STUDENT TRAINEE (DATA SCIENTIST)

Summary This position is located in the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Mission Support Team, Data Analytics Team (DAT). The incumbent is a Data Scientist responsible for providing timely, technical advice with respect to applied data science and mathematical and statistical analyses that solve critical problems, promote program integrity, and detect fraud, waste and abuse. Responsibilities Research and apply mathematical, statistical and text analyses using software and in coordination with other analysts, using CRISP-DM/Agile methods. Effectively communicate analytical methods and results to teammates and prepare technical documentation around defensible, repeatable, and impactful statistical results. Assist project teams by translating requirements into useful mathematical, statistical, or text analyses that contribute value to the organization’s mission. Assist with preparation of proposals by outlining the hypothesis, requirements, and potential impact of conducting the analysis. Provide data preparation for statistical analysis and prepare final tabulations, tables, charts, or graphs for presentations, dashboards, and other DAT products. Effectively work in teams to complete analytical projects. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Requirements: Enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment as a full-time or half-time (Half-time basis is defined by the academic institution that the student is enrolled or accepted into) student into an accredited college or university in a qualifying degree-seeking program, or enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment in a qualifying certificate program; Students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) at time of application and must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA throughout the entire Pathways Student Trainee Internship appointment to remain in the Program; Applicants MUST submit a transcript or proof of enrollment with the online application (see Required Documents for additional details). Please note that if you are graduating from your current academic program prior to August 31, 2025 you will not be eligible for this student appointment unless you are accepted for enrollment at a qualifying educational institution seeking an ADDITIONAL qualifying degree, diploma, certificate, etc., OR an advanced degree. You MUST submit proof of acceptance along with your current transcripts for consideration. If selected, must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement; be able to furnish course registration information at the start of each school term; and be able to provide verification of academic status (official transcript) at the end of each academic term. Basic Requirements: Must be seeking a degree in one of the following: Mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science or field directly related to the position. One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade GS-05 or equivalent within the federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position, is required. Specialized experience is defined as: Applying mathematical, statistical, or text analysis using software packages. One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade GS-07 or equivalent within the federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position, is required. Specialized experience is defined as: Applying mathematical, statistical, or text analysis using software packages and effective communication of analysis results. 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) is qualifying. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience. The following supporting documents are ONLY required if applicable to your personal qualifications or status. They must be received by the closing date of the announcement. Veterans Preference: If you are claiming veteran's preference, you MUST submit the appropriate documentation. Failure to do so WILL result in the loss of veteran's preference, and will possibly impact your placement on the certificate. For more veterans' information please click here. You must submit a copy of your DD Form-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty", showing the dates of active duty service, type of discharge and the character of service. Alternatively, If you are a current military member in active duty service and do not have a copy of your DD Form-214, you must submit a written documentation (certification) from your branch of service certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application for this position. The certification should also include your rank and dates of active duty service. If claiming 10-point preference and/or are a 30% or more Disabled Veteran, you must submit both a DD Form-214 or expected discharge documentation as described above AND a copy of a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or your branch of service certifying the presence of service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of disability. If you are claiming eligibility based on 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e. a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran claiming veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it), you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15) "Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference" and any required documents indicated on the SF-15 to substantiate the claimed preference. Click to review veterans authorities and required documents that verify eligibility for VEOA, VRA and/or 30% or more disabled veterans hiring authorities http://www.dfas.mil/careers/howtoapply/vacancyannouncement/appointment-eligibility.html . Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, must be selected and placed at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist. Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist. Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians Receiving Disability Retirement PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians receiving disability retirement PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist. Retained Grade PPP Eligible: Retained Grade PPP applicants, must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Retained Grade preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist. Education Substitution of Education for Specialized Experience: GS-07 One full year of graduate level education or Superior Academic Achievement may be substituted to meet the specialized experience requirement. GS-09 Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education, Master's or equivalent graduate degree, may be substituted to meet the specialized experience requirement. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be used to substitute for the specialized experience requirement. Only experience and/or education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. If you are using education to substitute for the qualifying experience, you must submit transcripts at the time you apply. Failure to do so may disqualify you from consideration. Due to the education requirement of this position, an unofficial transcript must be submitted at the time of application. If transcripts are not received, you will be rated as ineligible. Using Education to Qualify: You MUST provide unofficial transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Pass/Fail Courses: If more that 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. Graduate Education: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. Accreditation: Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/ and U.S. Department of Education website at http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. If you fail to provide the required documentation, by the closing date of this announcement, you will not receive consideration. For further information, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html Additional Information Selections are subject to restrictions resulting from the DoD Program for Stability of Civilian Employment. Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination. This internship opportunity will not start until mid to late May 2025. Moving costs MAY be paid. Relocation or Recruitment incentive MAY be paid. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 makes certain reimbursements/payments taxable. For information on these changes and the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA), for which some appointees are eligible, click here. For positions where relocation is paid (see Location block of vacancy announcement), you can learn more about relocation allowances and entitlements. Individuals selected from this vacancy announcement will work a full-time work schedule for at least eight weeks between the months of May through September. Upon completion of the summer internship period individuals will be placed on leave without pay (LWOP) until completion of their academic program or until they are returned to duty for another period of internship. Based upon organizational need, availability of funding, student availability, and the student's academic schedule, individuals may be returned to duty for short durations during breaks in school (i.e. Fall, Winter, or Spring Break) or part-time employment throughout the Fall and Spring semesters, so long as their work schedule does not interfere with their academic requirements and schedule. Individuals selected from this vacancy announcement may be offered the opportunity to work a part-time or full-time work schedule prior to May, if funding is available. We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date. A trial period may be required. This position is Non-Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act. This position is not covered by a bargaining unit. Retired Civil Service Employee: Employment of retired Federal employees receiving an annuity is subject to the requirements of the Department of Defense (DoD) policy guidance. Pay for first time hires to the Federal Government will typically be set at step 1 salary range for their respective grade level. PROGRAM COMPLETION AND CONVERSION ELIGIBILITY: Upon successful completion of their academic program and the internship program, interns may be converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service consistent with agency needs, academic achievement, and demonstrated potential. However, future budgetary events, hiring restrictions, or other events may preclude the conversion. Individuals converted may be subject to participation in an additional year of training as part of an agency formal development program. Retired/Retiring Veterans: Please be aware that there is a 180-Day Restriction on Department of Defense (DoD) Employment of Military Retirees. A retired member of the Armed Forces may not be appointed to a civilian position in the DoD within 180 days after retirement unless the agency requests and is granted a waiver; the position is authorized special pay under 5 U.S.C. 3505; or a state of national emergency exists. Criminal History Inquiries- If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency @ dfas.indianapolis-in.zh.mbx.ssc-cc@mail.mil