Data Scientist (Direct Hire)

Summary

This position is located in the Railroad Retirement Board's Bureau of Information Services. The incumbent will be responsible for designing, developing and deploying advanced analytical solutions and Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled solutions that directly support the RRB's mission.

This job announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by the Council of AFGE Locals in the Board.

Learn more about this agency

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Duties

As a Data Scientist (Direct Hire), you will:

Serve as the agency's technical authority on data science methodologies and advanced analytical techniques.

Design and implement data quality frameworks, validation protocols, and governance standards for enterprise datasets.

Analyze complex datasets to identify trends, anomalies, and patterns of strategic significance.

Design and implement automated anomaly detection systems to identify irregularities in agency data that may indicate fraud, processing errors, or operational inefficiencies.

Serve as the agency's recognized subject matter expert on data science, providing technical guidance to IT staff, data teams, and business stakeholders.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation

Will be required to successfully complete a probationary period

Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required

May be required to work outside of normal duty hours, such as nights, weekends, and holidays, due to operational needs.

Qualifications

Basic Education Requirements:

Degree: Mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science or field directly related to the position. The degree must be in a major field of study (at least at the baccalaureate level) that is appropriate for the position.

-OR-

Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major field of study (30 semester hours) as shown above, plus additional education or appropriate experience.

TRANSCRIPTS are required to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement listed above. Failure to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application WILL result in an ineligible rating. Please see "Required Documents" section below for what documentation is required at the time of application.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as defined below.

Minimum Qualifications for GS-13 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as:

Experience with designing, developing, testing, validating, and deploying machine learning models, algorithms, and predictive analytics solutions.

Experience designing and implementing data quality frameworks, validation protocols, and governance standards.

Experience designing and implementing automated anomaly detection systems to identify data irregularities.

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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement; therefore, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Please include a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) that demonstrate that you meet the education requirements listed above. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please be advised that an official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position.

FOREIGN EDUCATION:

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, click here.

Additional information

INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP):

ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. You must be determined to be well-qualified for the vacancy to be eligible for special selection priority. After submission of an acceptable application which meets ICTAP eligibility, you will be determined to be well-qualified for a vacancy if your rating places you in the 85th percentile or higher in total possible points.

ICTAP eligibles must submit proof of eligibility for special selection priority. Please see the Required Documents section below for more information. Click here for more information on ICTAP.

If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act; the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

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

This position will be filled using direct hire procedures. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Attention to Detail

Customer Service

Flexibility

Integrity/Honesty

Interpersonal Skills

Learning

Self-Management

Stress Tolerance

Teamwork

Decision Making

Reasoning

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.

Traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply to this vacancy. Applications will be evaluated against the basic qualifications. Qualified candidates will be referred for consideration in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management direct hire guidelines. Veterans' preference does not apply to direct-hire recruitment procedures.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

Resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. Resume must not exceed 2 pages. Applicants will be removed from consideration if their resume is longer than 2 pages. Please see "How to Apply" for additional information regarding the limit.

Transcripts: Copies of all college courses must be submitted. Original transcripts will be required if selected.

Veterans' Documentation: If you are a veteran, you must provide a copy of your Record of Military Service (DD-214), and proof of your veterans' preference, if applicable. Veterans with a service connected disability must also submit a completed claim form SF-15 (click here for form) along with the required proofs. Go to FedsHireVets-Veterans Preference for more information.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation: If you are eligible under ICTAP, you must submit all required materials verifying your eligibility as listed in "Additional Information." These materials include:

Proof of eligibility: You must submit documentation such as a separation notice or other required material; and

SF-50: You must submit a copy of a recent Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 that shows career or career-conditional competitive service status (Blocks #24 and #34 must be completed); and

Performance Appraisal: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal, which must be rated at least fully successful or equivalent. (This is not required if you are eligible for ICTAP due to compensable injury or disability retirement.) The performance appraisal may also be used as part of the ranking process and/or to verify your responses to the questionnaire.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

In accordance with the Merit Hiring Plan, only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.

For additional guidance on what to include in your resume, please see USAJOBS Help.

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.

Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

Agency contact information

RRB Human Resources

Phone

(312) 751-4580

Email

recruit@rrb.gov

Address

Railroad Retirement Board

844 N Rush St

Chicago, IL 60611

US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and possible referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.

Overview

Accepting applications

Posted today · Apply by 08/07/26

Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 7, 2026

Location

1 vacancy in the following locations:

Birmingham, AL

Little Rock, AR

Mesa, AZ

Covina, CA

Oakland, CA

Roseville, CA

Denver, CO

Washington, DC

Jacksonville, FL

Tampa, FL

Atlanta, GA

Des Moines, IA

Chicago, IL

Decatur, IL

Joliet, IL

Indianapolis, IN

Wichita, KS

Louisville, KY

New Orleans, LA

Boston, MA

Baltimore, MD

Detroit, MI

Duluth, MN

Saint Paul, MN

Kansas City, MO

Saint Louis, MO

Billings, MT

Charlotte, NC

Fargo, ND

Omaha, NE

Newark, NJ

Albuquerque, NM

Albany, NY

Buffalo, NY

Central Islip, NY

New York, NY

Cincinnati, OH

Cleveland, OH

Portland, OR

Altoona, PA

Harrisburg, PA

Philadelphia, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Scranton, PA

Nashville, TN

Fort Worth, TX

Houston, TX

Salt Lake City, UT

Richmond, VA

Roanoke, VA

Seattle, WA

Spokane, WA

Milwaukee, WI

Huntington, WV

No matching locations found.

Work site options

Telework eligible

Yes - as determined by the agency policy. THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION, and the incumbent must physically report to the office for work.

Remote job

No

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Salary

$90,925 - $118,204 per year

The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality pay once a candidate is selected.

Pay scale & grade

GS 13

Promotion potential

13

Learn more about pay scale and grade

Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule

Full-time

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Appointment type

Permanent

Occupations and job series

1560 Data Science Series

Supervisory status

No

Federal service type

This job is in the Competitive Service

Represented by a union

Yes

Drug test

No

Security clearance

Not Required

Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure required

No

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number

260028DH-13006805-CS

Control number

877873700