Data Scientist

at  US Environmental Protection Agency

QUALIFICATIONS

NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.
In addition to the basic entry education requirements, you must have specialized experience and/or directly related education as described below:

To qualify for the GS-09 level, you must have one of the following:

• 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level defined as collecting or reviewing scientific or engineering data; and applying computer programming languages.
• 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master’s degree; or master’s or equivalent graduate degree; the education must be directly related and provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position
• equivalent combination of education and experience

To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must have one of the following:

• 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level defined as collecting and analyzing scientific or engineering data; and using computer programming languages to support data analytics.
• 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree; or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; the education must be directly related and provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position
• equivalent combination of education and experience

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: 1) Ability to evaluate principles, processes, and methods related to air pollution data management; 2) Skill in data collection and analysis; 3) Knowledge of information systems; 4) Knowledge of software development techniques and principles; 5) Ability to apply computer programming languages for application development; 6) Skill in project management; 7) Skill in written communication; 8) Skill in oral communication.
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.
If you have part-time work experience, read this: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

EDUCATION

You need a degree or combination of education and experience as described below to qualify for this position.
Data Scientist: You must have a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science, or field directly related to the position; OR a combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major field of study (30 semester hours), as listed.
For information about accreditation requirements, visit EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

You are strongly encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application for this position.
To begin the application process, click the Apply button to the top right on this screen, follow the prompts to log-in/register, submit all required documents, and complete the assessment questionnaire. To be considered, you must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the day the announcement closes.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS document portfolio feature.
If you cannot apply online, you must contact the Human Resources Office listed below for assistance no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement. You must provide complete application materials by the day the announcement closes.
For detailed instructions to assist you in ensuring your application package is received, go to EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help

At the entry level of this position, you will:

• Gather, manage, and analyze data to support program design and implementation.
• Apply knowledge of programming languages, scientific analytical applications, and other relevant tools to support data analytics and communication products.
• Utilize project management skills to ensure products are accurate, timely, and distributed to appropriate partners.

When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level.
One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position.