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Social Scientist

Department of Labor
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP). The Chief Evaluation Office supports DOL's work with research, evaluation and analysis activities. CEO works to fulfill a number of Departmental legislative mandates related to evidence. This position is in CEO's Worker Protection & Enforcement Programs team.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/14/2024 to 11/29/2024
Salary
$117,962 to - $181,216 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Current DOL policy requires on-site work at least 5 days a pay period.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
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
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
DE-25-PHIL-OASP-12607645-MS
Control number
819021100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to all U.S citizens and ICTAP/CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area. Also advertised in MS-25-PHIL-OASP-12607646-MS for status applicants, ICTAP/CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area, VEOA eligibles, eligible Military Spouses, Schedule A and Land and Base Management eligibles. To be considered for each vacancy, apply to BOTH jobs.

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Duties

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Major duties include:
-Execute a range of duties related to the agency's implementation and fulfillment of requirements related to the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (the "Evidence Act"), including the planning, development, implementation, and oversight of the agency's learning agenda and the agency's program evaluation function, development of the agency's Learning Agenda, and other associated evidence-building, analysis, and data activities.
-Provide guidance, analysis, technical assistance and oversight on strategic planning, performance measurement, and continuous quality improvement. Coordinate the development of the agency's learning agenda or evidence-building plan (a systematic plan for identifying and addressing priority questions relevant to the programs, policies, and regulations of the agency), including the identification, conceptualization, and planning of appropriate research and evaluation questions and initial plans to assess program and policy effectiveness.
-Serve as the recognized expert in designing, overseeing, implementing and conducting all facets and functions of a program evaluation, including planning, design, implementation, application of evaluation standards and policies, quality assurance and oversight, project management, resource management, risk assessment, collaborating and coordinating with internal and external partners and/or stakeholders, reporting and dissemination of results and findings, and documentation and dissemination of associated evaluation data sets.
-Ensure evaluation approaches and designs align with the DOL Evaluation Policy standards and procedures or similar frameworks, are tailored to the situation, and possess the appropriate level of rigor for stakeholder needs. Develop, conduct and oversee the implementation of agency-wide and cross-cutting research and evaluation efforts, including planning, design, implementation, analysis, reporting, and results dissemination of program evaluations and other evidence-building activities at the agency.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.

Qualifications

THIS POSITION HAS AN INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT. ALL APPLICANTS MUST MEET THIS REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED.

Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
OR
Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE.

In addition to the (IOR) Individual Occupational Requirement list above, you must also meet the Specialized Experiences below:


Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level,

Specialized Experience for the GS-13:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-12 grade level in federal or non-federal services, including: This experience may have been gained either in the Federal or Private sectors demonstrating experience applying knowledge of labor, health and human services, social support, or education-related programs. Examples of specialized experience include: (Must meet 2 out of 3)
1. Planning, designing, monitoring, and/or performing research, evaluation, and/or data analyses on programs and policies
2. Using advanced social science, research, and evaluation theories, methods, and/or statistical techniques for studying and assessing the implementation and effectiveness of programs and policies
3. Facilitating with stakeholders the findings specifically related to social science research, evaluation, and/or data analyses to inform assessment and improvement of programs and policies

Specialized Experience for the GS-14:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-13 grade level in federal or non-federal services, including: This experience may have been gained either in the Federal or Private sectors demonstrating experience applying knowledge of labor, health and human services, social support, or education-related programs. Examples of specialized experience include: (Must meet 2 out of 3)
1. Leading the planning, designing, monitoring, and/or performing research, evaluation, and/or data analyses on programs and policies
2. Directing and using advanced social science, research, and evaluation theories, methods, and/or statistical techniques for studying and assessing the implementation and effectiveness of programs and policies
3. Leading the communication and dissemination of findings specifically related to social science research, evaluation, and/or data analyses to inform assessment and improvement of programs and policies

Education

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 coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

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

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

GS-14

Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflects the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and models a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered.

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

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

Click here for Telework Position Information This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

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.

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 qualification 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:

  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Project Management
  • Research
  • Writing


Click here for Evaluation details.

You may preview questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12607645

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, and other lived experience, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.

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 the eligibility questions 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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