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Duties

Summary

The positions may be located in either the Food Economics Division, Market & Trade Economics Division, or Resource & Rural Economics Division in ERS. We are seeking Economists with responsibility for carrying out complex economic research & analysis programs that include formulating research plans, developing methodology, determining data needs, & defining resources. Strong research & writing skills, & the ability to relay results to both lay & professional audiences are essential.
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Responsibilities
- Duties will vary depending on the mission of the division in which the incumbent works. Major duties may include, but are not limited to:
- Applying economic, econometric, and statistical principles and concepts to conduct high quality research and analysis; and improve the quality, and enhance the analytical usefulness of data;
- Providing advice and guidance to Agency and external colleagues to ensure application of sound economic principles and the use of effective quantitative and research methods;
- Serving as a technical expert on research and program development activities within the Agency, with other agencies, and research institutions;
- Conducting research involving theoretical and empirical issues of concern to Agency programs, including research that often involves investigation and experimentation into unexplored areas using state of the art techniques; and
- Communicating difficult concepts and findings in both verbal and written forms to officials responsible for public policy.
Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

15
Job family (Series)

0110 Economist
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- Economists
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Requirements

Conditions of Employment
- You must be a US Citizen or US National
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
- Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
- Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
Qualifications
This announcement has been amended to extend the closing date to September 30, 2020 and add additional cut-offs, as outlined below.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS
- This is an open continuous announcement and will be used to fill vacancies as openings occur.
- To receive consideration for vacancies, applicants must submit complete applications prior to the established cut-off date(s). An initial cut-off will take place Wednesday, November 27, 2019 to begin initial applicant consideration. Additional cut-off dates will occur December 18, 2019; January 13, 2020; February 3, 2020; March 2, 2020; March 30, 2020; April 30, 2020; May 30, 2020; June 30, 2020; July 31, 2020; August 31, 2020; and September 30, 2020.
- Candidates for the position who submit a completed application by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 27, 2019, will be reviewed and referred if found eligible and qualified. This announcement will remain open until the closing date indicated; however, those who apply after the cut-off date will be considered for referral to the hiring manager only if additional vacancies occur and/or the initial referral list is exhausted.
- Applicants must recertify (i.e. update/resubmit their application through USAJobs) every 3 months from the date of application/certification to continue to receive consideration for the position(s). Applicants who fail to do so will not be reviewed and referred and be dropped from consideration.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (by cut-off dates) of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT
A. Degree: A bachelor's (or higher) degree in economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus;

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the Basic Requirement listed above, you must meet the required specialized experience or education below:

GS-12
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience includes applying advanced economic research methodologies and quantitative analysis techniques to the conduct of complex economic research, analysis and outlook relevant to agriculture, food, natural resources, and/or rural development;

OR

EDUCATION: Applicants must have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in agricultural economics or related discipline.

Education and experience may be combined to meet the total experience requirement.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date (by cut-off dates) of this vacancy announcement; however, applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education requirements within 9 months from the date of application. Applicants must verify successful completion of the required education prior to appointment. All other applicants must be available to report for duty at the time of selection.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

**This Position is being filled through OPM's government-wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Your application will be evaluated for basic eligibility and to determine if your experience and/or education meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and other basic requirements will be referred and are eligible for selection. **
Education
Additional information
- Recruitment incentive in the amount of $16,000 will be made available to those that meet eligibilty requirements.
- Relocation expenses are authorized.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified based on an evaluation of the following competencies: 1) Economic Research; 2) Technical Application; 3) Database Management Systems; and 4) Written Communication. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job.
- This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements.
- Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given a new appointment to the civil service.
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How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. This is a Direct Hire Authority position. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veterans' preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Note: All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10644959

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance

Not Required

Drug test required

No
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Required Documents
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
- Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
- If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
- Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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Benefits

A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.

To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.

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Agency contact information

Ashley McLain

Phone

7039959626

Email

Ashley.McLain2@usda.gov

Address

Economic Research Service
355 E. Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
US

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Next steps

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

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Fair & Transparent

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

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants
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Reasonable Accommodation Policy
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:
- An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.
You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about disability employment and reasonable accommodations or how to contact an agency.
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Legal and regulatory guidance

This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/550728700. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.

Research Agricultural Economist

Department of Agriculture

Food Economics Division/Market & Trade Economics Division/Resource & Rural Economics Division

Overview

Open & closing dates

Service

Pay scale & grade

Salary

Appointment type

Work schedule

Location

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Telework eligible

Duties

Summary

Responsibilities

Travel Required

Supervisory status

Promotion Potential

Job family (Series)

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