Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens

At the entry level of this position, you will:

- Assist in the design and implementation of studies on the adverse, positive, and distributive economic consequences of environmental standards and strategies;

- Participate in Agency-wide assessments of costs, benefits, and economic impacts of environmental programs;

- Prepare study reports concerning the economic costs, benefits, and impacts of environmental quality enhancement; 

- Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to improve the science of applied environmental economics.

When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses.

You will spend less than 25% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements.

Conditions of employment

• If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
• You must submit a resume and required documents (see How to Apply section).
• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• Position has educational/degree requirements (see Qualifications section).
• EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
• You may be required to travel less than 25% of each month.

This position is designated as Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation.

If you are selected, you must complete a one year probationary period.

Qualifications

You need a degree or combination of education and experience as described below to qualify for this position.

Economist: You must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following:  economics with at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus; OR a combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major, as listed.

Social Scientist: You must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following:  behavioral or social science, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR a combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major as listed; OR four years of experience that demonstrate you have acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major, as listed.

As part of the application process, you are required to submit college transcripts or a list of courses as described in the Required Documents section of this announcement.  However, if you are selected, you must provide official educational transcripts before you start work with EPA.  More information on verification of education can be found here:  EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

In addition to the educational requirements, we are looking for at least one year of specialized experience related to this position as described below:

To qualify for the GS-09 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-07 level defined as performing economic analysis - OR master's or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in the academic discipline as described below.

To qualify for the GS-11 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as performing compliance cost or benefits assessments; and applying quantitative analysis to environmental problems - OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in the academic discipline as described below.

Your answers to the on-line assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: 1) Knowledge on environmental economics; 2) Ability to utilize statistical analysis software for the development of economic studies; 3) Skill in economic analysis of environmental programs; 4) Skill in written communication; 5) Skill in oral communication; 6) Ability to collaborate with a diverse team of professionals.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.  Your resume must address the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in the Qualifications section.  If you meet basic qualification requirements, your application will be further evaluated based on your answers to the online assessment.  Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for the position.  You are being evaluated under the category rating method which means, if you are determined to be qualified, you will be placed into the ‘Best Qualified’, ‘Well Qualified’, or ‘Qualified’ category.

We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire.  If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.  We will evaluate your qualifications and eligibility and notify you if you meet minimum qualification requirements.  If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments.

NOTE:  We do not require a separate statement responding to the competencies, also referred to as Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).  However, your resume should clearly show possession of these competencies.