Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

• 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.

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

Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are:

GS-12
Qualifying experience for GS-12 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-11 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is applying advanced demographic research methodologies and quantitative analysis techniques to the conduct of complex economic or social research, analysis and outlook relevant to population change, well-being, and/or rural development.

GS-13
Qualifying experience for GS-13 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-12 which is directly related to the work of this position, and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is 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; and using statistical models in applied work. Evidence of peer-reviewed journal publications or publications by a federal statistical agency or nationally recognized independent research organization is required.

COMPETENCIES: You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applications will be evaluated in accordance to the Direct Hire Authority Procedures and USDA policy. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. Veterans' preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Structured Interview, Resume Review by Subject Matter Expects.

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13003732

When we complete our selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional Federal agencies. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application materials, and assessment results shared with additional Federal agencies to be considered for employment. There is no guarantee of further consideration.

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

• Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
• If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
• Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

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