HHS Careers Hiring for Operations Research Specialist at Indiana, United States Full Time

Summary

As a global leader in public health & health promotion, CDC is the agency Americans trust with their lives. In addition to our everyday work, each CDC employee has a role in supporting public health emergency management, whether through temporary assignments to emergency responses or sustaining other CDC programs and activities while colleagues respond. Join our team to use your talent, training, & passion to help CDC continue as the world’s premier public health organization. Visit www.cdc.gov

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Duties

Please read this Direct Hire announcement in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration. You are applying to a resume database. Your resume and any documents submitted will be retained and may be used at any time during or after the open period of this Direct Hire announcement. U.S. Citizenship is REQUIRED.

As An Operations Research Specialist, You Will

• Perform data science work that requires extraction of knowledge from various surveillance systems and programs: analysis; improved understanding and communication; development/visualization of new concepts; and/or processes that add value to health services delivery and the decision-making process.
• Plan, organize, and carry to completion various operations research studies involving analysis of supply chain and logistics operations processes.
• Participate in complex human capital studies and is responsible for defining specific human capital issues or problems involved, formulating specific approaches or more general policies, evaluating findings and making recommendations.
• Identify emerging human capital and management problems and policy issues using mathematical techniques and analytical models.
• Develop formulas and other statistical analysis applied to human capital, workforce, and management issues that influence the direction and scope of studies conducted on a divisional or service-wide level.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• US Citizenship is required.
• Background Investigation is required.
• E-Verify: 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. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires, and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is an E-Verify Participant.
• Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• This is an open continuous vacancy announcement. Certificates will be issued during the job opening of this vacancy when notification to fill a vacancy is received from the Hiring Manager.
• Since this is a research position, an evaluation of the scientific contributions, recognition and professional standing of the researcher as they relate to the position being filled will be made to determine qualifications. Candidates should include all pertinent information regarding their research accomplishments, e.g., list of publications and presentations.
• Promotion potential: No. There is no promotion potential for these positions, any position filled with this announcement will be filled at the single grade level requested.
• Supervisory position: No
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• This position can be filled at any grade level.
• This position may be subject to a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• This position may require a Drug Test and subject to Random Drug Testing.
• This position may be subject to a Background/Security Investigation.
• Recruitment, Relocation or Retention Incentive may be authorized.
• Travel, transportation, and moving expenses may be authorized.
• Annual Leave for non-federal service may be authorized.
• Public Trust/Moderate Background Investigation (5) may be required.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications for all grade levels:

Degree in operations research; OR at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus.

AND

Minimum Qualifications For GS-11

To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level, which must include the following experience: designing visual materials (e.g., publications, presentations, or any other communications media) to disseminate public health information and/or promote basic and advanced scientific, technical, regulatory, or general information.

OR

Education: Have a Master’s or equivalent graduate degree.

OR

Combination education and experience: Have a combination of graduate level education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Minimum Qualifications For GS-12

To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level, which must include the following experience: developing methods to identify human capital problems and policy issues using mathematical techniques and analytical models.

OR

Education: Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

Minimum Qualifications For GS-13

To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level, which must include the following experience: conducting human capital studies to evaluate, design and improve organizational development, strategic planning and decision models.

Minimum Qualifications For GS-14

To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level, which must include the following experience: providing mathematical modeling, statistical analysis, and cost effectiveness analytic methods on program operations and business processes.

Minimum Qualifications For GS-15

To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level, which must include the following experience: conducting operational research and analysis concerning human capital issues utilizing mathematical techniques and/or statistical methods; and providing data to improve operations using techniques to resolve systemic problems.

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.

Requirements Continued

• This position may be subject to a OGE Financial Disclosure CDC Financial Disclosure-The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention inspires public confidence in its trust responsibilities and mission by maintaining high ethical principles. This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency. This Information will be required annually.
• In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The Federal government, as the largest employer in the Nation, can and should show the way towards achieving drug-free workplaces through programs designed to offer drug users a helping hand, and at the same time demonstrating to drug users and potential drug users that drugs will not be tolerated in the Federal workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. Applicants tentatively selected for this position may be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. If required to submit to urinalysis, the appointment to the position will be contingent upon a negative applicant drug test result. In order to demonstrate commitment to the HHS goal of a drug-free workplace and to set an example for other Federal employees, employees not in a testing designated position may volunteer for unannounced random testing by notifying their Drug-free Federal Workplace Program Point of Contact upon hiring.

Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. Current or Former Political Appointees: Submit SF-50.

Education

Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the education requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/jobs/future-applicant-information.html .

Additional Information

Positions may be available in multiple locations across the United States, or eligible for telework and remote work opportunities, based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Workplace Flexibilities Policy.

The salary listed is Rest of U.S. (RUS). Locality pay will be adjusted to reflect location negotiated after selection. If selected, you will be required to sign a Workplace Flexibilities Agreement. Find more information on locality and pay scales .

This position is being filled through Direct Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all US Citizens.

Vacancies will be filled through OPM’s Direct Hire Authority. Veterans’ preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement. All applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the direct-hire authority.

For more information on OPM’s authorization of Direct Hire Authority, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/

This position has been designated as remote and may be eligible for inclusion in the Bargaining Unit.The name of the union, Local and BU Codes will be provided upon selection.

Additional selections may be made within the same geographical location CDC-wide.

The utilization of shared certificates within multiple Centers of the Center of Disease Control and Prevention may be used from this vacancy announcement for specialties to include but not limited to: Applied Epidemiology, Behavioral Epidemiology, Chronic Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Environmental Health, HIV/AIDS, Immunization, Infectious Diseases (e.g. Viral, Parasitic, etc.), Influenza, Malaria, Non-communicable Diseases, Outbreak Investigations, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), Surveillance, Tropical Medicine, Tuberculosis (TB), Viral Hepatitis, and/or Zoonotic Diseases.

Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans’ preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans’ preference, you must also submit an SF-15, “Application for 10-Point Veterans’ Preference” plus the proof required by that form.

For more information on veterans’ preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .

Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov ).

For information on “People with Disabilities” please visit http://opm.gov/disability/PeopleWithDisabilities.asp

and https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/getting-a-job/sampleschedaletters.pdf .

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• Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits .

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Additional Information Continued

Former and present Peace Corps personnel may be considered to fill vacancies. Peace Corps personnel are eligible for consideration if you have completed at least 36 months of continuous service, without a break in service of 3 days or more. This requirement is consistent with section 7(a) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2506), which pertains to the appointment of Peace Corps staff (not volunteers) and is applicable within 3 years after separation from qualifying service with the Peace Corps. A copy of your SF-50 is required to support your request.

Peace Corps Volunteers may be considered to fill vacancies. Executive Order 11103 provides eligibility for appointment in the competitive service for any person who is certified by the Director of the Peace Corps as having served satisfactorily as a Volunteer or Volunteer Leader under the Peace Corps Act and who passes such examination as the Office of Personnel Management may prescribe.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics).