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Librarian (Data Curator)

Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), Office of Information and Library Sciences (OILS). The incumbent will curate datasets following the Data Curation Network’s CURATE(D) workflow; implements data standards, formats, and metadata policies; and perform data dissemination and outreach activities.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/18/2024 to 07/23/2024
Salary
$122,198 to - $158,860 per year

Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule/.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel maybe required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
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
OST.R-2024-0006
Control number
800539600

Duties

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The Librarian:

  • Curates submitted datasets and maintains all workflow documentation.
  • Creates complete data packages for dissemination through the digital repository.
  • Implements metadata standards for all data formats, with a focus on needs for mid- and long-term preservation to keep abreast of developments in the areas of data management, data curation, and library sciences.
  • Works with Data Services, Technical Services, and Digital Services teams to ensure data curation, cataloging, and repository systems support the current and developing requirements of the US DOT Public Access Plan.
  • Develops and delivers training through consultation with the external researchers and organizations funded by the above programs.

The ideal candidate will possess a master’s degree in Library and Information Science or related field and a professional understanding of modern Research Data Management (RDM) and data curation theory, standards, and practices as they relate to a digital Library environment; creates Data Management Plans (DMPs); curates submitted datasets following the CURATE(D) workflow; creates complete data packages for dissemination through the digital repository; and maintains, preserves, and adds value to digital data throughout its lifecycle.

*PLEASE NOTE: This announcement has been updated with remote work language. For further details, please view under Other Information.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications. 

To qualify for the Grade 14, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include:

  • Experience researching, analyzing, implementing, and assessing data curation principles and practices that enables you to set data standards, formats, preservation, and metadata policies.
  • Experience participating in and contributing to data management programs that enables you to formulate data management plans; and perform data dissemination and outreach activities.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  1. Information Management & Organization - Knowledge of research data management practices to perform work with integrated online systems and databases, working with users of the data systems and extracting information. Skill in evaluating and assessing project effectiveness using qualitative and quantitative methods to improve program effectiveness, to analyze research literature, and to extract information and evaluate, merge, and represent information in a database form.
  2. Written & Oral Communication - Effective oral and written skill in communicating technical program-related information and its applications with diverse audiences including scientists, educators, policymakers, and industry representatives, via presentations, charts, graphs, reports, etc. and to participate in national scientific and professional meetings to present project updates, coordinate data submission, and solicit advice in data quality and analysis.
  3. Data Curation - Knowledge of library sciences including theories, rules, principles, concepts, practices, and techniques sufficient to curating data including developing preservation plans and implementing practices for long-term preservation of NTL-hosted data.

For all types of consideration, 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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Basic Requirements:

All librarians must meet the requirements for professional education in library science or possess equivalent experience and education as shown for GS-7; however, as a standard practice applicants enter at grade GS-9 on the basis of a master's degree in library science.

Since many libraries are highly specialized, some librarian positions require a knowledge of a specialized subject or field of endeavor.. Also, since materials in libraries are often in foreign languages, some librarians must have a proficient knowledge of one or more foreign languages. For such positions, applicants must meet requirements that are directly related to the subject matter or language of the specialization. These requirements are in addition to the basic professional library science requirements that apply to all positions. However, these requirements may be included in or supplemental to those specified for all positions. The following specializations are authorized: biological, medical, social or physical sciences, education, fine arts, business and industry, humanities, law, music, engineering, and the Germanic, Slavic, Oriental, Semitic, or Romance languages.

For GS-7: Applicants must meet the requirements specified in paragraphs A or B below.

  1. Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate study in library science in an accredited college or university, in addition to completion of all work required for a bachelor's degree;

    or

  2. A total of at least 5 years of a combination of college-level education, training, and experience. To qualify on this basis, the applicant must establish conclusively that the education, training, and experience provided a knowledge and understanding of the theories, principles, and techniques of professional librarianship; a knowledge of literature resources; and the knowledge and abilities essential for providing effective library and information services.

Evaluation of Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-9 and above):

Experience must have demonstrated the ability to perform, supervise, or direct one or more of the functional areas of work covered by this series; to understand the concepts, theories, new developments, and co-relationship of information in related fields; and to maintain up-to-date information on the state of the art. For positions where foreign language proficiency is needed, applicants must be able to read and/or translate material in the appropriate specialized subject-matter field.

For Librarian (appropriate specialization): Applicants must also possess specialized knowledge of a subject-matter field and/or proficiency in one or more foreign languages directly related to the position(s) being filled. When such knowledge is required for the position, an applicant's education or experience must have included or been supplemented by the requirements specified in one of the paragraphs below:

  1. A full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university that meets all academic requirements for a bachelor's degree that included at least 24 semester hours in the specialized field for which the applicant is being considered, e.g., physical science, biological science, social science; or that included any combination of subjects with at least 15 semester hours in a major subject (such as physics or chemistry) that is especially applicable to the position for which the applicant is being considered;

    or

  2. Completion of at least 24 semester hours of legal study in an accredited law school for positions primarily concerned with providing library services in law or legislative reference;

    or

  3. Four years of pertinent experience of such nature and level to provide a knowledge of the basic principles, theories, practices, techniques, terminology and expressions of the appropriate discipline or subject-matter field; an understanding of the standard methods, procedures, and techniques of research and analysis in the subject-matter field; ability to acquire additional information about the field and related fields; and some knowledge of literature resources in the field.

    Such experience should be equivalent to that which would have been acquired through successful completion of a full 4-year curriculum in an accredited college or university with major study in appropriate subjects, or combination of subjects, as specified in (a) above; or legal training as specified in (b) above;

    or

  4. Any time equivalent combination of experience as described in (c) with education as described in (a) or (b) above;

    or

  5. Demonstrated ability as shown by education or experience to read or translate information from one or more foreign languages into English.

Additional information

REMOTE WORK: This position may be eligible for remote work, which does not require reporting to the agency worksite location on a regular basis. If selected for a remote work location, you will be required to sign a remote work agreement detailing agency remote work policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.

FOREIGN EDUCATION must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

How you will be evaluated

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

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

To compete with U.S. Citizens:  If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of two categories: Qualified and Well Qualified which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.

To compete with other competitive status government employees: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position must indicate interest in the assessment. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

All applicants:  Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package.  If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated on your behalf or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.


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