Clarification from the agency

UNITED STATES CITIZENS MAY APPLY (no prior federal experience is required). This position will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority (DHA). Veteran's Preference does not apply to this announcement.

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This position is officially titled Data Scientist (Artificial Intelligence). The working title is AI/ML Engineer.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML) Engineer will design and implement advanced technical solutions [e.g., natural language processing (NLP) models, agent-native and open-source generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs), multi-agent orchestration, etc.] focused on extracting actionable insights, evaluating model performance, and enhancing product safety decision-making. This role emphasizes data quality, performance, and interoperability in modern cloud environments, enabling CPSC’s strategic acceleration toward preventative analytics for product safety. This role requires collaboration with data engineers, statisticians, program analysts, IT specialists, and more.

The AI/ML Engineer is responsible for:

• Helping to build and maintain machine learning pipelines — from pulling in new data to training, testing, and deploying models — using modern cloud‑based tools and engineering practices.
• Monitor how models perform over time, watching for issues like data drift or drops in accuracy, and help improve them so they are reliable, efficient, and cost‑effective. Contribute to automating ML workflows using CI/CD and MLOps practices.
• Build and integrate AI agents using tools such as Copilot Studio, Python‑based agents, or retrieval pipelines to speed up analytics workflows and help the agency make faster, better‑informed safety decisions.
• Support the selection, training, and tuning of machine learning models — including models for prediction, anomaly detection, and natural language processing — ensuring they are accurate, fair, and scalable.
• Use deep learning frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow to work with both structured and unstructured data, helping ensure the models you develop meet quality standards for transparency and performance.
• Prepare clear technical documentation, summaries of model performance, and other materials that explain your work. Communicate complex AI/ML concepts in a way that non‑technical audiences can understand.
• Participate as a member of an Agile, cross‑functional team—collaborating with data engineers, analysts, program staff, and IT partners to deliver iterative improvements and solve problems together.
• Serve as a technical resource for data science principles, helping develop integrated “data fusion” products and staying current on emerging AI/ML methods through ongoing learning and collaboration.
• Take part in AI/ML working groups and communities of practice across the agency and federal space. 

This vacancy announcement will close after the receipt of the first 100 applications.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required.
• A background investigation is required.
• Must meet education requirements.

Must be a U.S. Citizen.

This is a Public Trust Position. Employment in this position requires a background investigation. If you are selected and cannot meet the criteria requirement for the pre-employment waiver and/or a favorable suitability determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed or undisclosed background issues, the employment offer may be withdrawn.

If you are a male born after December 31, 1959 you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Please see http://www.sss.gov for more information.

Selectees will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment", (OF-306), prior to appointment and the appropriate background investigation forms to determine suitability for Federal employment.  False statements or responses on these forms can jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.

The selectee will be required to complete a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the I-9 Form. We will compare information provided on the I-9 Form to records available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  The system confirms employee’s identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

Depending on your status, this position may require serving a 1-year probationary period.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the CPSC;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the CPSC or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

In addition to the mandatory education requirement, all applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:  

GS-11: 1) Assisting with machine‑learning workflows, including data preparation, model training, and evaluation; 2) using Python and SQL to analyze structured/unstructured data and supporting NLP or deep‑learning tasks; 3) contributing to cloud‑based AI/ML work, basic MLOps practices and preparing technical summaries for diverse audiences; and 4) collaborating within project teams to support the development and deployment of analytical or AI/ML solutions. 

GS-12: 1) Independently designing and deploying end‑to‑end machine‑learning models, including feature engineering, model optimization, and production implementation; 2) applying advanced AI/ML methods (NLP, deep learning, anomaly detection, generative models) and implementing MLOps practices such as CI/CD, monitoring, and drift detection in cloud environments; 3) applying data‑governance or AI‑risk‑management standards and preparing technical documentation that informs program decisions; and 4) serving as a technical project lead to guide the adoption of AI/ML practices.

Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held.  Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone.  If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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.

Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position by the closing date of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

After the vacancy closes, we will review your application package to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your resume and supporting documentation (such as unofficial transcripts) will then be reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).  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, salary, duties performed for each position, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level/pay band. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited to an interview. Qualified candidates will be considered in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire Guidelines.

RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating (Rating of at least 85 out of 100).

Veterans' Preference does not apply to the direct hire recruitment procedures. Selections made under this notice will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. You may not be considered for the position if any part of the application is incomplete. Your application may not receive appropriate consideration without the required supporting documentation.