Data Scientist (Recent Grads)

Duties:

Join the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Strategic Transformation and People Analytics team, where you'll play a pivotal role in shaping data-driven decisions for Human Resources Management. As part of a dynamic group of analysts, you'll leverage advanced scientific, mathematical, and statistical methods to deliver actionable insights to senior leadership-impacting the future of workforce planning and organizational strategy. 

Who's eligible: Recent Grads - Recent college graduates who have, within the previous two years, completed a qualifying Bachelors or Graduate degree. Veterans who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree and were unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation of at least 4 years, may apply within two years of their discharge from uniformed service. This announcement will be utilized to fill positions through the College Graduate Hiring Authority.

Typical duties include:

• Supporting management through the application of advanced data science techniques including data extraction, transformation, cleaning, modeling, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) to processing and extracting insights from structured and unstructured data and providing guidance for solutions to a variety of complex challenges to the Agency's Human Capital programs that have a significant impact on personnel decisions.
• Applying quantitative, computer science, mathematical, and statistical skills to interpret extremely large and unstructured data sets, the results of which will be used for forecasting critical problems and making data-driven decisions regarding the administrative and programmatic aspects of HRM and CBP's operations and management.
• Assisting in the development of innovative strategies on measurement of the design, development, deployment, maintenance, and enhancement of large-scale projects to analyze programmatic data and forecast the effects of alternative courses of actions and programmatic gaps.
• Performing quantitative and qualitative analysis and data quality assurance using statistical, business intelligence, data analysis, and/or AI software and computer programs (e.g., R, Python, ChatGPT, PowerBI, Tableau, Cognos, SQL, Databricks).

REQUIREMENTS

Requirements:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service
• Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below)
• All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English
• You may be required to pass a background investigation
• CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures
• As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link.
• DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.
• Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Qualifications:

Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you meet the basic requirement below:

A. 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

B. 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.

You qualify for this position if you meet the basic requirement listed above and possess the experience as described below:

Experience: You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Performing data quality assurance and quantitative and qualitative analysis using Microsoft Excel and statistical software and programming languages such as R or Python.

• Applying concepts of data science to process and extract insights from structured and unstructured data.

• Solving statistical problems that occur in data collection and summarization processes.

• Creating data visualizations or dashboards to convey analytical findings.

• Communicating technical and analytical findings through briefings, presentations, and reports to individuals with varying levels of technical expertise.

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.

Education Substitution: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.\

Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience. For example, an applicant with 6 months of appropriate experience equivalent to GS-7 (50 percent of the experience requirement for GS-9) and 27 semester hours of appropriate graduate education (50 percent of the education requirement for GS-9, in excess of that required for GS-7) would be qualified for a GS-9 position (assuming that there is no evidence that the attended college or university requires more than 18 semester hours as equivalent to a year of graduate study).


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.

You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 05/22/2026.