Statistician

This is a senior statistician position with MSPB's Office of Policy and Evaluation. OPE conducts studies of Federal Government merit systems and human resources policies and practices. You will work individually and in teams to design research studies, manage administrative and survey data, and conduct statistical analyses for merit system study publications. Visit our webpage for more information about OPE research.

At MSPB you will contribute to the full research cycle for multiple federal workforce studies (i.e. identifying research topics, defining study objectives, organizing and conducting the research, interpreting the results, and presenting the findings in the form of reports, presentations and other appropriate dissemination activities). This research may involve problems that are difficult to define; areas previously investigated but under different conditions; or involve adapting previous studies to address changes in theory or improved techniques and instrumentation. As a Statistician, you will manage, lead, and perform scientific work or provide professional consultation in applying statistical theories, techniques, and methods to gather, analyze, interpret, and/or report quantified information. You will serve as the OPE technical expert on advanced statistical methods and consult with colleagues and senior leadership on appropriate applications of techniques. You will also serve as a bridge to the broader statistical community, keeping abreast of evolving issues and methods and their application to OPE research. OPE has a wide range of statistical skill needs and we encourage individuals to apply for this position even if you are not currently an expert in each specific method. We do not expect you to know everything; however, we do expect you to be willing to lead our efforts in each of the areas below. This may involve seeking outside expert advice and training on statistical techniques for which you are not yet familiar. You will also provide expert advice and documentation of methods used in OPE research with external parties, as appropriate. Key responsibilities include: Initiate, plan, execute, and disseminate statistical studies on federal workforce issues. Develop and maintain research databases. Develop and maintain quality and control processes to ensure data accuracy and availability. Lead development and implementation of sampling designs for surveys of federal personnel. Communicate the strengths and weaknesses of various sampling strategies, perform power, weighting, and sampling error calculations. Lead efforts to address non-response bias and missing values. Assess the adequacy and quality of data used in analysis (e.g., removing inconsistent or invariant data and imputation). Prepare documentation of research methodologies and results. Conduct statistical analyses, including inferential statistics, multivariate methods, regression analysis, nonparametric data analysis, general linear models, and mixed effects models. Use common statistical packages, such as SAS, R, SPSS and/or Minitab. Write syntax and interpret output. Retrieve data from one or more large data sources and integrate administrative and survey data. Serve as a technical expert with respect to all phases of statistical interpretation. Develop and disseminate research findings in collaboration with senior research analysts. Provide technical advice to peers within and outside of the organization on statistical methods and techniques. Engage with statistical communities within and outside the federal government. Manage data security policies and practices. Adhere to Privacy Act and MSPB requirements to protect sensitive information. Assesses and recognizes own strengths and weaknesses; pursues self development. Fosters a workplace where civil conduct, collaboration, and individual differences are valued. IS THIS JOB FOR ME? This job might be for you if: This job might NOT be for you if: You like working on longer-term projects that have a broad impact on Government operations. You thrive in an environment where you can see the results of your work on a daily basis. You enjoy working on multiple projects at a time that cover a variety of topics. You like to pursue a line of research on the same topic over a long period of time. You enjoy writing for and presenting data to non-technical audiences such as Federal policy-makers, managers, and HR Specialists. You prefer writing for and presenting statistical information to technical audiences and other researchers. You like collecting information and spending time looking for patterns and interpreting what they mean. You prefer shorter-term projects of limited scope. You enjoy working both as a member of a team or individually. You prefer to always work alone or always on a team.