Social Scientist

Position description

This position is located in the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP). The Chief Evaluation Office supports DOL's work with research, evaluation and analysis activities. CEO works to fulfill a number of Departmental legislative mandates related to evidence. This position is in CEO's Worker Protection & Enforcement Programs team

Duties

Major duties include:

• Execute a range of duties related to the agency's implementation and fulfillment of requirements related to the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (the "Evidence Act"), including the planning, development, implementation, and oversight of the agency's learning agenda and the agency's program evaluation function, development of the agency's Learning Agenda, and other associated evidence-building, analysis, and data activities.
• Provide guidance, analysis, technical assistance and oversight on strategic planning, performance measurement, and continuous quality improvement. Coordinate the development of the agency's learning agenda or evidence-building plan (a systematic plan for identifying and addressing priority questions relevant to the programs, policies, and regulations of the agency), including the identification, conceptualization, and planning of appropriate research and evaluation questions and initial plans to assess program and policy effectiveness.
• Serve as the recognized expert in designing, overseeing, implementing and conducting all facets and functions of a program evaluation, including planning, design, implementation, application of evaluation standards and policies, quality assurance and oversight, project management, resource management, risk assessment, collaborating and coordinating with internal and external partners and/or stakeholders, reporting and dissemination of results and findings, and documentation and dissemination of associated evaluation data sets. 
• Ensure evaluation approaches and designs align with the DOL Evaluation Policy standards and procedures or similar frameworks, are tailored to the situation, and possess the appropriate level of rigor for stakeholder needs. Develop, conduct and oversee the implementation of agency-wide and cross-cutting research and evaluation efforts, including planning, design, implementation, analysis, reporting, and results dissemination of program evaluations and other evidence-building activities at the agency.

Qualifications

THIS POSITION HAS AN INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT. ALL APPLICANTS MUST MEET THIS REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED.

Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
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.
OR
Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE.

In addition to the (IOR) Individual Occupational Requirement list above, you must also meet the Specialized Experiences below:

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level,

Specialized Experience for the GS-13:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-12 grade level in federal or non-federal services, including: This experience may have been gained either in the Federal or Private sectors demonstrating experience applying knowledge of labor, health and human services, social support, or education-related programs. Examples of specialized experience include: (Must meet 2 out of 3)
1. Planning, designing, monitoring, and/or performing research, evaluation, and/or data analyses on programs and policies
2. Using advanced social science, research, and evaluation theories, methods, and/or statistical techniques for studying and assessing the implementation and effectiveness of programs and policies
3. Facilitating with stakeholders the findings specifically related to social science research, evaluation, and/or data analyses to inform assessment and improvement of programs and policies

Specialized Experience for the GS-14:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-13 grade level in federal or non-federal services, including: This experience may have been gained either in the Federal or Private sectors demonstrating experience applying knowledge of labor, health and human services, social support, or education-related programs. Examples of specialized experience include: (Must meet 2 out of 3)
1. Leading the planning, designing, monitoring, and/or performing research, evaluation, and/or data analyses on programs and policies
2. Directing and using advanced social science, research, and evaluation theories, methods, and/or statistical techniques for studying and assessing the implementation and effectiveness of programs and policies
3. Leading the communication and dissemination of findings specifically related to social science research, evaluation, and/or data analyses to inform assessment and improvement of programs and policies

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Educationfor more information.

Application instructions

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