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DATA SCIENTIST

Bureau of Reclamation · Lakewood, CO, US

Spotted 6d ago

Job details

Pay
$83,265 – $108,251 a year
Work mode
Remote
Level
Mid level
Experience
3+ years
Education
PhD
Posted
Oct 28, 2026
Last confirmed open
Oct 28, 2026
Job description

About this role

Summary -----------

You will serve as a DATA SCIENTIST in the Technical Service Center.

Location

Lakewood, CO

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.

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to U.S. Citizens or Nationals; and Career transition eligibles (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority.

Veteran's preference and traditional competitive rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants who meet the cutoff score will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for the position.

Duties

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Provides data-driven solutions to mission challenges by developing workflows that transform raw structured and unstructured data into useful, actionable information, applying statistical modeling, AI/ML applications, optimization, and exploratory data analysis to identify trends, patterns, and relationships.

Designs, builds, and maintains data pipelines to collect, clean, validate, and organize data from multiple enterprise systems, ensuring data is accurate, consistent, and usable for downstream analysis and reporting.

Develops analytical tools, queries, dashboards, and visualizations using programming and scripting languages such as Python, R, and SQL and business intelligence tools such as Tableau and the Microsoft Power Platform.

Develops data quality checks and procedures, and supports data governance best practices for data access, usage, metadata documentation, and security, ensuring analytical work aligns with Bureau policies, Departmental guidance, and Federal regulations.

Assists in developing, testing, and refining predictive and statistical models to support forecasting, workload estimation, and resource planning, validating results using standard statistical and computational methods.

Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to understand data needs, translate technical concepts, and ensure analytical projects meet program and business goals.

Translates the results of analysis into clear, actionable communications that equip Reclamation decision makers to make informed, data-driven decisions about programmatic and administrative functions.

Communicates technical work effectively with oral presentations to internal team members and Reclamation clients and collaborators. Drafts written technical documentation such as briefing papers, standard operating procedures, technical tool documentation, and technical memorandums.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Direct Deposit participation required.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized.

In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/12/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
  • To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.
  • Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.
  • For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

  • To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: To qualify for this position, you must meet the (1) Basic Education Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.
  • (1) Basic Education Requirements 1560 series: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Education Requirements described below: A.

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

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

AND

(2) Minimum Qualification Requirements GS-1560-11:

A.

Specialized Experience

  • To qualify for the GS-11, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service.
  • Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is in or related to the work of the position to be filled.
  • Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in at least 2 of the following:1.
  • Writing code in Python, R, or SQL to query, clean, and validate data drawn from multiple systems and databases.
  • 2.
  • Building dashboards and visualizations in Tableau or the Microsoft Power Platform to communicate results to technical and non-technical audiences.
  • 3.
  • Applying statistical modeling, machine learning, or optimization techniques to identify trends and support forecasting or resource planning.
  • 4.
  • Testing AI/ML models and analytical tools for accuracy and reliability, and documenting data quality issues.
  • Experience working with Cloud hosting solutions, including Azure or AWS.
  • 5.
  • Preparing technical documentation and delivering oral presentations that translate analytical findings for decision makers.
  • OR B.

Education

Successful completion of at least 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education (54 semester hours or equivalent) leading to a Ph.D. in a directly related field of study; or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a directly related field of study which provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of this position. You must include transcripts.

OR

C.

Combination

Successful completion of a combination of graduate level education as described in above, beyond the first two years of progressive graduate study, and appropriate professional experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position.

Volunteer Experience

  • 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.
  • Education This position has a mandatory education requirement.
  • You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience.
  • Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable.
  • A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted.
  • Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position.
  • Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education

To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S.

Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed.

For information visit

Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive.

All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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.

Review our 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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment, if required.

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.

All qualified applicants must meet the predefined cut-off score on the assessment in the above-mentioned competencies to be considered for the position. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP).

To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Required Documents

----------------------

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/12/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement:

  • Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
  • Complete All Required Assessment(s).
  • All college transcripts, if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable.
  • Eligibility Documentation:

+ Current and former Federal employees must submit latest SF-50 (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade, and if applicable, an additional SF-50 showing the highest grade or promotion potential held. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s.

If your SF-50 showing highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year. Do not submit award SF-50s.

+ Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal.

To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified.

For more information visit

USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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

----------------

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 11/12/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

  • Click the Apply Online button.
  • Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13102213
  • Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  • If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
  • Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  • Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
  • Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
  • Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources.

To update your application, including supporting documentation

During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area.

Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

Agency contact information

Brian Anderson

Email

[email protected]

Address

Technical Service Center

Bureau of Reclamation

Denver Federal Center

P.O. BOX 25007

Denver, CO 80225-0007

US

Next steps

Please refer to your USAJOBS account for application status; the Human Resources Office cannot respond to individual status inquiries.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

You can find your path with the Department of Interior at https://careers.doi.gov/.

Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.

Overview

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Accepting applications

This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more

Location

2 vacancies in the following location:

Lakewood, CO

No matching locations found.

Work site options

Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.

Remote job

No

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Salary

$83,265 - $108,251 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 11

Promotion potential

None

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

No

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

  • Credentialing
  • Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure required

No

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number

CBVL-27-13102213-DH-BDA

Control number

890538900

Interested in this role?Continue on Bureau of Reclamation's careers page.
Apply on Bureau of Reclamation