#3523 Data Scientist at US Dept of State - NEA-SCA/EX
Washington, DC 20520
About the Job
Marketing Statement: THIS IS NON-STATUS, NON-PERMANENT POSITION. YOU DO NOT ACQUIRE A COMPETITIVE OR EXCEPTED SERVICE STATUS FROM THIS POSITION.
Duration of Appointment: 1 year with potential to renew
Key Requirements:
U.S. Citizenship is required.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
Position is located in WASHINGTON, DC
To be considered, applicants must be willing to relocate or live within a 50-mile radius of Washington, DC
Candidate Selection: Selections may be made as early as one week after the announcement is posted. Offer will be made based upon application meeting the minimum requirements for the position.
Salary: GS-14 Equivalent ($139,395- $181,216).
For award, NEA-SCA/EX will negotiate for this contract based on the following:
- Entry-level salary is at Step 1 of the grade range assigned to solicitation.
- Consideration given for experience relevant specifically to the solicitation requirements.
- Level and extent of experience dictates the salary level within the grade range.
Veteran's Preference: Veteran's preference is not applicable to this position.
**The applicant’s resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight work experience and professional certifications related to this opportunity.**
I Introduction
The Personal Services Contractor (PSC) is located in the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) Office, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA), Department of State (DoS). The CARE Office will efficiently execute the mission of safely and securely relocating personnel currently located in Afghanistan and other third-country locations who are eligible to enter the Enduring Welcome (EW) pipeline. Operations under the CARE Office are being managed along these primary areas of responsibility: Case Management / Contact Center for intake, management, and initial approval for Afghanistan individuals seeking relocation; managing special cases for intake and approval; transportation within and out of Afghanistan to Camp As Sayliyah (CAS) and potentially other third-country locations; processing for resettlement from CAS and/or other locations; and engagement, Analysis, and Communications with external stakeholders.
The PSC provides authoritative information on data analysis of relocation operations for Afghan populations that are in multiple locations with multiple statuses in the CARE relocation pipeline. This includes coordination with CARE leadership to capture key operational and performance metrics as well as key changes in the data and other factors that affect the operational model. In addition, the scope of work is to provide recommendations on types and quality of data collected and reported for consideration by policy makers. The work product or service (e.g., analytical reports, written and oral correspondence) aids the policy making activity of the U.S. Department of State by defining the impacts of the various alternatives to a given problem or proposal.
The PSC provides and/or directs the creation of complex analytical products that serve to influence the direction and pace of diplomacy efforts by the Department. S/he is able to bring innovative approaches from other areas of technical and policy study and apply them in novel ways to create new outcomes.
The work involves exercising analytical, technical, organizational and communication skills as they relate to coordinating analytics projects, tracking budgets, vendor contracts, distribution of products, and enterprise licensing agreements. The PSC will review incoming requests for validity, policy appropriateness and feasibility, in conducting the research required to identify the appropriate resources and the responsibility to coordinate, develop, market, and measure the final product.
The PSC also contributes to the decision-making process of which creative methods, techniques and technology are most effective for a project. In addition, s/he often develops strategies that will effectively transmit the program’s initiatives and establishes ways of obtaining feedback on program effectiveness. Projects themselves can take many months and require significant pre-planning, coordination and strategizing, and will necessitate a significant amount of tracking, analysis and reporting related duties. The PSC makes efforts to develop new concepts or theories, or to solve problems that have resisted solution previously.
The PSC provides and/or directs the creation of data-driven analyses, visualizations and recommendations for the advancement of the major policies and procedures that govern the work undertaken by the State Department. Scope and effect of the work reaches bureau, family, and Department-wide strategic impacts with direct effects on national security and diplomatic outcomes.
The PSC must resolve a host of complex and unanticipated issues in the course of meeting the office’s operational needs, e.g., tracking and updating budget spreadsheets, maintaining productive relationships with data stewards and systems owners, and maintaining awareness of the Department’s broader data and analytics needs. S/he must be able to utilize cutting-edge technologies in order to design and implement analytics products, and to identify and engage with the most appropriate subject matter expertise, technology providers and implementers in specific fields to make valuable contributions to the office’s customers and audiences. Recommendations by the Senior Data Analyst will impact not only the program’s effectiveness in achieving the success of a major DoS program, but also the image of DoS and the U.S. government worldwide.
The incumbent’s general guidance and objectives come from the office leadership, requesting missions, and other clients. S/he develops specific approaches to design and implements tasks to meet objectives. The incumbent exercises a high degree of independent judgment, initiative, originality, and latitude in developing the specific objectives, boundaries, and resources necessary to develop and produce program objectives and devises his/her own methods to enhance the programs. The plans and recommendations developed by the incumbent are reviewed mostly in terms of attainment of overall program objectives and effectiveness in meeting customer needs.
The incumbent at this level is considered to be a major strategic and technical resource for the Bureau and Department with respect to data analysis and product development, and his/her work is reviewed only for soundness of its overall approach and the feasibility of the recommendations developed for implementation.
Guidelines include general instructions provided by Office’s leadership team. Guidelines are open to interpretation and the incumbent acts independently in applying mature judgment and using past experience in the interpretation of information and requirements leading to the development of procedures and techniques related to the work to be accomplished. The incumbent often demonstrates innovative approaches to the conduct of analytics involving the use of cutting-edge technologies. The incumbent is often recognized as a technical authority in the development and interpretation of guidelines.
Frequent contacts with DOS Bureau and Office Directors and other senior management officials throughout the Department, as well as with high-level regional and intelligence officials, Chiefs of Mission and embassy staffs. There are also numerous contacts that occur outside the Department in moderately unstructured settings and on an ad hoc basis with key officials in partner agencies and private sector representatives. Many such contacts take place in meetings, conferences, briefings and presentations, and often require extensive preparation and up-to-date familiarity with complex subject matters on the part of the Data Analyst/Scientist. The employee in the position is frequently designated by higher management as a point of contact with other DOS Bureaus and Offices, agencies and organizations for the consideration of important data-driven policy, planning and management foreign affairs issues and product development.
The purpose of the employee’s contacts is to participate substantively in exchanges that are designed to identify new and innovative policy and operational approaches for effectively addressing the key issues in the Department. It is also necessary for the Data Analyst/Scientist to facilitate training sessions, conferences and workshops concerning utilization of the technical application of qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques in support of these efforts. The Data Analyst/Scientist acts in this context to develop and execute data-driven strategies that address complex foreign policy issues and help develop important policy reports, represent the Department in different venues concerning DOS and USG data goals and objectives and explain and clarify policies in briefing management on program activities. It is important that the Data Analyst/Scientist establish good working relationships with officials and staffs in the partner organizations to implement product development and usage. Another important component of the employee’s contacts is to use tact and skill to help influence, motivate and persuade persons and groups who are skeptical and resistant to the implementation of the Office’s agenda, and have different viewpoints and interests with respect to the Department’s data programs and objectives.
II. Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Duty 1 - Data Analysis, Interpretation, and Management (60%) FLSA Exempt
Identifies data required for use in the management and direction of programs. Translates complex data science concepts, findings, and limitations into concise written and graphical data analysis in order to inform critical Department policy and management decisions. Closely ties findings and conclusions into the Department’s mission, original problem statement, and team objectives. Researches and designs presentations and interpretations of analytical outputs tailored to specific audiences. Conducts data analyses using software and/or programming languages including but not limited to R, Python, or SAS, etc. to explore/group data, test hypotheses, develop predictive analysis, and inform decisions. Derives meaning from big data (i.e., datasets that may be large, disparate, unstructured, and/or complex), including structured, loosely structured, and unstructured data.
Analyzes new or proposed legislation or regulations to determine impact on program operations and management. Translates complex data science concepts, findings, and limitations into concise written and oral presentations to include:
• An end-to-end process diagram at a level of detail appropriate for modeling and monitoring activities
• An integrated, shareable dashboard allowing modeling and monitoring of CARE operational data to inform CARE planning, reporting, and decision-making
• Dashboard sharing capabilities
• Dashboard data visualization capabilities
Provides internal and/or external data analyses, methodological or system reviews, studies, projects, and data validation efforts, which provide quality assessments of analytics products or statistical model performance and vulnerabilities.
Duty 2 - Data Analytics and Technical Liaison (35%) FLSA Exempt
Advises on potential benefits of automation to improve the efficiency of program operations. Provides technical advice in collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating insights from data.
Provides technical recommendations in the development, implementation, and oversight of new data analysis, storage, and computer technologies, as well as in the improvement of existing analytical and methodological approaches.
Assures effective operations and achievement of contractual requirements and program objectives. Analyzes and evaluates bureau or department functions being considered for contract operations. Serves as the product owner, product manager, and Subject-Matter Expert (SME) on contracts, task orders, or other projects related to data science issues or initiatives. Assesses progress of contractors towards achieving goals; identifies staffing issues that may hinder meeting requirements and objectives. Monitors and reports on the performance of contractors.
Performs analyses to identify effective administrative processes and those that are ineffective across bureau and /or Department lines. Develops, recommends and implements adjustment measures.
Develops and implements management surveys to determine compliance with bureau and/or Department regulations and procedures.
Assesses project risk through continuous monitoring and communication with contractor, leadership, and customer stakeholders.
Duty 3: Other Duties as Assigned (5%)
Performs other related duties as assigned.
III. Knowledge and Skills Required for the Position
Mastery of advanced mathematics, data analytics, and statistical and programming tools and techniques.
Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative analytical and evaluative methodologies sufficient to address complex organizational research and analysis issues.
Knowledge of data mapping data from multiple systems into a common ServiceNow data model and out of the box functionality.
Mastery of techniques and tools associated with system architectures, developing process models, and reviewing business initiatives to incorporate CARE content into DOS information products, configuration management, and project controls.
Knowledge of SQL, Oracle, R, MATLAB, and Python preferred to assess current requirements for compatibility with ongoing knowledge management strategies.
Knowledge of driving analytical projects from start to finish, utilizing best practices and prior experience in creating an analytics plan, shaping customer questions, and leveraging existing efforts to speed up analytics projects.
Knowledge of Windows-based automation programs including PowerPoint, word processing, spreadsheet design and use, data base management, graphics support, scheduling, and other related administrative tasks sufficient to conduct analysis and produce deliverable such as briefings, calendars, and strategic communication products.
Knowledge of data visualization software to include, but not limited to, Tableau, PowerBI, and Excel.
Expertise in oral and written communications to develop, negotiate, and defend recommendations; present briefings on sensitive and controversial subjects; and provide guidance and instructions and keeps abreast of the latest technological advancements.
IV. Other Requirements for the Position
The contractor must be granted a Secret security clearance prior to entry on duty and maintain such clearance throughout the period of employment.
The work will take place at the Department of State office(s) in the Washington, DC region.
DoS will provide the professional service employee with a computer workstation and
access to existing applications (e.g., e-mail, MS Office Suite, etc.), adequate office space, and telephone service. The Department will also provide printers, faxes, and copiers.
Telephones may only be used in accordance with Federal Guidelines and Standards to
conduct DoS related business. Government furnished computer equipment and use of
office equipment (such as faxes, copiers) will be provided.
DoS will provide computer storage space on the Department’s unclassified network to host the professional service employee’s deliverables. All deliverables (e.g., documented procedures, customized software, applications and enhancements) are the property of the Department of State and will be returned to the Department of State upon completion of the support services.
The period of performance will be one year from contract award with 1 one-year option period.
SCA shall have perpetual rights to all raw data and deliverables resulting from work performed under this content.
Duration of Appointment: 1 year with potential to renew
Key Requirements:
U.S. Citizenship is required.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
Position is located in WASHINGTON, DC
To be considered, applicants must be willing to relocate or live within a 50-mile radius of Washington, DC
Candidate Selection: Selections may be made as early as one week after the announcement is posted. Offer will be made based upon application meeting the minimum requirements for the position.
Salary: GS-14 Equivalent ($139,395- $181,216).
For award, NEA-SCA/EX will negotiate for this contract based on the following:
- Entry-level salary is at Step 1 of the grade range assigned to solicitation.
- Consideration given for experience relevant specifically to the solicitation requirements.
- Level and extent of experience dictates the salary level within the grade range.
Veteran's Preference: Veteran's preference is not applicable to this position.
**The applicant’s resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight work experience and professional certifications related to this opportunity.**
Data Scientist, PSC-1560-14
Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
Department of State
I Introduction
The Personal Services Contractor (PSC) is located in the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) Office, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA), Department of State (DoS). The CARE Office will efficiently execute the mission of safely and securely relocating personnel currently located in Afghanistan and other third-country locations who are eligible to enter the Enduring Welcome (EW) pipeline. Operations under the CARE Office are being managed along these primary areas of responsibility: Case Management / Contact Center for intake, management, and initial approval for Afghanistan individuals seeking relocation; managing special cases for intake and approval; transportation within and out of Afghanistan to Camp As Sayliyah (CAS) and potentially other third-country locations; processing for resettlement from CAS and/or other locations; and engagement, Analysis, and Communications with external stakeholders.
The PSC provides authoritative information on data analysis of relocation operations for Afghan populations that are in multiple locations with multiple statuses in the CARE relocation pipeline. This includes coordination with CARE leadership to capture key operational and performance metrics as well as key changes in the data and other factors that affect the operational model. In addition, the scope of work is to provide recommendations on types and quality of data collected and reported for consideration by policy makers. The work product or service (e.g., analytical reports, written and oral correspondence) aids the policy making activity of the U.S. Department of State by defining the impacts of the various alternatives to a given problem or proposal.
The PSC provides and/or directs the creation of complex analytical products that serve to influence the direction and pace of diplomacy efforts by the Department. S/he is able to bring innovative approaches from other areas of technical and policy study and apply them in novel ways to create new outcomes.
The work involves exercising analytical, technical, organizational and communication skills as they relate to coordinating analytics projects, tracking budgets, vendor contracts, distribution of products, and enterprise licensing agreements. The PSC will review incoming requests for validity, policy appropriateness and feasibility, in conducting the research required to identify the appropriate resources and the responsibility to coordinate, develop, market, and measure the final product.
The PSC also contributes to the decision-making process of which creative methods, techniques and technology are most effective for a project. In addition, s/he often develops strategies that will effectively transmit the program’s initiatives and establishes ways of obtaining feedback on program effectiveness. Projects themselves can take many months and require significant pre-planning, coordination and strategizing, and will necessitate a significant amount of tracking, analysis and reporting related duties. The PSC makes efforts to develop new concepts or theories, or to solve problems that have resisted solution previously.
The PSC provides and/or directs the creation of data-driven analyses, visualizations and recommendations for the advancement of the major policies and procedures that govern the work undertaken by the State Department. Scope and effect of the work reaches bureau, family, and Department-wide strategic impacts with direct effects on national security and diplomatic outcomes.
The PSC must resolve a host of complex and unanticipated issues in the course of meeting the office’s operational needs, e.g., tracking and updating budget spreadsheets, maintaining productive relationships with data stewards and systems owners, and maintaining awareness of the Department’s broader data and analytics needs. S/he must be able to utilize cutting-edge technologies in order to design and implement analytics products, and to identify and engage with the most appropriate subject matter expertise, technology providers and implementers in specific fields to make valuable contributions to the office’s customers and audiences. Recommendations by the Senior Data Analyst will impact not only the program’s effectiveness in achieving the success of a major DoS program, but also the image of DoS and the U.S. government worldwide.
The incumbent’s general guidance and objectives come from the office leadership, requesting missions, and other clients. S/he develops specific approaches to design and implements tasks to meet objectives. The incumbent exercises a high degree of independent judgment, initiative, originality, and latitude in developing the specific objectives, boundaries, and resources necessary to develop and produce program objectives and devises his/her own methods to enhance the programs. The plans and recommendations developed by the incumbent are reviewed mostly in terms of attainment of overall program objectives and effectiveness in meeting customer needs.
The incumbent at this level is considered to be a major strategic and technical resource for the Bureau and Department with respect to data analysis and product development, and his/her work is reviewed only for soundness of its overall approach and the feasibility of the recommendations developed for implementation.
Guidelines include general instructions provided by Office’s leadership team. Guidelines are open to interpretation and the incumbent acts independently in applying mature judgment and using past experience in the interpretation of information and requirements leading to the development of procedures and techniques related to the work to be accomplished. The incumbent often demonstrates innovative approaches to the conduct of analytics involving the use of cutting-edge technologies. The incumbent is often recognized as a technical authority in the development and interpretation of guidelines.
Frequent contacts with DOS Bureau and Office Directors and other senior management officials throughout the Department, as well as with high-level regional and intelligence officials, Chiefs of Mission and embassy staffs. There are also numerous contacts that occur outside the Department in moderately unstructured settings and on an ad hoc basis with key officials in partner agencies and private sector representatives. Many such contacts take place in meetings, conferences, briefings and presentations, and often require extensive preparation and up-to-date familiarity with complex subject matters on the part of the Data Analyst/Scientist. The employee in the position is frequently designated by higher management as a point of contact with other DOS Bureaus and Offices, agencies and organizations for the consideration of important data-driven policy, planning and management foreign affairs issues and product development.
The purpose of the employee’s contacts is to participate substantively in exchanges that are designed to identify new and innovative policy and operational approaches for effectively addressing the key issues in the Department. It is also necessary for the Data Analyst/Scientist to facilitate training sessions, conferences and workshops concerning utilization of the technical application of qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques in support of these efforts. The Data Analyst/Scientist acts in this context to develop and execute data-driven strategies that address complex foreign policy issues and help develop important policy reports, represent the Department in different venues concerning DOS and USG data goals and objectives and explain and clarify policies in briefing management on program activities. It is important that the Data Analyst/Scientist establish good working relationships with officials and staffs in the partner organizations to implement product development and usage. Another important component of the employee’s contacts is to use tact and skill to help influence, motivate and persuade persons and groups who are skeptical and resistant to the implementation of the Office’s agenda, and have different viewpoints and interests with respect to the Department’s data programs and objectives.
II. Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Duty 1 - Data Analysis, Interpretation, and Management (60%) FLSA Exempt
Identifies data required for use in the management and direction of programs. Translates complex data science concepts, findings, and limitations into concise written and graphical data analysis in order to inform critical Department policy and management decisions. Closely ties findings and conclusions into the Department’s mission, original problem statement, and team objectives. Researches and designs presentations and interpretations of analytical outputs tailored to specific audiences. Conducts data analyses using software and/or programming languages including but not limited to R, Python, or SAS, etc. to explore/group data, test hypotheses, develop predictive analysis, and inform decisions. Derives meaning from big data (i.e., datasets that may be large, disparate, unstructured, and/or complex), including structured, loosely structured, and unstructured data.
Analyzes new or proposed legislation or regulations to determine impact on program operations and management. Translates complex data science concepts, findings, and limitations into concise written and oral presentations to include:
• An end-to-end process diagram at a level of detail appropriate for modeling and monitoring activities
• An integrated, shareable dashboard allowing modeling and monitoring of CARE operational data to inform CARE planning, reporting, and decision-making
• Dashboard sharing capabilities
• Dashboard data visualization capabilities
Provides internal and/or external data analyses, methodological or system reviews, studies, projects, and data validation efforts, which provide quality assessments of analytics products or statistical model performance and vulnerabilities.
Duty 2 - Data Analytics and Technical Liaison (35%) FLSA Exempt
Advises on potential benefits of automation to improve the efficiency of program operations. Provides technical advice in collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating insights from data.
Provides technical recommendations in the development, implementation, and oversight of new data analysis, storage, and computer technologies, as well as in the improvement of existing analytical and methodological approaches.
Assures effective operations and achievement of contractual requirements and program objectives. Analyzes and evaluates bureau or department functions being considered for contract operations. Serves as the product owner, product manager, and Subject-Matter Expert (SME) on contracts, task orders, or other projects related to data science issues or initiatives. Assesses progress of contractors towards achieving goals; identifies staffing issues that may hinder meeting requirements and objectives. Monitors and reports on the performance of contractors.
Performs analyses to identify effective administrative processes and those that are ineffective across bureau and /or Department lines. Develops, recommends and implements adjustment measures.
Develops and implements management surveys to determine compliance with bureau and/or Department regulations and procedures.
Assesses project risk through continuous monitoring and communication with contractor, leadership, and customer stakeholders.
Duty 3: Other Duties as Assigned (5%)
Performs other related duties as assigned.
III. Knowledge and Skills Required for the Position
Mastery of advanced mathematics, data analytics, and statistical and programming tools and techniques.
Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative analytical and evaluative methodologies sufficient to address complex organizational research and analysis issues.
Knowledge of data mapping data from multiple systems into a common ServiceNow data model and out of the box functionality.
Mastery of techniques and tools associated with system architectures, developing process models, and reviewing business initiatives to incorporate CARE content into DOS information products, configuration management, and project controls.
Knowledge of SQL, Oracle, R, MATLAB, and Python preferred to assess current requirements for compatibility with ongoing knowledge management strategies.
Knowledge of driving analytical projects from start to finish, utilizing best practices and prior experience in creating an analytics plan, shaping customer questions, and leveraging existing efforts to speed up analytics projects.
Knowledge of Windows-based automation programs including PowerPoint, word processing, spreadsheet design and use, data base management, graphics support, scheduling, and other related administrative tasks sufficient to conduct analysis and produce deliverable such as briefings, calendars, and strategic communication products.
Knowledge of data visualization software to include, but not limited to, Tableau, PowerBI, and Excel.
Expertise in oral and written communications to develop, negotiate, and defend recommendations; present briefings on sensitive and controversial subjects; and provide guidance and instructions and keeps abreast of the latest technological advancements.
IV. Other Requirements for the Position
The contractor must be granted a Secret security clearance prior to entry on duty and maintain such clearance throughout the period of employment.
The work will take place at the Department of State office(s) in the Washington, DC region.
DoS will provide the professional service employee with a computer workstation and
access to existing applications (e.g., e-mail, MS Office Suite, etc.), adequate office space, and telephone service. The Department will also provide printers, faxes, and copiers.
Telephones may only be used in accordance with Federal Guidelines and Standards to
conduct DoS related business. Government furnished computer equipment and use of
office equipment (such as faxes, copiers) will be provided.
DoS will provide computer storage space on the Department’s unclassified network to host the professional service employee’s deliverables. All deliverables (e.g., documented procedures, customized software, applications and enhancements) are the property of the Department of State and will be returned to the Department of State upon completion of the support services.
The period of performance will be one year from contract award with 1 one-year option period.
SCA shall have perpetual rights to all raw data and deliverables resulting from work performed under this content.
Salary
139,395 - 181,216 /year