Social Scientist

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Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.

This position is designated as a Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.

If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.

In addition to the basic entry education requirements, you must have specialized experience and/or directly related education as described below:

To qualify for the Research GS-11 level, you must have one of the following:

• 1 year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level defined as participating in quantitative or qualitative experiments related to human or environmental health; and communicating experimental findings or results to others;
• Master’s or equivalent graduate degree; the education must be directly related and provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.

To qualify for the Research GS-12 level, you must have one of the following:

• 1 year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level defined as participating in quantitative or qualitative experiments related to human or environmental health; participating as a team member in evidence-building activities; and communicating experimental findings or results to others;
• Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; the education must be directly related and provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Skill in analyzing and interpreting research data.
• Skill in oral communication.
• Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of social science research methods.
• Skill in written communication.
• Skill in program evaluation.
• Skill in contract administration.

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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in behavioral or social science, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR a combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major, as listed; OR four years of experience that demonstrate you have acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major, as listed.

Additional Information

Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section.

EPA participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

Are you a Displaced Federal Employee? If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information on the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP).

NOTE: To be entitled to selection priority, you must be rated well-qualified (i.e., you must fall into the Well Qualified category or higher--see the How You Will Be Evaluated section).

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance.

If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

Join EPA in protecting human health and the environment and enjoy many work-life quality options! Working for the EPA offers you a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS (PSLF): As a federal employee, you may be eligible for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The PSLF program forgives the remaining balance on federal Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer, including EPA.

This position has portable work. If selected for this position, you may be eligible for partial work-from-home flexibilities after meeting eligibility requirements, as allowable by agency policy and/or applicable collective bargaining agreement.