Business Analyst

Summary

This incumbent serves as a Business Analyst within the Analytics Center of Excellence (COE), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The Business Analyst drives modernization by transforming complex data and business needs into actionable insights and requirements. Through AI/ML innovation, cloud-native tools, and cross-functional collaboration, this role strengthens CPSC's analytical ecosystem and empowers data-driven decisions that protect consumers from product-related risks.

Duties

• The position is officially titled Management and Program Analyst (Artificial Intelligence). The working/organizational title of this position is Business Analyst. The Business Analyst improves how CPSC operates by understanding business needs, analyzing data, and translating those needs into clear requirements for a variety of solutions (e.g., technology, automation, business process re-engineering, training, etc.). This position is responsible for establishing the requirements for complex technical initiatives that support the CPSC's mission and enterprise modernization goals. The Business Analyst collaborates with stakeholders to define a project's scope, technical and functional requirements, and success criteria. The Business Analyst will: Meet with stakeholders to learn goals, pain points, and current processes. Lead requirements gathering specifically for Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML)-enabled products, including model objectives, training data needs, performance thresholds, evaluation metrics, and human-in-the-loop requirements. This includes developing user stories, acceptance criteria, and process mapping. Develop functional and non-functional requirements for systems incorporating machine learning, natural language processing, or predictive analytics. Partner with data engineers, data scientists, IT specialists, and program managers to define data ingestion, labeling, feature engineering, and data quality requirements that support ML model development. Analyze data suitability for algorithmic use and identify data biases, gaps, or limitations. Support solution design: Work with product, engineering, and business partners to ensure proposed solutions will solve the problem. Participate in model documentation, reproducibility reviews, model cards, and versioning under agency AI governance processes. Ensure AI/ML solutions align with EO 14110 (Safe, Secure, Trustworthy AI), OMB M-24-10, GAO's AI Accountability Framework, and CPSC's data governance policies. Implement human-centered and values-driven AI design, incorporating transparency and responsible use principles. Facilitates stakeholder alignment through regular briefings, status updates, and decision-support materials. Prepares and presents project reports, risk assessments, and performance dashboards to ensure transparency and accountability. Monitor deployed AI/ML solutions for performance drift, data pipeline failures, bias reemergence, or security vulnerabilities. Assess organizational readiness for AI integration and lead stakeholder engagement to ensure alignment with mission needs. Identify business process changes required for safe and effective AI deployment, including training needs and change-management considerations. Perform additional duties as assigned in support of the CPSC's mission and operational objectives.

Qualifications

All applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: GS-12: 1) Experience gathering requirements and documenting business processes to identify opportunities for AI to streamline operations; 2) supporting AI/ML or data-driven projects through data analysis, pipeline design, or education; 3) collaborating with technical and non-technical staff to define data needs; 4) preparing project materials such as Concept of Operations, acquisition documentation, reports or briefings; and 5) contributing to testing, change management, or rollout activities for new AI or ML systems and tools. GS-13: 1) Experience leading requirements gathering and developing functional and non-functional system requirements for AI/ML solutions; 2) managing programs to evaluate agentic AI solutions; 3) producing test data and analyzing data suitability to determine biases or gaps; 4) ensuring AI/ML solutions comply with federal AI policies; 5) applying project management principles to technology initiatives; and 6) monitoring AI/ML solution performance and recommending improvements to support organizational readiness, training, and change management for AI integration. Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). 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. Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position by the closing date of this announcement.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen. This is a Public Trust Position. Employment in this position requires a background investigation. If you are selected and cannot meet the criteria requirement for the pre-employment waiver and/or a favorable suitability determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed or undisclosed background issues, the employment offer may be withdrawn. If you are a male 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. Please see http://www.sss.gov for more information. Selectees will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment", (OF-306), prior to appointment and the appropriate background investigation forms to determine suitability for Federal employment. False statements or responses on these forms can jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service. The selectee will be required to complete a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the I-9 Form. We will compare information provided on the I-9 Form to records available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The system confirms employee's identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. Depending on your status, this position may require serving a 1-year probationary period. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the CPSC; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the CPSC or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

This position does not have a mandatory education requirement. There is no substitution for specialized experience at this grade level.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Help Center. If experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Continue to Agency Site' button): please email [email protected] between normal business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET; except federal holidays). If receiving any kind of error message, please provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text number.