Data Scientist

Federal Emergency Management Agency•Philadelphia, PA

21h

About The Position

The Data Scientist supports FEMA Region 3 mitigation decisions and dashboards by applying advanced analytics, spatial analysis, and natural hazard risk modeling. The role manages structured, unstructured, and spatial data; develops automated data workflows and data products; and provides technical advice to the Mitigation Division and senior leadership. The position includes recurring emergency management responsibilities. Although routine deployment to disaster sites is not required for every position, employees may be recalled around the clock for emergency operations. This can involve irregular hours, work outside the official duty station, extensive travel with little notice, and extended deployments to physically austere or operationally challenging locations. The selected employee must attend a three-week in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland, within six months of onboarding. The position is at the GS-13 level and requires specialized experience equivalent to at least one year at the GS-12 level, along with a qualifying degree or education-and-experience combination. It requires U.S. citizenship, a successful Moderate Risk/Public Trust background investigation, and the ability to deploy with little or no advance notice. DHS provides a federal employee benefits package, including insurance, retirement, leave, and paid federal holidays; other benefits may be available depending on position eligibility.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Successfully pass and maintain a Moderate Risk/Public Trust background investigation.
Register for Selective Service, if applicable.
Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements, including 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
Ability to deploy with little or no advance notice anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period.
At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level, gained in government or the private sector, using programming languages such as Python, R, or SQL; GIS such as Esri ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS Online; and business intelligence platforms such as Power BI, Tableau, or Databricks to manage, clean, and integrate complex or large structured, unstructured, and spatial datasets.
Specialized experience developing automated ETL data pipelines, interactive dashboards, and geospatial products.
Specialized experience applying advanced statistical, machine-learning, or geospatial modeling techniques, such as natural hazard risk assessment or program evaluation, to provide data-driven recommendations to leadership.
A baccalaureate-level major in mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science, or a directly related field; alternatively, 30 semester hours equivalent to a major in a qualifying field plus additional education or appropriate experience.
Submit unofficial transcripts with the application; official transcripts are required after selection and before appointment.
Attend a three-week, in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland, within six months of onboarding.
New Federal competitive service employees and new supervisors or managers must complete a one-year probationary period.

Responsibilities

Perform statistical, machine-learning, and geospatial analysis of structured, unstructured, and spatial datasets to assess natural hazard risks, evaluate mitigation programs, and support disaster operations and leadership decisions.
Design, code, and automate repeatable data pipelines, ETL workflows, and data-wrangling processes using programming languages and cloud data platforms to integrate, clean, and standardize complex datasets.
Develop, deploy, and maintain interactive dashboards, web applications, and geospatial data products to track grant programs, flood compliance, and disaster recovery metrics.
Establish and maintain regional data governance policies, quality-control tests, metadata completeness, and spatial data standards across systems of record, SharePoint, and GIS portals.
Advise the Mitigation Division on analytical technologies, AI-enabled systems, and data architecture.
Collaborate with branch stakeholders to gather requirements and translate technical findings into actionable briefings for senior leadership.