Data Scientist

Description:

This position is organizationally located in the Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC) at the VA Connecticut Health Care System in West Haven, CT. The primary purpose of this position is to evaluate VA specialized mental health systems.

Requirements:

To qualify for this position, you must meet the following basic requirement:

Degree: Mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science or a field directly related to the position. The degree must be in a major field of study (at least at the baccalaureate level) that is appropriate for the position.
OR
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major field of study (30 semester hours) as shown above, plus additional education or appropriate experience.

In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirement, you must also have the following specialized experience to qualify for this position as described below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, principles, and other guidelines to successfully perform the duties of this position, and that is typically related to the work of the position. This specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower graded level (GS-12) in the Federal service. Qualifying experience includes: writing SQL code; performing Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) data extraction; using advanced data visualization software particularly Power BI; conducting program evaluation projects involving large healthcare data sets using knowledge of multiple fields of research that bridge diverse disciplines; performing complex analyses of the data using techniques such as regression analysis, statistical analysis, mathematical modeling and programming, machine learning, natural language processing, deep learning, spatial analysis, etc.; and developing ad hoc analyses and business intelligence processes to answer specific questions or using data mining methods to discover previously unidentified relationships between variables.

Selective Placement Factor: This position also includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is:

Comprehensive computer programming knowledge and skills and experience writing SQL code, performing Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) data extraction, and using advanced data visualization software particularly Power BI.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Analytical Thinking
• Customer Service
• Data Management
• Data Systems
• Database Administration
• Database Management Systems
• Research

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

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.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require periods of walking, standing, bending, or driving a motor vehicle. Employees frequently carry research records and other similar materials. The work does not require any special physical effort.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ .