Food and Drug Administration Logo
Position Title
Operations Research Analyst
Agency
Food and Drug Administration
Announcement Number
FDA-ORA-23-MP-12016453-MT Opens in new window
Open Period
Thursday, June 29, 2023 to Thursday, July 13, 2023
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Do you claim Veterans’ Preference? (limit characters)
2.
  • Are you a current HHS employee in a bargaining unit position represented by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)? NOTE: This question is not used to determine if you are eligible for consideration; it is only used to ensure proper referral in accordance with the HHS and NTEU collective bargaining agreement effective October 1, 2010, revised March 6, 2014. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must also respond "Yes" to the applicable eligibility questions below.
    If you answer yes, Block 37 (Bargaining Unit Status) of your SF-50 must be 3591.
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PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS VERY CAREFULLY. YOUR RESPONSES WILL AFFECT YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR THIS POSITION!
This advertisement is in accordance with merit promotion procedures. This means that only specific groups of applicants are eligible for consideration (as identified in the "This job is open to" section of the JOA). The following questions will determine if you are within any of these specific groups eligible for consideration under this advertisement. You will only be considered for each eligibility which you respond "Yes" to.
NOTE: There is an exception, as noted below, for status candidates who do not select the correct type of consideration for referral purposes (i.e., competitive vs. non-competitive).

If you respond "Yes" to an eligibility and do not provide the required documentation, you will not be considered under the eligibility. If you respond "No" to all eligibility options in this list, your application will not be considered under this advertisement.

For more information about eligibility, please review the following article on USAJOBS, "Which jobs am I eligible to apply for?" located at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/eligibility/
If you still have questions about this advertisement or your potential eligibility, please e-mail quickquestions@fda.gov or call 888-478-4340. (limit characters)
3. Are you a current employee of any agency within the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) who has been notified that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by reduction-in-force (RIF)?If the duty station of your job you're separating from is in the same local commuting area as this vacancy, is at or below the grade level of this vacancy, and has the same (or lower) promotion potential as this vacancy, you may be entitled to selection priority under the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP).
You must submit the documentation identified for I/CTAP under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.



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4. Are you a current or former Federal employee of another agency (not the HHS) who has been notified that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by reduction-in-force (RIF)?If the duty station of your job you're separating from is in the same local commuting area as this vacancy, is at or below the grade level of this vacancy, and has the same (or lower) promotion potential as this vacancy, you may be entitled to selection priority under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP).
You must submit the documentation identified for I/CTAP under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.
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5. Are you a current Federal employee on (or former Federal employee who held) a permanent appointment in the competitive service and your position is at a lower grade than the position being advertised, and you have never held a position at the grade or with the same (or higher) promotion potential of the position being advertised? If you answer "Yes' to this question, you must submit your most recent SF-50 as described under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement. Your SF-50 must reflect career or career-conditional tenure (Block 24 is 1 or 2) and the position is in the competitive service (Block 34 is 1).

NOTE: This question is used to determine if you can apply as a status candidate under merit promotion procedures. It is also used to determine how status candidates will be considered (competitively vs. noncompetitively). If you are an eligible and qualified status candidate and the review of your application shows you have already competed for the grade of this position, your response will be changed to ensure proper consideration procedures are followed.
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6. Are you a current Federal employee on a permanent appointment in the competitive service and your position is at the same (or higher) grade level with the same (or higher) promotion potential as the position being advertised; or you are a current or former Federal employee who previously held such a position? If you answer "Yes' to this question, you must submit your most recent SF-50 as described under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement. Your SF-50 must reflect career or career-conditional tenure (Block 24 is 1 or 2) and the position is in the competitive service (Block 34 is 1).

NOTE: This question is used to determine if you can apply as a status candidate under merit promotion procedures. It is also used to determine how status candidates will be considered (competitively vs. noncompetitively). If you are an eligible and qualified status candidate and the review of your application shows you have never held or competed for the grade of this position (or a higher grade), your response will be changed to ensure proper consideration procedures are followed. (limit characters)
7. Do you wish to be considered under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act? If you are a current or former Federal employee of a land management agency who held a time-limited (term or temporary) appointment for more than 24 months and received an acceptable performance rating throughout the employment, you may be eligible under this Act. If you answer "Yes' to this question, you must submit your most recent SF-50 and performance appraisal as described under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.
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8.
Do you wish to be considered under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA)? If you are a preference eligible (including those with derived preference such as spouses and parents of a veteran) OR a veteran separated from the armed forces after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions, you may be eligible under VEOA. You must submit the applicable veterans' preference documentation identified under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.

NOTE FOR CURRENT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ONLY: If you are a current Federal employee, you may be considered under VEOA, however, you must meet time-in-grade requirements and must submit an appropriate SF-50 as indicated under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.
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9. Do you wish to be considered under the authority to appoint certain military spouses? If you are eligible under this appointing authority as a military spouse, you may be eligible for a non-competitive appointment. Please read the military spouse information on USAJOBS to ensure you are eligible and provide the necessary documentation. Required documentation is also identified under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.


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10. Do you wish to be considered as an overseas family member? If you are living overseas with a family member, worked at least 52 weeks in an appropriated funds position under a local hire appointment, and are returning to the United States, you may be eligible to be considered for a non-competitive appointment. You must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, performance appraisal, and Permanent Change in Station (PCS) orders. (limit characters)
11. Do you wish to be considered under an Interchange Agreement? If you are a currentexcepted serviceemployee of an agency with a valid interchange agreement with the Office of Personnel Management or an employee of an agency not regulated by title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.), you may be eligible to apply for this position which is in the competitive service.
Below are examples of agencies with an interchange agreement:
  • Tennessee Valley Authority
  • Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • Federal Aviation Administration

Below are examples of agencies not regulated by title 5 U.S.C.:
  • Postal Career Service and Postal Regulatory Commission Employees
  • Government Accountability Office Employees
  • Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Employees

You must submit a copy of your most recentSF-50: Notification of Personnel Actionreflecting your employment status, appointment type, tenure, position information, and full biographic data.

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12. Do you wish to be considered as a formerPeace Corps or AmeriCorps VISTAmember? If you completed your years of service (at least two years for Peace Corps and one year for AmeriCorps) within the last year, you may be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.

You must submit your Certification of Volunteer Service and SF-50.
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13. Do you wish to be considered under another Special Authority? If so, you may be eligible for a non-competitive appointment. To be eligible you must:
  1. Be a former employee of the Canal Zone Merit System or Panama Canal Employment System; or
  2. Be a former employee who served in the Office of the President or Vice-President or on the White House Staff;or
  3. Be a former incumbent of a position brought into the competitive service; or
  4. Be a disabled veteran who has completed a training course under Chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code; or
  5. Be a former ACTION volunteer;or
  6. Be a current or former Foreign Service officer or employee;or
  7. Be an employee of the Panama Canal Commission located in the United States;and
  8. Submit the required supporting documentation.
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14. Do you wish to be considered under the 30% or more disabled veteran appointing authority?If so, you may be eligible to be considered for a noncompetitive, temporary or term appointment. Under this eligibility, you may be converted to a permanent position, but conversion is not guaranteed. You must submit the applicable veterans' preference documentation identified under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement. (limit characters)
15. Do you wish to be considered under a Schedule A appointment for individuals with disabilities? If you are an individual with a documented intellectual, severe physical, or psychiatric disability, you may be eligible. You must submit the applicable Schedule A (individuals with disabilities) documentation identified under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.

Schedule A (individuals with disabilities) appointments are in the excepted service; you may be converted to the competitive service after completing 2 years of satisfactory service.

NOTE FOR CURRENT COMPETITIVE SERVICE EMPLOYEES: If you are a current Federal employee in the competitive service who is eligible under Schedule A (individuals with disabilities), if appointed under this authority you will no longer be a competitive service employee and will have to sign the FDA's Statement of Understanding When Voluntarily Leaving the Competitive Service to Enter the Excepted Service.
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16. Are you a current Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps Officer? Not all positions are appropriate for the Commissioned Corps and it is at the supervisor's discretion to fill a position through the Corps.
To be eligible, you must:
1. Be a current PHS Commissioned Corps Officer; and
2. Submit a copy of your most recent PHS personnel orders or letter from the Public Health Service verifying you are currently in, or have been accepted to, the Commissioned Corps.
See the PHS Commissioned Corps website for more information.
Based on the above, are you eligible and would you like to be considered for a Commissioned Corps appointment?
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17. Are you a qualifying military spouse eligible for non-competitiveappointment?
This includes applicants who are eligible for special or noncompetitive appointment authorities such as 30% or more compensable disabled veterans, Schedule A persons with disabilities, Veterans Recruitment Authority (VRA), military spouse, and PHS Commissioned Corps Officers. This also includes applicants who meet the qualifications for this position and who have previously held, or currently hold, a Federal position at the grade of this position.
VisittheFamily Member Preference(FedsHireVets) or Military Spouses (USAJOBS) pages for more information...

(1) Spouse of Active Duty Service Member with Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Orders
You may quality if you are the spouse of a service member with PCS orders, if all of the following conditions are true:
  • You have been married to the military member, on or prior to, the date of your spouse's PCS orders.
  • You have not previously been appointed using this authority, under these orders.
(2) Spouse of a Disabled Service Member
As a military spouse, you may be eligible to be considered if either of the following statements applies:
  • The military member was retired under Chapter 61, of Title 10, United States Code, with a disability rating of 100 percent from the military.
  • The military member was released from active duty and has a disability rating of 100 percent from the Department of Veterans Affairs or the military department.
NOTE: For you (as the spouse) to qualify, the disabled military member must be unemployed or unemployable.

(3) Spouse of Service Member Fallen in Duty
You may be eligible as the spouse of a military member who was killed while on active duty, and you have not re-married since the death. The service member's death while on active duty does not need to be combat related for the spouse to qualify.

To verify your eligibility for group 1 identified above:
You must submit a copy of the PCS orders of your spouse.

To verify your eligibility for groups 2 and 3 identified above:
You must submit the SF-15: Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and all supporting documentation identified on that document e.g., DD-214: Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member #4 Copy indicating character of service) or other proof of service which includes character of service; death certificate, and documentation identifying marital status at the time of death; disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service, etc.

For more information about military spouseeligibility, please see theFedsHireVetsSpousesite. (limit characters)
Preferences
1. In the last five years, based on the closing date of this announcement, have you served or are you currently serving as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee?
You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed.
  • A political appointee is an appointment made by the President without confirmation by the Senate (5 CFR 213.3102(c)) OR an assistant position to a top-level federal official if filled by a person designated by the President as a White House Fellow (5 CFR 213.3102(z)).
  • A Schedule C appointee occupies a position excepted from the competitive service by the President, or by the Director of OPM, because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties (5 CFR 213.3301 and 5 CFR 213.3302).
  • A Non-career SES appointee is approved by the White House and serves at the pleasure of the appointing official without time limitations (5 CFR 317 Subpart F).
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2.

===== Acknowledgement of Restrictions on the Employment of Relatives by Public Officials =====
5 U.S. Code, 3110 lays out specific and important restrictions on the employment of relatives within an agency.
A public official of a government agency may not appoint, promote, or otherwise advocate for the employment, advancement, or promotion of relatives within the agency for which the public official is employed or has control over.
Employees hired in violation of 5 U.S. Code, 3110 will not be entitled to any pay for their period of employment, and any pay already received before the violation becomes known, will be considered as a debt to the government on the part of the employed individual.

For the purpose of this question, a "relative" is defined as: father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, or half sister.

QUESTION:
After having read the definition of "relative" as stated above, does the Food and Drug Administration employ any of your relatives?

IF YES: You must provide the following information, for each relative employed by the FDA:

  1. The full legal name of the relative.
  2. The relative's relationship to you (from the list above).
  3. If known, the relative's employing organization and position.
IF NO: Please type "No" in the box below. (limit 750 characters)
3. Your responses to the all questions, and any information or documentation which you provide as part of your application, will be thoroughly reviewed for accuracy and truthfulness. Please take this opportunity to review your responses to ensure their accuracy. If you fail to answer this question, your application will not be considered. Knowingly providing false information in your application (or submitted documentation) is a crime!
  1. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information included in my application is true, correct, and provided in good faith.
  2. I understand that if I intentionally make a false statement, or commit deception or fraud in my application, or in any document or interview associated with the examination process, I may be fined or imprisoned (18 USC, Sec 1001); my eligibility may be canceled, I may be denied an appointment, or I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 CFR, Part 731).
  3. I understand that any information I provide may be investigated.
  4. I understand that responding "No" to this item will result in my not being considered for this position.
Do you accept the conditions above? (limit characters)
4. If you are a male at least 18 years of age, born after December 31, 1959, have you registered with the Selective Service System?


(Note: If you currently do not have an approved exemption or Status Information Letter you must request one from the Selective Service System. A copy of your proof of registration or the exemption/Status Information Letter must be provided prior to appointment.) (limit characters)
5. If you are a male at least 18 years of age, born after December 31, 1959 AND you have NOT registered with the Selective Service System, do you have an approved exemption or Status Information Letter from the Selective Service System?


(Note: If you currently do not have an approved exemption or Status Information Letter you must request one from the Selective Service System. A copy of your proof of registration or the exemption/Status Information Letter must be provided prior to appointment.) (limit characters)
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in applying to the Operations Research Analyst, GS-1515-14, position with Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA). (limit characters)
Your resume and responses to this Assessment Questionnaire will be evaluated to determine your eligibility and qualifications. Your responses are subject to verification and must be supported by your resume and supporting documents. (limit characters)
1. From the descriptions below, select the one which best describes your education and/or experience and meets the basic qualification requirements for GS-1515, Operations Research Analyst.
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2. From the descriptions below, select the one which best describes your experience and meets the minimum qualification requirements for a GS-1515-14, Operations Research Analyst.
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Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided. (limit characters)
3. Utilizes expert knowledge of multiple disciplines including analytics, statistics, and economic analysis.
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4. Collects data and evaluates alternatives to assess projected capabilities.
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5. Verify and validate study results from models and data used to support an analysis.
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6. Provide technical advice in subject matter area to others.
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7. Respond to a variety of internal and external requests and inquiries.
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8. Advise management officials on alternatives to correct problems found while analyzing data.
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9. Apply the disciplines of operations research to conduct analysis of data/information and provide appropriately to questions from customers.
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10. Collect and prepare data sets to analyze data trends to solve problems.
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11. Interpret the data results and make recommendations to develop problem statements.
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12. Compile and analyze data analysis results to produce summary reports for supervisors and senior management.
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13. Prepare briefings to share information with key stakeholders and develop communications material.
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14. Prepare recurring written and oral reports to the supervisor.
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