CHIEF DATA SCIENTIST

About the role

The position of Chief Data Scientist is in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has primary responsibility for information technology and information management for FSIS. **USDA Employees: Please refer to the Next Steps section**

What you will do

• Advises on scientific issues pertaining to the development, planning, coordination, and implementation of statistical analyses of food safety and public health related to the full range of FSIS program areas.
• Conducts or directs full and comprehensive data science lifecycle, data analyses and performs integration studies that require detailed knowledge of food safety and public health issues.
• Cultivates and maintains contacts in the public health, food safety, data science/analytics, and scientific community, and with professional organizations and academic institutions, in an effort to complement and expand FSIS programs.
• Serves as the liaison with nationally and internationally recognized authorities and organizations whose policies impact the agency’s data infrastructure, analytics, and activities in support of food safety and public health initiatives.
• Supports in coordinating, evaluating, and improving the development and implementation of data analytics and the life cycle process model to support policy development and scientific policies as it relates to food safety and food defense.
• Reviews and scientifically evaluates new and proposed policies, procedures, regulations, and legislation that impact data analytics integration and food defense and safety programs.
• Collaborates with other Agency officials to ensure that decisions made and actions taken are fully supported by scientific and credible data and respond to the interests and needs of other programs and organizations.

Education

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 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education. Your application will be rated and ranked by an Executive Review Board (ERB) Panel, using only the information submitted within the application package.

Applicants who do not demonstrate in their application sufficient possession of the TQs will be determined ineligible for further consideration. Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages in length. Applicants may be required to participate in selection interviews.

Documents you must provide

• Your resume should contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement.
• It is recommended that you include the following information: 1.
• DO NOT submit Technical Qualifications in lieu of a resume.
• 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information;2) education;3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) all supervisors' phone numbers and if they may be contacted; and 5) starting and ending dates of employment (month and year); 6) salary; 7) information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments.
• Current or former Federal civilian employees, please provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).
• Education (if applicable): A copy of your transcript(s) or a separate course listing showing the college name, course title, department, hours earned (quarter or semester), and grade.
• If you have completed any part of your education outside the U.S., you must submit the evaluation of your foreign education that has been prepared by an accredited organization.
• The National Association for Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) can provide a list of who can evaluate your foreign education.
• For additional information, visit DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

What to expect next

To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (***), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: ***

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.

Employees of the following USDA agencies who apply for this position, and whose selection would result in a relocation outside the commuting area of their current duty station, may not currently be considered for selection to this position: Agricultural Research Service; Economic Research Service; National Institute of Food and Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service; United States Forest Service; Food and Nutrition Administration; Foreign Agricultural Service; Rural Development and component organizations; the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area, to include the FPAC Business Center, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Risk Management Agency, and Farm Service Agency employees; Office of the General Counsel; and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.

This guidance is in alignment with the court order dated October 13, 2026, in American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, et al. v. United States Department of Agriculture, Case No. 26-cv-09976-VC (N.D. Calif.).

The U.S. Government utilizes Trusted Workforce 2.0 to implement Continuous Vetting (CV) as a-whole-of government approach to personnel security.

If selected for this position, you will be subject to continuous automated record checks of criminal, financial, and public record databases throughout your period of eligibility or employment, replacing traditional periodic reinvestigations.

Additional information

Consideration for competitive selection for this position is open to all persons within the area of consideration who meet the basic qualifications. Race, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religion, marital or family status, disability, and other non-merit factors will not be considered. 1.

This position is covered under the post-employment restriction of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). This law also requires the selectee to file an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (Standard Form 278), within 30 days of appointment.

2. Applications sent in U.S. Government postage-paid envelope and submitted through Federal Agency courier services will not be considered. 3.

The 1993 Hatch Act Reform Amendments prohibit oral and written political recommendations for Federal jobs. 4. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System before they can be employed by an executive agency of the Federal government.

This requirement does not apply to Agency employees appointed before November 8, 1985. 5. All application forms are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and become the property of USDA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at *** (voice and TDD). Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency at ***. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch.

If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.