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Data Scientist

Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Aviation Safety (AVS), Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office (AUS)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position serves as a Data Scientist providing complex data analysis to support programs and projects in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Office (AUS). The employee understands how the technical area interacts with or is affected by other disciplines and considers the objectives of AUS and AVS when developing, integrating, and implementing solutions to diverse, complex problems.

Location negotiable with the position reporting to an approved FAA AVS facility.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/30/2024 to 10/15/2024
Salary
$75,305 to - $116,712 per year

An additional locality rate will be included at the time duty location determination.

Pay scale & grade
FV I
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
May be filled in various FAA duty locations
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—As determined by agency.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - The job may require travel from time-to-time, but not on a regular basis. The travel may be for training or other work-related duties.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
NA
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
Yes - The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. See https://www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements.
Bargaining unit status
Yes - This position is represented by AFSCME Local 1653.
Announcement number
ACT-AVS-24-AUS-400-92126
Control number
811829100

Duties

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The Data Scientist applies experience and advanced knowledge of computer science and mathematical and statistical theories, techniques, and methods to gather, analyze, design and construct new processes for modeling, interpreting, and/or reporting quantitative information, trends, relationships and correlations among or within data sets. Uses considerable discretion in selecting appropriate approaches or recommends new approaches to support data-driven policy and operational decisions. Performs multiple, varying, and complex assignments under the limited direction of a manager, project/program manager, team leader, or more experienced technical specialist.

Possesses an understanding of how the technical area interacts with or is affected by other disciplines and considers the objectives of the AUS, AVS when developing, integrating, and implementing solutions to diverse, complex problems. Serves as a contributing specialist on work activities to meet program and project goals, such as diverse and complex analysis of large amounts of information to discover trends and patterns, solve problems, optimize use of data, and provide insight and evidence for decision-makers.

Collaborates and coordinates with team members, subject matter experts, and stakeholders to identify business requirements, identify and select relevant and credible data sources to collect, integrate, mine data, and deliver expected outcomes. Assesses data source validity and reliability to meet project needs and ensure data sources are fit for their intended purpose through assessment of potential data quality issues, such as bias in data ingestion or transmission mechanisms. Conducts mathematical and statistical analysis using programming or statistical software (e.g. R, Python, SQL, Power BI, Visual Studio Code Integrated Environment, Posit Workbench/Posit Connect) to transform, combine, and clean data in preparation for analysis. Applies appropriate data wrangling techniques, such as probabilistic matching and imputation of missing values, to clean and prepare imperfect data sets. Works with teammates to develop suitable datasets for ad hoc and ongoing analytic uses, with an emphasis on long-term automation and replicability where appropriate.

Assists more experienced technical staff in building statistical or simulation models and summarizes and presents results using data visualization tools (e.g. Tableau, Power BI, and Alteryx). Supports the development of solutions that leverage artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on programming and SQL query writing. Designs and maintains machine learning (ML) feature pipelines. Researches and implements appropriate ML algorithms and tools. Trains and retrains ML systems.

Contacts are internal and external. May act as a key technical point of contact for assigned activities. Contributes to the preparation of management/technical reports or documents, and may communicate the overall results of a project or work activity to FAA management and employees, federal, state, and other local government organizations, the aviation and aerospace industries, and other external parties.

Provides guidance to lower-level technical staff on how to solve difficult technical issues. Resolves all but unique technical problems without the intervention of management or a more experienced technical specialist. Identifies and informs management of problems that require their attention. Often develops and recommends techniques to address problem situations.

The work is reviewed periodically, typically at major milestones and at completion, for technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of the project or other work activity. The work activities typically support and may be vital to the success of projects or activities of one or more organizational units, AUS, and AVS.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.
  • Location negotiable with the position reporting to an approved FAA AVS facility.

Qualifications

To view the complete OPM qualification standard for the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Data Science Series, 1560, please refer to:

Data Science Series 1560 (opm.gov)

Basic Requirements:

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.

To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-H, FG/GS 10-12. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Specialized experience is: Experience collecting, recording, and analyzing data/information using program and statistical software. Experience with Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) technology and project management.

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

If the selecting official decides to interview any employee on the selection list for a vacancy, then all who remain under consideration for the position at that point in the process must be interviewed. If the selection list is shortened to a best qualified list through a comparative process, then the best qualified list shall be considered to be the selection list.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation.

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

Preview job questionnaire

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The U.S. Department of Transportation strives to ensure that equity, transparency, accountability, collaboration, and communication permeate all that we do for the betterment of the Department, the traveling public, and our nation. As such, DOT values a highly diverse workforce of persons who promote a culture of belonging by respecting the personal dignity and worth of each individual and fostering a positive environment where all feel safe and welcome. If these commitments coincide with your personal ideals and professional aspirations, please consider joining the DOT family.

Leave Enhancement: FAA organizations may offer enhanced annual leave accrual to newly appointed or reappointed employees. In order to receive consideration for such a benefit, applicants' prior non-Federal service or active duty uniformed service must directly relate to the duties of the position to which appointed. Granting enhanced annual leave is at the sole discretion of the hiring organization, and granting such benefit is not an entitlement nor guaranteed to any newly hired employee.

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. On-the-Spot will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

You may also be considered for this vacancy based on eligibility under the 30% or More Disabled Veteran Program, Veterans' Recruitment Appointment, and Persons with Disabilities/Persons with Targeted Disabilities. To be considered for one of these special hiring authorities, you must identify your eligibility in your questionnaire in the Applicant-Preferred Conditions of Employment section. In addition, you must submit documentation that provides evidence of eligibility as indicated in the Required Documents section of the announcement.

As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA)'s listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or priority grouping and referred to the selecting official for consideration

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

How you will be evaluated

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



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

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