Summary

This position is being filled under a stream-lined hiring authority, Title 21 of the United States Code (21 US Code 379d-3a) as amended by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, section 3072 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, Section 3624. The candidate selected for this position will serve under a career or career-conditional appointment and be paid under the provisions of this authority. This position is being recruited based on Title 21 Pay Table 2, Band C (equivalent to GS-13).

Duties

• Utilize statistical analysis to identify patterns and signals within food safety and nutrition data, focusing on studies that can inform public health decisions.
• Select specific qualitative and quantitative data collection methods for food safety studies.
• Design, test, and update algorithms and data models to enhance the robustness and integrity of food safety data processes.
• Conduct independent, data-driven quantitative research with an emphasis on food safety and nutrition, integrating diverse datasets to support policy and operational decision-making.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
• The candidate selected for this position will serve under a career or career-conditional appointment within the competitive service.
• Direct Deposit: You will be required to have all federal salary payments electronically deposited into a bank account with a financial institution of your choice.
• FDA participates in e-Verify: All new hires must complete the I-9 form; this information will be processed through e-Verify to determine your employment eligibility. If a discrepancy arises, you must take affirmative steps to resolve the matter.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service. Please go to http://www.sss.gov for more information.
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• Financial Disclosure may be required.
• Ethics Clearance may be required.
• Background Investigation Requirement: All employees must pass a security investigation. Failing to pass the background check may be grounds for removal or legal action. If hired, you may be subject to additional investigations at a later time.
• Certification of Accuracy: All information concerning eligibility and qualification is subject to investigation and verification. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection, or appropriate legal action.

Qualifications

The 21st Century Cures Act ("Cures" or The Act) grants the HHS/FDA the authority to appoint outstanding and qualified candidates to scientific, technical, or professional positions that support the development, review, and regulation of medical products. Such positions shall be within the competitive service. Candidates will be appointed and compensated without regard to Title 5 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) governing appointment in the competitive service. The Act further states the Commissioner of FDA may determine and set (1) the annual rate of pay of any individual appointed; (2) the annual rate of pay for any qualified scientific, technical, or professional personnel appointed to a position before the date of enactment of the 21st Century Cures Act. Based on the Act, it allows the FDA the authority to create and administer its own Alternative Pay System (APS) to recruit and retain qualified scientific, technical, or professional candidates to carry out mission-critical functions.

Title 21 Overview: Passed by Congress in December 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act improves FDA's ability to recruit and retain scientific, technical, and professional experts in certain occupational series that "support the development, review, and regulation of medical products." FY23 Omnibus expanded to include crosscutting positions and individuals that support the development, review, and regulation of food and cosmetics in addition to medical products. Both statutes amended the FD&C Act 21 USC. As Title 21 continues to evolve, so do our recruitment and retention strategies. Title 21 utilizes alternative qualifications standards: Minimum Years of Experience and Job Families. Title 21 is not bound to the traditional OPM qualifications and classifications standards.

In order to qualify for the Data Scientist position which falls under the 0301 occupational Series, you must meet the following requirements by 11:59 pm EST on 09/20/2024:

Minimal Qualifications Requirements for the Data Scientist, AD-0301 position:

Basic Requirements:

A. Education: A bachelor's degree or higher in data science, statistics, informatics, bioinformatics, information science, computer science, mathematics, computational biology, engineering, operations research, economics, public health, physics, quantitative analysis and/or methodologies or related field. The degree must be from an accredited program or institution.

or

B. Experience: Comparable work in or demonstrated understanding in data science or a related field (through project portfolios, research, certifications, etc.).

AND

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED ABOVE, APPLICANTS MUST ALSO MEET ONE OF THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO HIGHEST QUALIFYING DEGREE:

1. Have a Bachelor's degree and also have 4 years of relevant experience visualizing or manipulating datasets using analytical tools (such as R, Python, Tableau, SQL, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Bioconda, NumPy, SciPy).
2. Have a Master's degree and also have 3 years of relevant experience visualizing or manipulating datasets using analytical tools (such as R, Python, Tableau, SQL, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Bioconda, NumPy, SciPy).
3. Have a Doctorate and/or J.D. degree and also have 1 year of relevant experience visualizing or manipulating datasets using analytical tools (such as R, Python, Tableau, SQL, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Bioconda, NumPy, SciPy).
4. Have a MD, DO, DDS, DPM, or DVM degree.
5. Have comparable work experience in or demonstrated understanding in data science or a related field (through project portfolios, research, certifications, etc.) and also have 6 years of relevant experience visualizing or manipulating datasets using analytical tools (such as R, Python, Tableau, SQL, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Bioconda, NumPy, SciPy).


NOTE: Applicants must submit all relevant transcripts that demonstrate you possess the required education to meet the Basic Qualifications.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

This is a Title 21 announcement. Traditional rating and ranking of applications, and veterans' preference does not apply to this vacancy. You will be evaluated against the basic qualifications and if found qualified, you will be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration.

If you are referred to the hiring manager for consideration, you may be further evaluated based on an interview; review of requested work samples, writing samples, most recent performance evaluation(s), or professional references; or results of an oral presentation or work-related test.
Failure to comply with any of the additional assessment requirements will result in removal from further consideration.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Required Documents

Resume: At a minimum, your resume should list the position title, employer name, start and end dates (including month and year), salary (or grade and step), hours worked per week, and a list of duties performed or accomplishments, for EACH position listed. A CV (curriculum vitae) may not contain enough information to meet these resume requirements.

Transcripts: If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on education, unofficial transcripts or a list of courses must be provided. See the Qualifications and Education Requirements section of this announcement.

Professional Licensure: If the position has a licensure requirement, a copy of your professional license must be provided. See the Qualifications and Education Requirements section of this announcement.

Additional Documents (if applicable):

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other supporting documentation not listed above
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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.PDN-9cf92861-808d-43f4-8483-26c8add4e0c3