Operations Research Analyst

Summary

The Operations Research Analyst is part of the Budget and Program Analysis Staff (BPAS) staff within Policy and Program Development (PPD) providing support and assistance to the BPAS Chief and Deputy Chief. You will facilitate problem-solving on issues related to the APHIS budget formulation and spending, staffing, and other resources. as well as providing budget and data analysis support and guidance to APHIS units.

Duties

• The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Leads high impact budget and resource studies.
• Independently designs and conducts complex analytical projects.
• Serve as an expert authority in budget and resource analytics.
• Independently develops actionable insights and recommendations to inform senior leadership decisions on funding allocations, program prioritization, and emergency response resourcing.
• Conducts quantitative assessments of APHIS budget execution trends, cost structures, spending behaviors, unit cost efficiency, and internal control systems.
• Uses advanced modeling and analytical techniques to develop options that improve APHIS budget processes, and other financial and operational challenges.
• Maintains high standards of analytical integrity when producing models, forecasts, and financial assessments.
• Prepares high quality financial reports, dashboards, briefings, and analytical products.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. BASIC REQUIREMENT: 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. FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Experience independently conducting complex, high impact budget and resource analyses, including analyzing budgetary and human resource levels, and recommending actions to leadership to ensure compliance with Congressional, Administration, Department, and Agency policies. Serves as an expert authority in quantitative methods, cost modeling, forecasting, and financial performance analysis to support budget formulation and long range resource planning. Utilize analytical skills to develop budget exhibits and other presentations of budgetary and financial data to inform decision-making on funding allocations, program prioritization, and emergency response efforts. Creates analytical solutions, including dashboards and other tools, to optimize budget processes, improve emergency resource distribution, enhance cost tracking, and forecast program financial needs. TRANSCRIPTS are required: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.