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Duties
Summary
This position is located in the Office of Operations, Office of Economics, Country and Regional Analysis Division, of the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). Economists develop cutting-edge methods to analyze issues of trade and trade policy, and apply these methods in independent research and collaborative, team-based investigations for the Congress and the President.
Learn more about this agency
The Commission may offer recruitment incentives for this position.Responsibilities
This position will provide economic expertise in support of the Country and Regional Analysis Division's research initiatives focusing on the emerging economies of Africa, Asia, India and other regions. Expertise in examining the impact of tariffs, non-tariff barriers and trade facilitation on trade flows of emerging economies is desirable. We are looking for an individual with strong economic research and analytical skills who is comfortable working in a team environment and who has demonstrated exceptional written and oral communication skills. Key to the traits for success in this organization is an individual who develops networks and alliances and has demonstrated interpersonal skills that show understanding, courtesy, tact and empathy towards others.
You will perform a variety of projects where you will use and develop your economic skills conducting analytical international trade research, preparing reports and preparing findings for the Country and Regional Analysis Division's country desk resource program. You will monitor trade policy and related economic trends in key international markets and the U.S. trade, investment, and service flows with these nations and regions. Through critical analysis, you will identify factors that direct U.S. firms and/or products competitiveness in the international marketplace relative to foreign economies. You will assist in monitoring and conducting studies of specific government and/or regional policies, commercial practices, or other economic factors that affect international competition in a cross-sectorial or economy wide manner. You will work in small and large teams with staff both within and outside of your office and area of expertise. Emphasis will be on the emerging economies of Africa, Asia, and India, as well as other regions required by the organization's work.Travel Required
Not required
Supervisory status
No
Promotion Potential
14
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Job family (Series)
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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen or national
- You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period
- You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance
- You may be required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement
- You must be able to pass a background investigation
- You are required to register for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/03/59
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
Qualifications
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 all the required qualification requirements, including education, and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement. Education may only be substituted in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0300/management-and-program-analysis-series-0343/. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be credited towards qualifications. Applicants must have the general and specialized experience outlined below which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.
You must meet all the requirements below by the closing date of the announcement and they must be clearly identified in your application, resume, or supporting documents. This includes any general and specialized experience, education, and/or selective placement factors mentioned. These are used to determine if you possess the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to successfully perform in this position.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has not issued qualification standards for attorney positions. However, the USITC sets minimum qualifications for attorney positions and sets forth these qualifications in each vacancy announcement.
Both specialized experience, and/or the substitution of education for experience, must have required an in-depth understanding of international economic principles and theories, such as the interplay of economic forces of goods and services across international borders, matters of trade policy, and product or industry competitiveness.
To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience would include the following: professional and/or academic experience in substantive analysis which requires a thorough understanding of the economic issues under investigation; planning and execution of sequential work steps; and integration of research into an assigned study or work product, OR
Possession of a PhD in Economics, that provided academic preparation which would allow performance of the full range of professional work of the position within a short period of time, may be substituted for the experience requirement above, and is fully qualifying at the grade 11 level.
To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must have one of the following: At least one year of specialized experience obtained in the private or public sector that is equivalent to the GS-11 level. Your experience must demonstrate: planning and carrying out a project to collect detailed economic data from primary sources; during the course of project work, making recommendations for expanding, contracting, or initiating auxiliary studies; within established research plans, determining data sources, selecting and/or modifying techniques for data processing and analysis; during research, stating the problem, hypothesizing a solution, locating and collecting data, and drawing conclusions.
To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience obtained in the private or public sector that is equivalent to the GS-12 level. Your experience must demonstrate: planning and carrying out a project to collect detailed economic data from primary sources; during the course of project work, making recommendations for expanding, contracting, or initiating auxiliary studies; holding responsibility for developing research plans and coordinating the activities of group members; determining data sources, selecting and/or modifying techniques for data processing and analysis; during research, stating the problem, hypothesizing a solution, locating and collecting data, and drawing conclusions; and planning the method of presentation of findings.
To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience obtained in the private or public sector that is equivalent to the GS-13 level. Your experience must demonstrate: planning and carrying out an initial study that involves unprecedented data peculiarities or that requires novel analytical solutions; independently recognizing and evaluating significant and critical factors to solve complex problems and to draw rational inferences based on research findings; recommending the initiation, development or revision of projects or studies which fall within the framework of established agency programming and policy; and responsibility for a number of diverse studies that are being conducted simultaneously.Education
This occupation has a positive education and specialized experience requirement. Specifics are detailed below:
Basic Education requirement for all applicants:
Possession of BA or higher degree in Economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting or calculus. You are required to submit a copy of your transcript(s) to verify this requirement.
Education May be Substituted for Experience as Follows:
Degree: economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.
OR
Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
At the GS-11 level: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree
At the GS-12 level: There is no substitution of education for experience at this level.
At the GS-13 level: There is no substitution of education for experience at this level.
At the GS-14 level: There is no substitution of education for experience at this level.
COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
To combine your experience and education, you must convert the figures to a percentage and add them together. The combined total percentages of your education and experience must equal at least 100% to qualify.
To calculate your percentage of undergraduate education, divide the number of undergraduate hours you've completed by 120. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours you've completed by 18. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience.
Finally, add your experience and education percentages. The two percentages must total at least 100% to be considered qualified.
You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above educational requirements. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that an perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.
It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials: http://www.naces.org/members.htm.Additional information
You must meet all the requirements below by the closing date of the announcement and they must be clearly identified in your application, resume or supporting documents. This includes any general and specialized experience, education and/or selective placement factors mentioned. These are used to determine if you possess the knowledge, skills and/or abilities to successfully perform in this position.
This announcement is issued under "direct-hire" authority. Consistent with 5 U.S.0 3304(a)(3) and OPM regulations (5 CFR 337 Subpart B) on direct-hire: All candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply.
The Commission may offer recruitment incentives for this position.How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
- Experience performing data analysis
- Applying economic theory and industry information to perform empirical analysis
- Written and oral communication skill and abilities
- Performing work in a team environment
- Problem solving skills
We will review your resume and supporting documents, to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications and/or education on the information provided and evaluate your relevant education and/or work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) mentioned above. Based on the results of this evaluation, you will be placed in one of the following quality categories:
Best: This highest category will be used for those candidates who possess the type and quality of experience and/or education that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, including any selective placement factors and/or appropriate quality ranking factor(s).
Better: This higher category will be used for those candidates who possess the type and quality of experience and/or education that exceed the minimum qualifications of the position.
Good: This lowest category will be used for those candidates that meet the minimum qualifications and/or education of the position and are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the position. Candidates may require extensive training and/or orientation in order to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.
Names of the candidates in the Best category will be sent first to the hiring manager for employment consideration.
If you are selected for an interview, you can expect a structured panel interview process, which will include between 2 and 4 members.
To preview the assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10654416Background checks and security clearance
Security clearance
Drug test required
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Trust determination process
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Required Documents
To receive consideration, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified below by 11:59 PM ET12/05/2019 .
1. Resume. Your resume or any other written format you choose should contain the following information:- paid and non-paid experience, including job titles, dates held (month and year for qualifying purposes to receive credit), number of hours worked per week, and salary;
- knowledge of the subject matter and technical skills pertinent to this position;
- specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work; and
- names and phone numbers of your current and/or previous supervisor(s).
2. Occupational Questionnaire. A complete job-specific occupational questionnaire submitted through your Application Manager account or faxed using the methods outlined in the How to Apply section.
3. Transcripts. If you are using education to qualify OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under the Qualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your transcript(s) with your application. Your education must be accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.Your transcript must contain:- name of academic institution;
- list of courses;
- credit hours;
- major(s); and
- grade-point average or class ranking
Foreign Education: You can use education you completed in a foreign college or university if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. You must provide an official statement certifying that your education is equivalent with your application package. The link contains a list of accredited organizations that specialize in interpreting of foreign education credentials: http://www.naces.org/members.htm.If you are selected for a position, you must submit an official/sealed college transcript(s) prior to employment.
4. Veterans' Preference. If claiming veterans' preference, you must indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume.A. For 5-point veterans' preference, you must provide:- a copy of your DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge which shows the type of discharge and dates of active duty (Member 4 copy preferred).
B. If you are currently on active duty, to receive 5-point preference you must provide an official statement of service from your command/unit which states:
- your branch of service;
- period(s) of service;
- campaign medals or expeditionary medals earned;
- expected discharge type and date; and
- date you will be separated or be on approved terminal leave
If you supply a statement of service at this stage, your preference/eligibility will be verified by a DD 214 prior to your appointment with our agency.C. To receive 10-point veterans' preference, you must provide: -any documentation required by this form to support your claim.If we cannot verify your 10-point preference status, you will receive 5-point preference if you meet the requirements. You can obtain an SF-15 through this link: http://www.opm.gov/forms/standard-forms/.To access to your DD 214 online, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/.
5. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles. You must submit the following documents:- a copy of your agency notice;
- a copy of your most recent performance rating; and
- a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
6. Cover Letter. This is optional.
7. Special hiring authority applicants: If you are applying under a special hiring authority you must submit proof of eligibility with your application.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
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/05/2019 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.
3. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
4. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
The Vacancy ID is 10654416.Agency contact information
Johnetta Young
Address
Office of Economics
500 E St SW
Washington, DC 20436
USNext steps
Once the occupational questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
To check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status, and click on the More Information link under the application status for this position.
You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process:- Upon receipt of your application
- Upon minimum qualifications determination
- After candidates have been referred to the hiring official
- Once a selection has been made
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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.
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.
Legal and regulatory guidance
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/552395000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.