Military

Operations Research Analyst/Computer Scientist/Data Scientist

Air Force Elements, U.S. Transportation Command ยท Department of the Air Force
๐Ÿ“ Scott AFB, Illinois GS-14 $128,967 - $167,663/yr
Posted: May 13, 2026 Deadline: May 31, 2026 (Closes in 17 days)

About This Position

This position is being filled under an Direct Hiring Authority (DHA), for Cyber Workforce Positions.

This position is part of the Air Force Elements, U.S. Transportation Command, Transportation Command. The incumbent will be responsible for serving as a senior key analyst and recognized subject matter expert with analysis and oversight responsibilities in the areas of machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS 14 , if you fulfill the following qualifications: Applying advanced machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science methodologies to develop statistical models and analytics using open-source programming languages (e.g., R, Python, Scala) and cloud-based technologies Coordinating complex analytics projects in agile development environments, leading technical teams, and providing expert guidance on predictive analysis and optimization techniques Delivering technical briefings to senior leadership and collaborating with stakeholders across government and industry to implement enterprise data architecture solutions One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service as listed below: 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 below: Operations Research Basic Requirements: 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. Computer Science Basic Requirements: Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science.

At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. Data Scientist Basic Requirements: 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.

Major Duties

As a Operations Research Analyst/Computer Scientist/Data Scientist at the GS-1515/1550/1560-14 some of your typical work assignments may include: Serves as senior subject matter expert in machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science, operations research, and advanced analytics using open-source programming languages and cloud-based technologies. Develops and implements prototype analytics employing statistical methodologies, predictive analysis, and machine learning techniques for cloud or hybrid cloud environments. Coordinates joint service support analyses and represents command at conferences on advanced technologies shaping future distribution operations.

Leads agile development teams using scrum frameworks and facilitates collaboration to transition analytic prototypes into operational environments. Provides team leadership by assigning work, coaching on analytical tools, and ensuring balanced workload distribution. Delivers technical reports and briefings to senior executives while providing programmatic support for enterprise data architecture functions.

Maintains expertise in emerging Operations Research and Data Science techniques through professional development and collaboration with government and industry partners.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level. ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY?

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study.

Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

How You Will Be Evaluated

Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy.

Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements. Veterans Preference: Per Section 9905 of title 5, U.S. Code (U.S.C.) Veterans Preference do not apply to this vacancy announcement; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for hiring.

For information on entitlement see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the " Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp)" eligibility. If you are claiming Military Spouse eligibility and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager. Information and required documentation for claiming Military Spouse eligibility may be found at the General Applicant Information and Definitions link below.

Additional Information

Other Notes: This is a Cybersecurity position. Incumbent must attain and maintain the appropriate DoD approved baseline cybersecurity certificate(s) applicable for cybersecurity functions required for the DoD position held, within six months of filling the position, in accordance with DoD 8570.01M or DoD 8140. RE-EMPLOYED ANNUITANT: This position DOES NOT meet criteria for re-employed annuitant.

The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/140025_vol300.PDF?ver=LQ7feWw-8-5DI2tceUpmgA%3d%3d All applicants must meet qualifications and eligibility criteria by the closing date of the announcement. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications. and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility.

For more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Who Needs to Register | Selective Service System : Selective Service System (sss.gov))

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application.

Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents.

You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.

You will be taken to an online application.

Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.

NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.

You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application.

Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12956939 Please review the General Application Information and Definitions at: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo%2012-1-2020.pdf?ver=ECNbdsHtGilTd3OENN4A0Q%3d%3d

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.).

Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. The following documents are REQUIRED 1.

Your resume: IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position.

Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.

We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. Page margins should be 0.5 inches, and font styles must be legible. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text.

We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?

The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

  1. Transcripts: This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.

If the required courses were obtained in an undergraduate program, you must submit that transcript. Submitting a graduate degree transcript only will not suffice in verifying those specific course requirements were satisfied unless the required courses were obtained during the graduate program and are reflected as such, or unless the graduate degree awarded is in Computer Science or Operations Research or Data Science. Please review your transcripts carefully before submitting as not all that are obtained via a web-based transcript retrieval site contain the name of the school issuing the degree.

If the name of the school awarding the degree is not clearly listed, the transcript will not be accepted.

  1. SF50 All current and former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Operations Research Analyst/Computer Scientist/Data Scientist position at Air Force Elements, U.S. Transportation Command?
The salary range for this position is $128,967 - $167,663/yr. This is a GS-14 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Operations Research Analyst/Computer Scientist/Data Scientist job located?
This position is located in Scott AFB, Illinois. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level. ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is May 31, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
Yes, a Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance is required.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.