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Social Science Research Analyst

Department of Justice
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/09/2026 to 04/30/2026
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Washington, DC
2 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Telework in accordance with agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training and/or work related issues.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CO-2026-0271
Control number
864577500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

• BOP Employees in the local commuting area • DOJ Surplus and Displaced (CTAP) Employees in the local commuting area. • Division: Office of Research and Evaluation, Information Technology & Data Division, Central Office, Washington, DC • Duty Location: Central Office, Washington, DC

Duties

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The Social Science Research Analyst of this position has three primary responsibilities: to supervise research analysts, conducting research on crime and correction issues and evaluating federal prison programs and operations; to design and conduct research that may assist the Federal Bureau of Prisons both in improving existing and developing new, policies, operations, and programs; and to design and conduct research that contributes to the following fields of knowledge: corrections, criminal justice, criminology, sociology, psychology and personnel management.

There is a particular emphasis on studying the effects of social forces and current and proposed federal criminal justice policies on the Bureau of Prisons.

The research efforts will be used by Bureau of Prisons Executive Staff to scrutinize the effectiveness of BOP programs and policies and to provide prescriptions for their improvements.

In addition to program evaluation, the Social Science Research Analyst studies statistical trends and integrates their findings with other social science information to form a data base that allows program administrators to plan for system modifications.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staffs correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

  • 1. Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
  • 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
  • 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility:
    • A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter),
    • Most recent performance appraisal, and
    • Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
    • See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following:

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: that included at least 24 semester hours of course work in the behavioral or social sciences.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience - that included at least 24 semester hours of course work in the behavioral or social sciences, and that provided applicants with knowledge of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a 4-year degree as shown in A above.

Evaluation of Education - Courses, such as sociology, correctional administration, criminal justice, government/political science, psychology, social work, counseling, and other related social or behavioral science courses may be used to satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement.

Evaluation of Experience - Experience must have been gained in (1)casework in a correctional institution or in another criminal justice setting; (2) counseling in any setting, provided it required diagnostic or treatment planning skills to achieve specific social or occupational goals; or (3) work treating persons in need of social rehabilitation.

AND

In addition to the basic requirements, you must have:

Education:

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.

Experience:

At least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

  • Experience designing and conducting research and statistical reports to assist in evaluating and improving existing practices and development of new policies, operations and programs.
  • Experience preparing clear, detailed research reports to include the construction, interpretation, and description of tables and graphs.
  • Experience documenting research projects, preparing data element codebooks, and writing computer program code.
  • Experience participating as a member of a team to establish assessment tools in order to validate or justify the implementation or expense of a new program.
  • Experience conducting multiple research studies and projects simultaneously.
  • Experience recommending policies and practices based on research performed using currently available and established statistical methods; providing statistical results using historical data and clearly defined objectives of results desired; and writing programs to analyze the effects of topic assigned, using current available practices and methods.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

Additional information

The representative rate for this position is $158,306 per annum ($75.85 per hour).

Special Conditions of Employment Section:

Initial appointment to a supervisory/managerial position requires a one-year probationary period.

The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency.

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.

The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed.

Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees:

This is a non-law enforcement clerical or administrative support position (one-grade interval). Individuals selected for these positions will lose law enforcement coverage and will need to return to a position with "primary" law enforcement coverage to regain coverage.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement.  If your selections are not supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:

  • Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
  • Your responses to the eligibility questions;
  • Your responses to the online assessment;
  • Your supporting documentation, if required.

Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Ability to assign responsibility and delegate authority.
  • Ability to apply Social Science research methods
  • Knowledge of data management and statistical methods.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Agency contact information

CSU
Phone
972-352-4200
Email
BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov
Address
JUSTICE, BUREAU OF PRISONS
Consolidated Staffing Unit
346 Marine Forces Drive
Grand Prairie, Texas 75051
United States

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http://www.bop.gov

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