Operations Research Analyst

United-States-Department-of-Defens; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 131,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Department of Defense seeks a qualified professional in operations research at NH-04 broadband level for cost estimating and analysis. The role requires building credible cost estimates and presenting findings to stakeholders at Redstone Arsenal, AL or Fort Belvoir, VA/Dahlgren locations.

The candidate should have an operations research background with strong mathematical knowledge, data handling skills, and experience in developing POEs/IGCEs and LCCEs.

Qualifications

• Experience in cost estimating, analysis policy, and decision-support modeling.
• Ability to collect, validate, and store data to support cost estimates.
• Experience in quantitative/qualitative analysis and data-driven recommendations.
• Experience preparing LCCEs/POEs/IGCEs and presenting results to customers.

Responsibilities

• Conduct cost estimating and analysis to support program decisions and funding.
• Develop and document life cycle cost estimates and related government cost estimates.
• Present results and recommendations to customers and stakeholders.

Skills

Cost estimation policy

Data collection/validation

Data analysis & modeling

LCCEs/POEs/IGCEs

Presenting to stakeholders

Education

Operations research degree / 24 credit hours in OR/math/statistics

Job description

Salary Ranges are the following unless statutory/regulatory rates prevail. For the Redstone Arsenal, AL Location: $130,987 to $197,200. For the Fort Belvoir, VA and/or Dahlgren Location: $143,913 to $197,200. You may qualify at the NH-04 Broadband Level, if you fulfill the following qualifications: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the NH-03/GS-13 grade level in the Federal service as listed below and must meet 3 of the 5 specialized experience listed below to be qualified.

• Experience in cost estimating and analysis policy, processes, techniques, modeling, and tools to predict the cost of a future program, project, or operation to support decision-making, program planning, resource allocation, and acquisition/contract efforts.
• Experience in data collection, validation, cleaning, and storage techniques to enable future use of data in cost estimates and analysis.
• Experience in conducting research, evaluating complex data, identifying trends, performing quantitative and qualitative analysis including linear and non-linear regression, quantifying uncertainty, and generating data-driven recommendations.
• Experience developing credible, accurate, comprehensive, and documented Life Cycle Cost Estimates (LCCEs), Program Office Estimates (POEs), and/or Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs).
• Experience preparing and presenting cost estimates and analysis, including results and recommendations, to customers and stakeholders.

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.

In addition to meeting qualifications, your application package must reflect the applicable experience to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 1515, series as listed below:

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.

Evaluation of Education:

The primary requirement of operations research work is competence in the rigorous methods of scientific inquiry and analysis rather than in the subject matter of the problem. Therefore, applicants should have sufficient knowledge of applied mathematics to understand and use the fundamental concepts and techniques of operations research methods of analysis. In addition, some positions may require knowledge of a specific subject area.

Courses acceptable for qualifying for operations research positions may have been taken in departments other than Operations Research, e.g., Engineering (usually Industrial Engineering), Science, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, or Management Science.

The following are illustrative of acceptable courses: optimization; mathematical modeling; queueing theory; engineering; physics (except descriptive or survey courses); econometrics; psychometrics; biometrics; experimental psychology; physical chemistry; industrial process analysis; managerial economics; computer science; measurement for management; mathematical models in social phenomena; and courses that involved application of operations research techniques and methodologies to problems of management, marketing, systems design, and other specialized fields; or other comparable quantitative analysis courses for which college-level mathematics or statistics is a prerequisite. Courses in theory of probability and statistics are highly desirable, but are not specified as minimum educational requirements because to do so would possibly exclude some applicants who would otherwise be well qualified.

NOTE: Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.