Research Social Scientist at CHEManager International

Summary

• UPDATE Relocation Authorized

This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Rural Economy Branch.

In this position, you will be responsible for formulating research plans, developing methodology, determining data needs, and defining resources needed to carry out complex social science research and analysis programs of great significance and difficulty.

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Duties

• Formulates research plans, develops methodology, determines data needs, and defines resources needed to carry out complex social science research and analysis programs of great significance and difficulty.
• Conduct analysis of demographic phenomena that have economic and social consequences on various areas within rural America.
• May serve as an expert on rural data sources and on definitions of rural necessary for both Federal research and policy applications.
• Produce authoritative technical advice and guidance on Departmental actions and policy decisions related to demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic analyses of rural America.
• Conduct analysis of population and migration change at both the overall rural level and in individual counties and regions.
• Use spatial analyses of various indicators of rural resident and community well-being.
• Report findings from analyses of complex and difficult demographic and economic research problems.
• Lead the development and reporting of analyses of population trends and migration patterns for rural US households.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period.
• Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

Basic Requirements: Degree: A full 4-year degree of study in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Related disciplines may include demography, sociology, geography, economics, and agricultural economics.

OR

A 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.

AND

GS-14

Qualifying experience for GS-14 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-13 level; or its non-Federal equivalent that includes experience conducting demographic research relevant to the role of rural or urban population change as it relates to the economic or social well-being of people or places; proposing research approaches and methods for testing hypotheses to include use of scientifically appropriate demographic or social theory, relevant data, and appropriate empirical methods; using statistical models in applied work; and developing and providing input and direction for regional or national rural and population research programs. Evidence of peer-reviewed journal publications or publications by a federal statistical agency or nationally recognized independent research organization is required.

GS-15

Qualifying experience for GS-15 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-14 level; or its non-Federal equivalent that includes experience in primary authorship of a number of important papers, models, theories, and/or techniques that impact the advancement of or are accepted as authoritative in the field of demography or rural population; conducting policy-related research on the drivers of economic and population growth and decline in rural areas; and participating in symposia that define the state of the discipline or introduce new areas in the field of rural economics.

Research

• Formulates research plans, develops methodology, determines data needs, and defines resources needed to carry out complex social science research and analysis programs of great significance and difficulty.
• Conducts analysis of population and migration change at both the overall rural level and in individual counties and regions.
• Conducts spatial analyses of various indicators of rural resident and community well-being.
• Conducts analysis of demographic phenomena that have economic and social consequences on various areas within rural America.
• Develops sophisticated new methods, techniques, and/or instrumentation, or modifies and adapts established methods, techniques, and/or instrumentation necessary to carry out data development and analysis for rural socioeconomic research.

Communication

• Serves as an expert in rural population and migration studies.
• Serves as an expert on rural data sources and on definitions of rural necessary for both Federal research and policy applications.
• Formulates specific and definite conclusions that are presented to the agricultural and rural development community in a series of published contributions to social science knowledge.
• Reports findings that are expected to account for previously unexplained phenomena, and provides solutions to problems that have been particularly difficult and unyielding to analysis.
• Produces authoritative technical advice and guidance on Departmental actions and policy decisions related to demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic analyses of rural America.

Administration and Management

• Leads the development and reporting of analyses of population trends and migration patterns for rural US households.
• Applies a high degree of originality and analytical thinking to identify specific parameters and priorities for problems to be investigated and to formulate research hypotheses.
• Develops a comprehensive approach directed at the attainment of project objectives and establishing staffing and funding requirements.
• Establishes investigative procedures to be followed; determines the need for contracts and grants and follows progress through to completion.

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 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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Additional Information

This Position is being filled through

Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Your application will be evaluated for basic eligibility and to determine if your experience and/or education meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and other basic requirements will be referred and are eligible for selection. **

Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service

Current civil service employees would therefore be given a new appointment to the civil service.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

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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.

Benefits

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 windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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.