Applied Social Scientist - Mid/Expert Level at National Security Agency (Fort Meade, MD)

Applied Social Scientist - Mid/Expert Level

Responsibilities

NSA Overview The professionals at the National Security Agency (NSA) have one common goal: to protect our nation. The mission requires a strong offense and a steadfast defense. The offense collects, processes and disseminates intelligence information derived from foreign signals for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes. The defense prevents adversaries from getting access to sensitive classified national security information. Managers at NSA, where people are a priority, are responsible for leveraging the diversity of their work force to create innovative solutions that support the Agency's missions. Description of Position As an Applied Social Scientist focusing on pre-employment assessments, you will work with other industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists, strategic consultants, data scientists, and human capital professionals to build and implement assessments and tools supporting the hiring strategies at NSA. Using social science research methods to enhance the way we carry out our mission, you will: - Lead and conduct projects developing, validating, revising, and implementing pre-employment assessments (e.g., CAT assessments structured interviews, cognitive and non-cognitive measures, and knowledge tests, work samples, and simulations); - Contribute to the design and execution of job analysis studies; - Conduct data-informed organizational consultations; - Conduct EEO analyses for selection and promotion decisions; and - Create dynamic, user-friendly visualizations of data. Applied Social Scientists - Collaborate with team members across the organization and develop strategic partnerships throughout the Agency to help achieve organizational goals - Contribute to the conceptualization, design, analysis, and presentation of applied research (applying appropriate quantitative and qualitative research techniques, data collection strategies, data analysis methods) to inform technical and leadership decisions - Keep abreast of best practices and new research in I/O, human capital management, and related fields - Synthesize complex findings and detailed research into executive summaries and presentations intended for managerial decisions and/or publication - Provide high quality customer service to clients through superior technical work and consultative skills, as well as effective project management and communication - Write detailed technical reports supporting the use and interpretation of pre-employment test scores - Design assessments that create a positive candidate experience; - Manage data sets and perform statistical analyses (e.g., correlation, regression, IRT, latent variable modeling, scaling, equating) - Leverage relevant tools such as MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and statistical software (e.g., R)

Job Summary

NSA has numerous excellent opportunities in many different HR disciplines. Opportunities exist in HR research, HR Program Management, HR Policy, Recruiting and many more.

Qualifications

Below are the generic minimum qualifications for this work role. However, ideal candidates would be expected to hold an MA/MS or PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Quantitative Psychology, Educational Measurement; or a related field. Salary Range: $72,750 - $113,362 (Full Performance) *The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position. Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 1 year of experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience. Degree must be in Applied Social Sciences or Applied Behavioral Sciences (e.g., Organizational Development, I-O Psychology, Business Administration, Human Resources Management, Sociology). Relevant experience must be in social or behavioral sciences (e.g., organizational development, organizational effectiveness, performance improvement, test development and validation, social network analysis, or systems thinking), some of the experience must be current (i.e., within the past 2 years) and must include performing research and analysis. Salary Range: $103,690 - 159,286 (Senior Level) *The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position. Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 6 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 4 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 2 years of relevant experience. Degree must be in Applied Social Sciences or Applied Behavioral Sciences (e.g., Organizational Development, I-O Psychology, Business Administration, Human Resources Management, Sociology). Relevant experience must be in social or behavioral sciences (e.g., organizational development, organizational effectiveness, performance improvement, test development and validation, social network analysis, or systems thinking), some of the experience must be current (i.e., within the past 2 years) and must include performing research and analysis and formal/informal leadership. Salary $144,128 - 172,500 (Expert Level) *The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position. Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 9 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 7 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 5 years of relevant experience. Degree must be in Applied Social Sciences or Applied Behavioral Sciences (e.g., Organizational Development, I-O Psychology, Business Administration, Human Resources Management, Sociology). Relevant experience must be in social or behavioral sciences (e.g., organizational development, organizational effectiveness, performance improvement, test development and validation, social network analysis, or systems thinking), some of the experience must be current (i.e., within the past 2 years) and must include performing research and analysis and formal leadership or management.

Competencies

Description of Skills This position requires a balance of research, consulting, and thought leadership in supporting NSA's talent management strategy. You will work with diverse teams and stakeholders to develop, validate, and implement 'pre-employment assessments. Successful candidates will have experience in psychometrics, research methodology, selection assessment, consulting, validation approaches, data analysis, and effective communication. Attention to detail, self-motivation, flexibility, and resilience are critical and data visualization skills are a plus.

How to apply

To apply for this position, please click the 'Apply' button located at the top right of this posting. After completing the application for the first time, or reviewing previously entered information, and clicking the 'Submit' button, you will receive a confirmation email. Please ensure your spam filters are configured to accept emails from noreply@intelligencecareers.gov. ***PLEASE NOTE: U.S. Citizenship is required for all applicants. Additionally, the Federal Government requires all personnel to be fully vaccinated at the time of employment, subject to exceptions as required by law. Reasonable accommodations provided to applicants with disabilities during the application and hiring process where appropriate. NSA is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations. All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph. This position is a Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) position in the Excepted Service under 10 U.S.C. 1601. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility. Please note that you may be asked a series of questions depending on the position you apply for. Your responses will be used as part of the screening process of your application and will assist in determining your eligibility for the position. Be sure to elaborate on experiences in your resume. Failure to provide the required information or providing inaccurate information will result in your application not being considered for this position. Only those applicants who meet the qualifications for the position will be contacted to begin employment processing. Please Note: Job Posting could close earlier than the closing date due to sufficient number of applicants or position no longer available. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

DCIPS Disclaimer

The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority.