US Surface Transportation Board
OPERATIONS RESEARCH ANALYST (SENIOR DATA SCIENTIST/ECONOMETRICIAN)
US Surface Transportation Board, Washington, District of Columbia, us, 20022
Summary
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is an economic regulatory agency that exercises its statutory authority to support an efficient, competitive, and sound transportation network.
This position is located in the Office of Economics (OE) at the STB and is responsible for assisting OE's Director and Deputy Director in accomplishing the office's technical functions effectively and efficiently.
Duties
Help
In this position, you will serve as an Operations Research Analyst (Senior Data Scientist/ Econometrician) in OE, responsible for managing and conducting analyses and researching items of importance to the agency and industry, such as applying complex concepts and statistical methods, including cost-benefit analysis and econometric analysis, to issues of competition in the rail industry. OE also makes available to the public a variety of statistical and financial analyses of the railroad industry. You apply these models to test economic theories, evaluate policy impacts, and make data-driven recommendations.
You will support OE's work by employing quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate disparate data sources to identify and resolve issues central to the Board's analysis of proposed freight railroad transactions, economic regulation of the rail industry, and other transportation industry segments subject to the agency's jurisdiction.
In addition, the position will focus on using advanced econometrics and data science methods, including machine learning, visual analytics (GIS as well as BI tools), and statistical models in an innovative manner to analyze market dynamics and competitive behavior within the transportation industry.
As a Data Scientist/Econometrician in OE, you will perform the following duties:
Lead and develop project plans for the Agency's analysis of freight railroad transactions, with a focus on mergers and transactions that affect the structure, conduct, and performance of the freight rail market. Develop and implement econometric models to analyze competitive effects of mergers, acquisitions, and business practices. Advise senior leadership of the advantages and limitations of various data science approaches, as well as potential applicability of new techniques, including applications of complex statistical methods, analytic tools, and computer languages. Conduct quantitative analysis of market structures, examine freight rail industry trends, perform forecasting of pertinent transportation data-related matters, and other factors relevant to Board proceedings. Apply statistical and economic methods to assess market power, analyze anticompetitive behaviors, and quantify economic harm. Initiate and conduct research by using modern data analytic techniques to assess the effects of agency actions on the transportation industry. Collaborate with other agency staff to analyze freight rail rate reasonableness in cases brought to the Board. Part of this is a determination on whether effective competition exists to constrain the rate-making power of a railroad in the rates it charges shippers. Collaborates with the agency's Office of Chief Counsel and other program offices to integrate economic analysis into Board decisions. Collaborate with other agency staff to work with and analyze a wide variety of data sources ranging from accounting to waybill data; perform data analysis and develop visualizations to answer questions raised by internal and external parties regarding various issues that come before the Board. Develop project plans and serve on project teams in areas that are of strategic interest to the Board, particularly in the areas involving railroad regulation. Employ a variety of quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate disparate data sources and identify and resolve consistency and/or discrepancy issues that may exist. YOU MUST PROVIDE TRANSCRIPTS TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSITION.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Requirements
Help
Conditions of employment
U.S. Citizenship is required. Your most recent performance appraisal is required, as well as any incentive awards. All qualification requirements must be met 09/25/2025. You will not receive consideration if your package is missing any of the items outlined under the Performance Appraisal, Resume, and Transcript Probationary Period: A one-year probationary period may be required. Required to participate in the Direct Deposit program. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/ Background Suitability Investigation: Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability or security clearance. Please Note: If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated. E-Verify: If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form 1-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. The STB is an E-Verify Participant. Employment is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability clearance. If selected, you may be offered a tentative offer until the background investigation has been adjudicated. Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks
must
meet the Time-in-Grade Requirement, which is 52 weeks of Federal Service at the next lower grade. Relocation expenses are not authorized. You may be asked for a writing sample during the Interview process. Qualifications
You must meet the Mandatory Education Requirements listed in the "Education Requirements" section and the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for this series as described below.
Specialized experience must meet 52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade level. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Specialized Experience is defined as the experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position of the Operations Research Analyst, 1515 series.
To qualify for this position, you must meet the
Mandatory Education Requirements and Specialized Experience
outlined below for the Operations Research Analyst, as described below.
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.
AND
GS-15
To be qualified for this position at the
GS-15 grade level , you must demonstrate in your resume one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level,
GS-14,
in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector or volunteer experience) demonstrated by completing all of the following:
(1)Writing and presenting comprehensive technical reports based on research ; (2) Developing new methods and approaches for using data to solve problems and; (3) Problem-solving using applied mathematics, economics, or statistics and; (4) Conducting research on rail transportation involving a data-driven approaches; and (5)Using analytical methods and techniques to evaluate laws, policies, guidelines, or rules related to transportation.
All applicants are required to submit a resume with your application. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please utilize the following date format MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY - or - MM/DD/YY to present and the number of hours worked per week for each period of employment/experience listed in your resume. Your responses to the questionnaire must be supported/demonstrated in your resume.
If, after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and experience, your rating may be lowered to reflect the submitted documentation more accurately.
In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or education.
Your resume should not exceed 2 pages and must demonstrate the specialized experience related to the position for which you are applying.
If your resume goes beyond two pages, we will only consider the first two pages for the required experience as outlined in the specialized experience.
It must contain the following information :
Name, address, telephone number, email address; Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade); If qualifying based on related unpaid (e.g. volunteer service) experience, you must provide hours worked per week and beginning/ending dates (mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy); If other than full time you must provide hours worked per week. PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE . Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Should you submit multiple resumes, only the latest uploaded resume will be reviewed. It is recommended to make your resume searchable in your USAJOBS.gov profile.
Education
All grades for the 1515 series have a positive education requirement that must be met.
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.
You must provide your transcripts to support your educational claims. Transcripts may be unofficial copies, but they must come from an accredited college or university, and they also must include the courses' names and number of credit hours. To search the database of accredited institutions, visit: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx
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 the 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 U.S. accredited college or university. For further information visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
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. In addition, STB offers work-life balance flexibilities that may be right for you, such as.
Flexible Work Schedule options.
Access to a cost, have access to the fitness center conveniently located in the building; and
A monthly transit subsidy for a portion of your commuting costs to help defray the commuting costs of employees who use mass transportation, including commuter bus, Metrorail or Metrobus, or commuter rail systems.
The
lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be rated well-qualified by scoring 85 or better on the assessment. Please use this link to find out additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Help
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.
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.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is an economic regulatory agency that exercises its statutory authority to support an efficient, competitive, and sound transportation network.
This position is located in the Office of Economics (OE) at the STB and is responsible for assisting OE's Director and Deputy Director in accomplishing the office's technical functions effectively and efficiently.
Duties
Help
In this position, you will serve as an Operations Research Analyst (Senior Data Scientist/ Econometrician) in OE, responsible for managing and conducting analyses and researching items of importance to the agency and industry, such as applying complex concepts and statistical methods, including cost-benefit analysis and econometric analysis, to issues of competition in the rail industry. OE also makes available to the public a variety of statistical and financial analyses of the railroad industry. You apply these models to test economic theories, evaluate policy impacts, and make data-driven recommendations.
You will support OE's work by employing quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate disparate data sources to identify and resolve issues central to the Board's analysis of proposed freight railroad transactions, economic regulation of the rail industry, and other transportation industry segments subject to the agency's jurisdiction.
In addition, the position will focus on using advanced econometrics and data science methods, including machine learning, visual analytics (GIS as well as BI tools), and statistical models in an innovative manner to analyze market dynamics and competitive behavior within the transportation industry.
As a Data Scientist/Econometrician in OE, you will perform the following duties:
Lead and develop project plans for the Agency's analysis of freight railroad transactions, with a focus on mergers and transactions that affect the structure, conduct, and performance of the freight rail market. Develop and implement econometric models to analyze competitive effects of mergers, acquisitions, and business practices. Advise senior leadership of the advantages and limitations of various data science approaches, as well as potential applicability of new techniques, including applications of complex statistical methods, analytic tools, and computer languages. Conduct quantitative analysis of market structures, examine freight rail industry trends, perform forecasting of pertinent transportation data-related matters, and other factors relevant to Board proceedings. Apply statistical and economic methods to assess market power, analyze anticompetitive behaviors, and quantify economic harm. Initiate and conduct research by using modern data analytic techniques to assess the effects of agency actions on the transportation industry. Collaborate with other agency staff to analyze freight rail rate reasonableness in cases brought to the Board. Part of this is a determination on whether effective competition exists to constrain the rate-making power of a railroad in the rates it charges shippers. Collaborates with the agency's Office of Chief Counsel and other program offices to integrate economic analysis into Board decisions. Collaborate with other agency staff to work with and analyze a wide variety of data sources ranging from accounting to waybill data; perform data analysis and develop visualizations to answer questions raised by internal and external parties regarding various issues that come before the Board. Develop project plans and serve on project teams in areas that are of strategic interest to the Board, particularly in the areas involving railroad regulation. Employ a variety of quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate disparate data sources and identify and resolve consistency and/or discrepancy issues that may exist. YOU MUST PROVIDE TRANSCRIPTS TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSITION.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Requirements
Help
Conditions of employment
U.S. Citizenship is required. Your most recent performance appraisal is required, as well as any incentive awards. All qualification requirements must be met 09/25/2025. You will not receive consideration if your package is missing any of the items outlined under the Performance Appraisal, Resume, and Transcript Probationary Period: A one-year probationary period may be required. Required to participate in the Direct Deposit program. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/ Background Suitability Investigation: Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability or security clearance. Please Note: If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated. E-Verify: If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form 1-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. The STB is an E-Verify Participant. Employment is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability clearance. If selected, you may be offered a tentative offer until the background investigation has been adjudicated. Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks
must
meet the Time-in-Grade Requirement, which is 52 weeks of Federal Service at the next lower grade. Relocation expenses are not authorized. You may be asked for a writing sample during the Interview process. Qualifications
You must meet the Mandatory Education Requirements listed in the "Education Requirements" section and the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for this series as described below.
Specialized experience must meet 52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade level. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Specialized Experience is defined as the experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position of the Operations Research Analyst, 1515 series.
To qualify for this position, you must meet the
Mandatory Education Requirements and Specialized Experience
outlined below for the Operations Research Analyst, as described below.
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.
AND
GS-15
To be qualified for this position at the
GS-15 grade level , you must demonstrate in your resume one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level,
GS-14,
in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector or volunteer experience) demonstrated by completing all of the following:
(1)Writing and presenting comprehensive technical reports based on research ; (2) Developing new methods and approaches for using data to solve problems and; (3) Problem-solving using applied mathematics, economics, or statistics and; (4) Conducting research on rail transportation involving a data-driven approaches; and (5)Using analytical methods and techniques to evaluate laws, policies, guidelines, or rules related to transportation.
All applicants are required to submit a resume with your application. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please utilize the following date format MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY - or - MM/DD/YY to present and the number of hours worked per week for each period of employment/experience listed in your resume. Your responses to the questionnaire must be supported/demonstrated in your resume.
If, after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and experience, your rating may be lowered to reflect the submitted documentation more accurately.
In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or education.
Your resume should not exceed 2 pages and must demonstrate the specialized experience related to the position for which you are applying.
If your resume goes beyond two pages, we will only consider the first two pages for the required experience as outlined in the specialized experience.
It must contain the following information :
Name, address, telephone number, email address; Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade); If qualifying based on related unpaid (e.g. volunteer service) experience, you must provide hours worked per week and beginning/ending dates (mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy); If other than full time you must provide hours worked per week. PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE . Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Should you submit multiple resumes, only the latest uploaded resume will be reviewed. It is recommended to make your resume searchable in your USAJOBS.gov profile.
Education
All grades for the 1515 series have a positive education requirement that must be met.
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.
You must provide your transcripts to support your educational claims. Transcripts may be unofficial copies, but they must come from an accredited college or university, and they also must include the courses' names and number of credit hours. To search the database of accredited institutions, visit: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx
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 the 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 U.S. accredited college or university. For further information visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
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. In addition, STB offers work-life balance flexibilities that may be right for you, such as.
Flexible Work Schedule options.
Access to a cost, have access to the fitness center conveniently located in the building; and
A monthly transit subsidy for a portion of your commuting costs to help defray the commuting costs of employees who use mass transportation, including commuter bus, Metrorail or Metrobus, or commuter rail systems.
The
lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be rated well-qualified by scoring 85 or better on the assessment. Please use this link to find out additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Help
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.
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.