Operations Research Analyst

Your qualifications will be evaluated on your knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies in the following areas:

Quantitative Analytics: Mathematical and statistical reasoning appropriate to the grade sought, including experience applying and documenting quantitative methods and implementing analysis or tools in code. Applicants should demonstrate depth in at least one of the specialized domains below; breadth across all domains is not required.

Methodological Tradecraft (Specialized Domain Depth): Demonstrated experience in at least one of the following domains:

• →Wargaming and Campaign Analysis Standard-Setting: Design of threat-representative, adaptive adversary simulations and coarse resourcing interaction models.
• →Exploratory Modeling: Design of experiments (DoE) over high-dimensional computational models, scenario discovery, and parameter uncertainty management.
• →Emulation and Surrogate Modeling: Fitting and validating surrogate models of computational simulations (Gaussian-process, tree-ensemble, or neural surrogates), validation against held-out runs, out-of-domain detection, and adaptive sampling.
• →Mathematical Optimization: Formulation of multi-objective linear/nonlinear programming, formal decision-framing, and multi-attribute utility models.
• →Statistical Inference: Rigorous data-driven forecasting, Bayesian inference, and formal structured elicitation techniques.
• →AI Verification and Validation: Deep understanding of AI/ML architectures, verification of generative outputs, bias detection, and adversarial testing.

Collaboration: Ability to work with and collaborate with individuals across a broad spectrum of internal and external organizations, including academia, think tanks, defense laboratories, and international partners, to import and validate new methods.

Communication: Ability to translate complex mathematical concepts, scientific methodologies, and analytic limitations into concise, plain language through varied types of written communication to include emails, memos, PowerPoint briefs, white papers, and full reports. Oral communications may include formal presentations or briefings in front of large groups of senior officials.

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

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1. Resume:

a. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, BE CLEAR, SPECIFIC AND DETAILED. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

b. Include your name, address, and contact information, and for each position the hours worked per week and the dates of employment or volunteer service (month/year to month/year, or month/year to present). One year of specialized experience equals 2,087 hours, or 52 weeks at 40 hours per week; part-time hours are prorated. Experience that does not state exact hours per week, or lists them as "varies", will not be credited. For additional information see: How do I write a resume for a federal job

c. Do not include any photos and Personally Identifiable Information (i.e., Social Security Number, Birthdate) on your resume.

d. Resume must be limited to 2 pages and a minimum size 10 font. Please save your resume as a PDF file to preserve the 2-page length.

2. Transcripts: To count toward the qualification requirements, education must come from an institution accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A copy of a diploma alone is not sufficient.

a. Foreign Education: Education completed at a foreign college or university may be used to meet the requirements if you provide proof that the credentials have been evaluated as at least equivalent to those earned in an accredited U.S. program.

3. Writing Sample: Demonstrate your analytic ability and writing skills in one page, addressing the following: Choose one prompt: (1) Identify an analytic method or standard that defense resourcing analysis applies poorly, explain the resulting decision risk, and propose a testable improvement; or (2) describe how you would verify an AI-generated analytic finding before it reaches a senior decision-maker, including provenance, error testing, uncertainty, adversarial testing, and human approval.

4. Veterans Preference: veteran eligibility documentation (DD-214 Member #4 Copy, VA Letter, Standard Form (SF) 15 as applicable). Please note: If you are a veteran who has not yet been discharged, you may provide a statement of intent to discharge from your agency to receive Veterans Preference under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.

5. SF-50: Your latest SF-50 (if applicable) showing your tenure, grade and step, and type of position occupied. Remove all Personally Identifiable Information (Social Security Number and Birthdate).

a. If you receive an updated SF-50 after initially applying, please provide the updated document to CAPE to be added to your application.

b. If you’ve had a break in service – please provide your original appointment SF50 in addition to your resignation SF50.

c.If you do not have your latest documents, you can submit a request to the National Personnel Records Center to obtain them – see guidance here: https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/civilian-non-archival

6. Military Spouse Preference Eligibility documentation (if applicable). For Priority Placement Program, you must include a copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for MSP, such as PCS orders/verification of duty location assignment and a copy of marriage certificate or license. For eligibility under Executive Order 13473, acceptable documentation includes: verification of marriage to the servicemember, verification of member’s 100 percent disability or verification of member’s death while on active duty.

7. Free Response Essay Questions: Optional section to demonstrate your commitment to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passion about the ideals of our American republic, and commitment to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. You will not be scored against your responses for this section.

Please visit the CAPE Careers website for more information on CAPE, our benefits and more.

How You Will Be Evaluated:

Subject matter experts will evaluate your qualifications before any referral. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application will be assessed in a multi-hurdle process that ends in a ranking and referral.

Resume Review (First Hurdle): Subject matter experts will review your resume to determine qualifications based on the required competencies identified above.

Qualifying Structured Interviews (Second Hurdle): If the subject matter experts determine that your resume reflects the required competencies, you will have a panel interview (virtual or by phone) to assess your experience against those competencies. The interview may include in-depth questions or an exercise or case study to measure your depth of knowledge.

Ranking and Preference: Qualified candidates receive a score between 70 and 100, before any points for veterans’ preference. Your answers are verified against the information in your application and by reference checks. Preference is applied to applicants who move forward after the qualifying interviews.

Selection Process: Hiring managers receive a certificate listing the qualified candidates eligible for selection. If you are not selected for this position, you may be considered for similar positions for up to six months from the certificate date, and the certificate may be shared with other CAPE hiring managers. If you are selected for an interview, you may be asked to give a presentation, analyze a case study, or take part in several rounds of interviews.

Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE)

Email: osd.pentagon.cape.mbx.esd-support@mail.mil
Address: 1800 Defense Pentagon, Room 3E231, Washington, DC 20301-1800

Priority consideration programs will continue under their current operating procedures:

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, must be selected and placed at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist.