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Social Science Research Analyst

Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Center for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Services (CMCS).

As a Social Science Research Analyst, GS-0101-9/11/12, you will perform program and policy analyses of services provided by HHS programs.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 05/29/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on May 29, 2026
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$62,729 - $133,142 per year

Locality pay rate will be contingent on the grad and duty station selected. See Additional Information Section.

Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel up to 10% for this position
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CMS-CMCS-26-12967913-DH
Control number
870236000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is advertised under Direct Hire Authority and is open to all United States Citizens or Nationals.

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Duties

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  • Develop and use survey, market research, and statistical methodologies and techniques to conduct studies of assigned HHS programs.
  • Apply a wide range of analytical, market research, and social marketing methods and techniques to assess and improve program efficiency and effectiveness, or to enhance the performance of complex processes or systems.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to provide support and technical assistance on program initiatives.
  • Develop clearly written and concise documents for management, including research findings, issue papers, talking points, analytical reports, and other program-related documents.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Selective Service: Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
  • You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

Your resume (limited to no more than 2 pages) must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from receiving further consideration.


In order to qualify for the GS-09, you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include: 1) Assisting in conducting analytical studies, research projects, or data studies for a national-level healthcare program; 2) Using qualitative and quantitative methods to assist in analyzing healthcare data to support program implementation, monitoring, and compliance; AND 3) Preparing research documents (i.e. research reports, data summaries, or implementation guidelines) to inform stakeholders on program initiatives.
- OR -
Substitution of Education for Experience: You may substitute education for specialized experience at the GS-09 level by possessing a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related to the position being filled.
- OR -
Combination of Experience and Education: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the GS-07 grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-09. Therefore, only education in excess of 1 full year of graduate-level education may be used to combine education and experience.

TRANSCRIPTS are required to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement related to the substitution of education for experience and the combination of experience and education. Please refer to the "Required Documents" section below for the documentation required at the time of application.

In order to qualify for the GS-11, you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include: 1) Conducting analytical studies, research projects, or data studies for a national-level healthcare program; 2) Using qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze healthcare data to support program implementation, monitoring, and compliance; AND 3) Preparing research documents (i.e. research reports, data summaries, or implementation guidelines) to inform stakeholders on program initiatives.
- OR -
Substitution of Education for Experience: You may substitute education for specialized experience at the GS-11 level by possessing a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or equivalent doctoral degree or LL.M., if related to the position being filled.
- OR -
Combination of Experience and Education: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the GS-09 grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-11. Therefore, only education in excess of a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree may be used to combine education and experience.

TRANSCRIPTS are required to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement related to the substitution of education for experience and the combination of experience and education. Please refer to the "Required Documents" section below for the documentation required at the time of application.

In order to qualify for the GS-12, you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include: 1) Planning or designing analytical studies, research projects, or data studies for a national-level healthcare program; 2) Using qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze healthcare data to support program implementation, monitoring, and compliance; 3) Creating technical reports or data summaries and communicating findings to leadership or other stakeholders on program initiatives.

Substitution of Education for Experience: There is no substitution of education to meet the specialized experience requirement at the GS-12 grade level.

Combination of Experience and Education: There is no combination of experience and education to meet the specialized experience requirement at the GS-12 grade level.

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.

Education

Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the qualification requirements, all candidates must have the following educational requirements:

  • 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.
TRANSCRIPTS are required to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement listed above. Failure to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application WILL result in an ineligible rating. Please see "Required Documents" section below for what documentation is required at the time of application.

Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12967913

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes-American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1923
Tour of Duty: Flexible
Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized
Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Not Required

Workplace Flexibility at CMS: This position has a regular and recurring reporting requirement to the CMS office listed in this announcement. CMS offers flexible working arrangements and allows employees the opportunity to participate in alternative work schedules at the manager's discretion.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2026/general-schedule/

Locality-
Dallas: $67,100 - $126,502
Kansas City: $62,729 - $118,261
Philadelphia: $68,013 - $128,221
Seattle: $69,373 - $130,786
Woodlawn: $70,623 - $133,142

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide in the application questionnaire, and the results of the online assessment(s) required for this position. A Subject Matter Expert may assist in the resume review process to help determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

RPL Applicants
RPL applicants who are verified as registered for the same series, grade, and location as this vacancy announcement will be placed in one of the following categories based on category rating procedures:
  • Best Qualified - significantly exceeds the evaluation criteria
  • Well Qualified - excelsin the evaluation criteria
  • Qualified - meets the minimum qualification requirements

If you are found to be among the top-qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

The category rating process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of professional or scientific positions at the GS-09 level or higher).?

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) works in partnership with the entire health care community to improve quality and efficiency in an evolving health care system and provides leadership in the broader health care marketplace.

CMS' effectiveness depends on the capabilities of a dedicated, professional staff that is committed to supporting these objectives. A career with CMS offers the opportunity to get involved in important national health care issues and be part of a dynamic, fast-paced, and highly visible organization. For more information on CMS, please visit: http://www.cms.gov/.

HHS has a critical preparedness and response mission: HHS protects the American people from health threats, researches emerging diseases, and mobilizes public health programs with domestic and international partners. In support of this mission, HHS offers its employees the opportunity to contribute their unique skills through voluntary temporary assignments to humanitarian emergencies or Departmental priorities countering new and emerging health, safety, and security threats.

Agency contact information

CMS HR Inquiries
Email
hrinquiries@cms.hhs.gov
Address
Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services
7500 Security Blvd
Woodlawn, MD 21244
US

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