Social Scientist
Job description
Duties
WHAT IS THE WAGE AND INVESTMENT (WI)DIVISION?
A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions
Vacancies will be filled in the following specialty areas:
Wage and Investment Operation Support
The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.
- Develops social economic and social psychology studies, using social science methods, to identify behavioral segments and profiles of taxpayer behavior.
- Performs a wide variety of duties involving social economics and social psychology to determine conclusions.
- Assumes technical responsibility for various phases of initiation, formulation, planning, execution, and control of major social psychology and social economic studies or continuous projects to recognize and evaluate significant and critical factors, to solve complex problems and to draw rational inferences based on research findings.
- Develops, analyzes, and presents social science information statistically, recognizing and adopting new techniques to fit the needs of research projects and prepares comprehensive reports necessary for the successful completion of assignments.
- Applies social economic and social psychology methods to tax administration research, including tax compliance. Such methods include social marketing, social norms marketing, anthropological marketing, and metaphor marketing.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. (Birth certificate showing birth in the U.S; Unexpired U.S. Passport; Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization; or Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240))
- Undergo a review of prior performance/conduct and an income tax verification. Refer to "Get Your Tax Record" at http://www.irs.gov/(https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript) to check the status of your account, balance owed, payment history, make a payment, or review answers to tax questions. If you are not in compliance, you will be determined unsuitable for employment with IRS.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation, including a FBI criminal history record check (fingerprint check).
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies.
Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:
BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR ALL GRADES/IOR (Individual Occupational Requirement):
To be minimally qualified for this position at any grade level you must meet the basic requirements.
You must have a bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university in behavioral or social science, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
OR
Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
GS-05 BASIC REQUIREMENT/EDUCATION:
To be minimally qualified for this position at the GS-05 level you must meet one of the following basic requirements:
A bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
A combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
OR
Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
GS-7 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements above:
You must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: experience that demonstrates the use of standard methods and principles of social economics and social psychology and their application to tax return statistics, and related research projects; Experience using basic social economic and social psychology research and study design and administration processes from the formulation of concepts through specification and analysis of output to the presentation of conclusions; Experience assisting with reporting on social science projects, data and findings and assisting with creating presentation graphics displaying social science data and findings; Experience using basic standard statistical principles and practices sufficient to perform developmental assignments; Experience using basic computer programming languages and statistical software packages.
OR
1 year of graduate level education at an accredited college or university in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement may be met by having a Bachelor's degree, with one of the following: A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two years of study, or a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all courses in your major field of study or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of study, or rank in the upper one third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.
GS-9 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements above:
You must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: experience demonstrating the use of standard methods and principles of social economics and social psychology and their application to tax return statistics and related research projects; Experience using basic social economic and social psychology research and study design and administration processes from the planning and formulation of concepts through specification and analysis of output to the presentation of conclusions and control of the studies; Experience using basic standard statistical principles and practices sufficient to perform developmental assignments; Experience should include assisting in performing social psychology, and social economics research, and interpreting pertinent information and transforming research into statistical and tax literature for data and social psychology research methodology; Experience entering social science data into databases; assisting with statistical analysis of social science or business data; Experience using basic computer programming languages and statistical software packages.
OR
A master's or equivalent graduate degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
GS-11 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements above:
You must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: experience demonstrating the use of practical technical methods and principles of social psychology and social economics in order to apply these methods, principles, and applications to research projects; experience applying scientific methods, some methods include: structured and unstructured interviewing techniques, focus groups, social surveys, social psychological studies, behavioral analyses, ethnographic designs, and participant observation; experience using statistical principles and practices on social psychology and social economic research procedures and techniques to research, develop, analyze and report results (orally and / or in writing) on social science or business assessments; experience using computer programming languages and statistical software packages to provide research products and develop tables and graphical materials; experience resolving a variety of conventional problems, questions, or situations and assistance in providing research conclusions.
OR
A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
Continued in Additional Information.
For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.
Education
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.
Additional information
GS-12 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements above:
You must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: demonstrating the use of professional methods and principles of social economic and social psychology to apply current application to tax return statistics and related research projects; experience gathering factual information to recognize and evaluate significant and numerous factors, solve limited complex problems within the assigned area, draw rational social economic statistical conclusions and prepare comprehensive reports; experience using social economic and social psychology research and study design and administration processes from the formulation of concepts through specification and analysis of output to the presentation of conclusions. In addition, your experience must demonstrate technical responsibility for various phases of initiation, formulation, planning, execution, and control of major social science studies or continuous projects; experience reviewing technical papers, articles, and other reports that use social science data for technical accuracy and proper application of social science methods and statistical analysis and resolving limited complex social science problems or errors; experience applying social science methods to tax administration research, including tax compliance. Some methods include social marketing, social norms marketing, anthropological marketing, and metaphor marketing.
- Subject to a 1-year probationary period (unless already completed).
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Additional jobs may be filled.
- The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum locality pay up to maximum locality pay for all duty locations listed. The range will be adjusted for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.
- This is a bargaining unit position.
- Tour of Duty: Day Shift
- Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours or telework may be available.
- Relocation expenses - No
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 application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.
Rating: You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Attention to Detail
- Planning and Evaluating
- Teamwork
- Technical Competence
- Writing
Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of two quality level categories, CAT A/B, CAT C depending on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.
Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. Candidates, if required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring practices), will be interviewed in quality group order. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.
Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Qualified preference eligibiles who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more (CPS, CP) are placed at the top of the highest category on the referral list (except for scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). Remaining preference eligibles are placed above non-preference eligibles within their assigned category.
If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must receive a rating of category CAT C to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.
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.
Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).- Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or to present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. We recommend that your resume not exceed 5 pages, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. If including Federal service experience, provide pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Your resume must NOT include photographs, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number. If your resume does not contain the required information specified, or contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position. (Cover letters are optional.) Please view Resume Tips.
- Online Application - Questionnaire
- Education - See Education Section above
- Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license
- Veterans' Preference (if applicable) - You MUST submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. If you are serving under active duty, provide certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of certification. The certification must indicate your dates of service, rank and that you will be separated under honorable conditions. Submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the form if you are a 10-point preference eligible. For more information on veterans' preference view FedsHireVets.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) (if applicable) - You MUST submit the required documentation as outlined at: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). If you are an IRS CTAP eligible, you can apply for jobs within and outside the commuting area. If you are a Treasury CTAP eligible can apply for jobs within the commuting area.
- Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) (if applicable) - If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click Interchange Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.
- High School Diploma (or equivalent) - If you are 16 or 17 years of age, you MUST submit documentation of graduation from high school (or equivalent); OR completion of a formal vocational training program; OR statement from school authorities agreeing with your decision to pursue employment rather than continuing your education.
How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 05/25/2023 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on 05/25/2023.
To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11940831- To begin the application process, click the "Apply Online" button.
- You will be re-directed to USA STAFFING to complete your application process; answer the online questions and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, import documents from USAJOBS to the appropriate document types. If the document you need was not imported from USAJOBS, you may upload it directly into this application. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN).
- To complete, you must click the "Submit Application" button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/25/2023.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login . All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.Agency contact information
IRS Philadelphia External
Email
Hco.phl.ext@irs.gov
Address
Wage and Investment Non-Service Center
1111 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20224
USNext steps
Treasury believes in a working environment that supports inclusion; please view our reasonable accommodation policies and procedures at https://www.jobs.irs.gov/midcareer/reasonable-accommodation.html. We provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
Once your application package and online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email. You are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your application status, you may click on "more information." Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. If your email mailbox is full or blocked (SPAM) you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
- Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or to present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. We recommend that your resume not exceed 5 pages, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. If including Federal service experience, provide pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Your resume must NOT include photographs, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number. If your resume does not contain the required information specified, or contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position. (Cover letters are optional.) Please view Resume Tips.
- Online Application - Questionnaire
- Education - See Education Section above
- Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license
- Veterans' Preference (if applicable) - You MUST submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. If you are serving under active duty, provide certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of certification. The certification must indicate your dates of service, rank and that you will be separated under honorable conditions. Submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the form if you are a 10-point preference eligible. For more information on veterans' preference view FedsHireVets.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) (if applicable) - You MUST submit the required documentation as outlined at: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). If you are an IRS CTAP eligible, you can apply for jobs within and outside the commuting area. If you are a Treasury CTAP eligible can apply for jobs within the commuting area.
- Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) (if applicable) - If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click Interchange Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.
- High School Diploma (or equivalent) - If you are 16 or 17 years of age, you MUST submit documentation of graduation from high school (or equivalent); OR completion of a formal vocational training program; OR statement from school authorities agreeing with your decision to pursue employment rather than continuing your education.
This job is open to
-
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
-
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
Open to U.S. Citizens/Nationals
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