning systems for text classification, linkage of records across datasets, information extraction, and other use cases that support statistical data products.
  • Provides advice and guidance for leadership and program officials to define data requirements for structured and unstructured data sources to better deliver integrated data to use in a variety of analytical software tools, including but not limited to statistical, geospatial, visualization, and natural language processing software.
  • Applies statistical analyses to determine the suitability of new or combined data sources, machine learning outputs, and data science methods for use in the development of BLS data products and estimates.
  • Performs the full range of business intelligence and analysis functions by identifying and gathering data needed; processing and transforming data into needed formats; developing analysis plans; applying various tools and techniques to produce findings and insights; and communicating the results across the organization through presentations, reports, and data visualizations.
  • Supports a broad range of initiatives aimed at improving organizational data science maturity including staff training, internship programs, university outreach efforts, and technology infrastructure research, evaluation, and implementation

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations.  As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law.  If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency.  The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.  

Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.

Qualifications

Data Scientist, GS-1560: 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 Requirement

Specialized Experience:

GS-13: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-12.

Experience for this position must include all of the following:

  • Developing, maintaining, and implementing machine learning and natural language processing systems, AND
  • Using big data tools and techniques to process large, complex datasets into structured formats for matching, analysis, or estimation, AND
  • Applying statistical analyses to determine the fitness-for-use of new or combined data sources, machine learning outputs, and data science methods, AND
  • Writing high-quality, maintainable code for analytics and applications using the Python programming language.

Education

To use your education as a basis for meeting the Minimum Qualification Requirements (MQR) for this position, you must submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements.  If specific course work is required to fulfill the MQR, you must supply transcripts from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken to receive credit for that course work.  See the “Qualifications and Evaluations” section of this announcement for more details.

If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation demonstrating that you meet the eligibility and MQR for this position, your application will be deemed incomplete.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position.  Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information or you will be ineligible for further consideration.

Additional information

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high-performing and diverse workforce in which employees' differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility, and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

Position Telework eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Employee participation in telework on a routine or situational basis is determined by management primarily based on business needs.  Employees participating in telework are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor’s Telework Program.

How you will be evaluated

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

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.

Categories

Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.

Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position.

Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualifications requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools used to design systems that perform human intelligence functions.

Data Extraction, Transformation, and Analysis - Retrieving and ingesting disparate types of data from a variety of unstructured and structured sources, and then organizing, cleaning, and transforming messy and complex data sets for easy access and analysis. 

Programming Languages - Utilize open-source programming languages to manage data, assess fitness for analysis, and prepare for and apply quantitative techniques. 

Leadership and Development - Leading data science teams and building data science capacity across an organization. 

The information you provide on your resume may be verified by a review of your work experience, employment start/end dates/hours worked and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are placed into Category B or higher will be considered "well-qualified." Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.


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