Operations Research Analyst

SummaryAbout the Position: The U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command, with headquarters in North Chicago, IL, is a jointly staffed command and is staffed by representatives of all branches of the Armed Forces. The command, through its 66 military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS), determines whether applicants are qualified for enlistment based on standards set by each of the services. This position will be filled on a permanent basis.ResponsibilitiesLead, conduct, and communicate results of analytical studies that contribute to Command decision making and problem solving concerning current and future operations.Implement operations research methodologies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Command.Advise Command on principles and best practices in military operations and system compatibility.Develop and apply policies, practices, procedures, and methods for operational assessment.Utilize highly technical and state-of-the-art operations research/system analysis.RequirementsConditions of EmploymentQualificationsWho May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.Current Department of Army Civilian EmployeesCurrent Permanent Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)Interagency Career Transition Assistance PlanLand Management Workforce Flexibility ActMilitary Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI)Non-Department of Defense (DoD) TransferOffice of Personnel Management (OPM) Interchange Agreement EligiblePeople with Disabilities, Schedule APriority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) EligibleReinstatementVeterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirements:Degree: Bachelor's degree or higher degree in operations research; or at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus. AND Experience Required: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. Specialized Experience: To qualify based on your work experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled such as: Conducting studies to support management decision making; Applying operational research and system analysis principles and methods; Evaluating information concerning organizational effectiveness and systems analysis; Preparing reports and analytical studies contributing to implementing and transitioning of a wide-range of military concepts and visions; Developing custom analysis tools in a variety of programming languages and applications (i.e. Microsoft Excel, SQL, etc.). Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you may qualify if your education meets the definitions below: Education Substitution for Specialized Experience for GS-12 (Research Position): Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Combination of Experience and Education Substitution for Specialized Experience for GS-12: If you have some, but not all, of the experience or education described above, you may still qualify by combining the amount of creditable experience and education that you possess. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education in excess of 36 hours (total semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:CommunicationsMathematical ReasoningProblem SolvingSystems Testing and Evaluation Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-11). If you are a current, Federal employee, you must include your pay plan, series and grade in your work experience(s) on your resume submission and/or upload supporting documentation (within-grade increase SF50) to show that you meet the time-in-grade requirement. In addition, if your step reflects '00', you must include your current salary for each position.EducationFOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. In order to qualify for this position, based on your education, education substitution, or combination of education and experience, you must have either completed the education requirement, or will complete this requirement within thirty (30) days from the closing date of this announcement. If you will not complete this requirement within thirty (30) days of the closing date of this announcement, you will be rated as Not Qualified for this position. You must provide appropriate documentation to reflect when you will meet the education requirement. Appropriate documentation includes: (1) Resume indicating your projected completion/graduation date; OR (2) Transcripts indicating your projected completion/graduation date; OR (3) A letter signed by the institution's registrar indicating your projected completion/graduation date.Additional InformationMale applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Two year trial/probationary period may be required. Direct deposit of pay is required. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. This is a Career Program (CP) 36 - Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation position. You may claim military spouse preference (MSP). If a MSP applicant is determined best qualified and selected, placement must be at the full performance level for priority consideration. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. This position is in the AFGE Bargaining Unit. This is not a drug testing position. This is not an emergency essential position. Equal Employment Opportunity Policy: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please consult the following resources: Equal Employment (EEO) Office at OPM or Office of Equal Opportunity. Recruitment bonus may be authorized if determined to be in the best interest of the Federal Government and requirements are met. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.