Statistician (Health)

Full Job Description

The Statistician (Health) provides advice in study design, statistical techniques for sample size estimation and data analysis, protocol requirements, data collection and management, and inputs to the study budget.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/08/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement for a GS-12: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.

An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.

If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement.

In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Time-In-Grade Requirement for a GS-13: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.

An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.

If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement.

In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR): To qualify for a Statistician (Health) position, you must meet the individual occupational requirements below.

Basic Education Requirements: Degree: that included 15 semester hours in statistics (or in mathematics and statistics, provided at least 6 semester hours were in statistics), and 9 additional semester hours in one or more of the following: physical or biological sciences, medicine, education, or engineering; or in the social sciences including demography, history, economics, social welfare, geography, international relations, social or cultural anthropology, health sociology, political science, public administration, psychology, etc.

Credit toward meeting statistical course requirements should be given for courses in which 50 percent of the course content appears to be statistical methods, e.g., courses that included studies in research methods in psychology or economics such as tests and measurements or business cycles, or courses in methods of processing mass statistical data such as tabulating methods or electronic data processing.

or Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

The experience should have included a full range of professional statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying statistical techniques such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education described below: Specialized Experience for a GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Qualifying experience includes comprehensive knowledge of statistical history theory and methodology preferably related to issues germane to multi-center clinical trials, research design, analysis of large databases, and techniques of quality control, biological sciences and management.

Specialized Experience for a GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Demonstrated experience performing advanced statistical and analytical work, including designing and executing complex studies; collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data; and applying advanced statistical techniques such as measures of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, correlation analyses, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.

Experience providing expert consultation, developing methodologies, evaluating programs, generating new hypotheses, and coordinating multiple concurrent projects requiring the application of professional statistical principles, concepts, and practices.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Research Analytical Reasoning Critical Thinking Mathematical Reasoning Interpersonal Effectiveness Per Office of Personnel Management General Schedule Qualification Policies, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description.

Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, human resources director, or official documentation such as SF-52, SF-50 documenting an official detail/assignments, or other comparable documentation).

The documentation must indicate whether the employee performed the duties full time or, if part-time, the percentage of times the employee performed the additional duties.

To receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your position, you must provide official documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.

Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities.

Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements (GS-12/13): The work is performed in an office or similar environment where normal safety precautions are required, and typical everyday risks or discomforts may be present.

The workspace is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Major Duties:

Areas of Consideration: Agency-wide Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.

Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Full-Time Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Statistician (Health)/PD00298A and PD00297A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized This position involves a multi-grade career ladder.

The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-13. At the GS-12 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence.

You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-13.

Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.

Promotion is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.

Major Duties: Works closely with the Principal Proponent and the Planning Committee to develop a successful Study Protocol for clinical trial proposals assigned to the Center.

Provides guidance and direction in study design, statistical methodology for sample size estimation and data analysis, protocol requirements, data collection and management, inputs to the study budget, and adherence to International Conference on Harmonization (ICH), Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and VA CSP guidelines and policies.

Initiates study(s), assists and facilitates selection of study participating sites, training of site study personnel, coordinating and/or overseeing development and implementation of (a) protocol revisions, updates and modifications, (b) study operations manual, and (c) study monitoring processes including participant enrollment and follow up, study close-out, interim (if applicable) and final reports/analysis of study data.

Analyzes collected data in order to elucidate significant factors, relationships, and trends; prepares cross tabulations or frequency listings of selected variables to assess the validity of data.

Evaluates and adapts new statistical procedures and software applications when necessary.

Modifies existing statistical methods or develops new and innovative statistical methods for a specific study or of general interest.

Ensures the high quality of the research data; performs informatics and data processing activities and conducts critical interim (as applicable) and final statistical analyses using appropriate statistical methodology.

Demonstrates the continued ability to design sound research study protocols and conducts complex statistical analyses.

Takes a leadership role in drafting and coordinating the submission of the primary and secondary publications resulting from study data analyses.