The Congressional Research Service (CRS), Domestic Social Policy Division is accepting applications for an Analyst in Income Security (Retirement Policy) under the 2017 Graduate Recruit Program. The selected candidate will specialize in either: (1) private U. S. retirement policy. Examples include: measurement of retirement income and wealth; economic and health shocks in retirement; the role of defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans in retirement savings; decumulation of retirement wealth, including options for annuitization; insights from behavioral economics on retirement readiness and income security; and labor force issues related to older workers. Or, (2) public U. S. retirement policy (Social Security). Examples of key issues include: the long-run solvency of the Social Security trust funds; distributional impact on beneficiaries of proposals for reform; and the role of Social Security in improving the economic well-being of vulnerable segments of the population. In either case, the candidate would be expected to have a knowledge of the interrelationship of Social Security with private pensions and personal savings for income security in retirement. This position will be filled at the GS-09 or the GS-11 level (see "Duties" below).
Initial appointments under the Graduate Recruit Program will be made for a period up to 120 days beginning in 2018. Some initial appointments may be eligible for subsequent conversion to permanent appointments, contingent upon participants' performance and completion of all degree requirements, and availability of funding.
ABOUT CRS
CRS works exclusively for the U.S. Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. As shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress, CRS experts assist at every stage of the legislative process, from the early considerations that precede bill drafting, through committee hearings and floor debate, to the oversight of enacted laws and various agency activities.
CRS is well known for analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective, and nonpartisan. It ensures Congress has immediate access to the nation's best thinking on public policy issues of interest to its Members and Committees.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), Domestic Social Policy Division is accepting applications for an Analyst in Income Security (Retirement Policy) under the 2017 Graduate Recruit Program. The selected candidate will specialize in either: (1) private U. S. retirement policy. Examples include: measurement of retirement income and wealth; economic and health shocks in retirement; the role of defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans in retirement savings; decumulation of retirement wealth, including options for annuitization; insights from behavioral economics on retirement readiness and income security; and labor force issues related to older workers. Or, (2) public U. S. retirement policy (Social Security). Examples of key issues include: the long-run solvency of the Social Security trust funds; distributional impact on beneficiaries of proposals for reform; and the role of Social Security in improving the economic well-being of vulnerable segments of the population. In either case, the candidate would be expected to have a knowledge of the interrelationship of Social Security with private pensions and personal savings for income security in retirement. This position will be filled at the GS-09 or the GS-11 level (see "Duties" below).
Initial appointments under the Graduate Recruit Program will be made for a period up to 120 days beginning in 2018. Some initial appointments may be eligible for subsequent conversion to permanent appointments, contingent upon participants' performance and completion of all degree requirements, and availability of funding.
ABOUT CRS
CRS works exclusively for the U.S. Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. As shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress, CRS experts assist at every stage of the legislative process, from the early considerations that precede bill drafting, through committee hearings and floor debate, to the oversight of enacted laws and various agency activities.
CRS is well known for analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective, and nonpartisan. It ensures Congress has immediate access to the nation's best thinking on public policy issues of interest to its Members and Committees.
The Analyst in Income Security will provide Members and committees of the U.S. Congress with objective, public policy analysis and consultation on policies and issues related to U.S. income security programs for retirement. The analyst will locate/interpret factual information; conduct research; prepare objective, non-partisan descriptive, background, and analytical reports; and participate in team research projects and seminars.
This position requires the ability to utilize analytical methods and techniques to analyze policy issues for the U.S. Congress. The candidate should be comfortable with quantitative approaches in research and be familiar with public policy issues related to income security programs, especially as related to U.S. retirement policy. Strong writing skills, including the ability to synthesize complex analyses into easy-to-understand language for a non-technical audience, are required.
The analyst position carries promotion potential to the GS-15 level.
General education requirements for a GS-09 or GS-11 appointments are as follows:
GS-9 Grade Level: Two years of progressively higher level appropriate graduate education leading to a master's degree, OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree in fields such as economics, social science, public policy, OR One year of specialized experience at the GS-07 grade level in the federal service or at a comparable level of difficulty outside the federal service.
GS-11 Grade Level:Three years of progressively higher appropriate graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, OR a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR a J.D. or equivalent law degree, OR one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 grade level in the federal service or at a comparable level of difficulty outside the federal service.
Qualifications
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIREMENTS
The critical knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs), gained through education, experience and/or training, needed to successfully perform the duties of the position:
GS-9 Level
Knowledge of income security (U.S. retirement policy): To provide objective background information and limited public policy analysis on income support-related policies and issues for Members and committees of the U.S. Congress.
Ability to design and utilize research and analytical methods and techniques: To assemble, analyze, and interpret information to identify and evaluate public policy issues and options.
Ability to write on issues related to income support policy: To write descriptive and background reports, memoranda, and other documents with limited analysis for Congress.
GS-11 Level
Knowledge of income security (U.S. retirement) policy: To provide objective, in depth public policy analysis and background information on income support-related policies and issues for Members and Committees of the U.S. Congress.
Ability to design and utilize research and analytical methods and techniques: To research, analyze and synthesize complex information and evaluate implications of various policy alternatives.
Ability to write on issues related to income support policy: To write analytical and descriptive reports, memoranda, and other products supported by appropriate background research for Congress.
Additional information
The Congressional Research Service, with in the Library of Congress, is part of the Legislative Branch of the federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service.
The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustment for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.
The appointment tenure for this position is full-time temporary; flexible work schedules may be available. The position description numbers for this vacancy announcement are: 4745 (GS-9) and 4746 (GS-11). Relocation expenses are not authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.
Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/ suitability investigation. Applicants who are referred for an interview will be required to submit a completed OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment.
Those Graduate Recruit Program participants who are converted from a temporary appointment to a permanent position, and who have not yet completed the one-year probationary period required of all new Library employees, will be required to do so. Time served in the temporary appointment will not count toward completion of this one-year probationary period requirement.
CRS staff not placed in a permanent position under the Graduate Recruit Program will return to the position occupied before entering the program or a position of similar grade and duties without loss of federal service tenure or seniority. Before applying, other Library of Congress employees should consult their supervisor or service unit management regarding the status of their position should they be selected for the program but not placed in a permanent position.
The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. Women, men, minorities, and persons with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.
This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify Hope Hanner-Bailey at CRSGraduateRecruit@crs.loc.gov or (202) 707-1342. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
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. Opens in a new windowLearn 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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Completed application packages will be forwarded to a panel of CRS staff that will first assess applicants against basic eligibility and general education requirements of the position. An evaluation panel will then assess the degree to which candidates meet the critical knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) required to perform the duties of the position and offer the better qualified candidates an opportunity for an interview in person, by telephone or by other telecommunications means. In addition to the critical KSAs listed above, the following competencies will also be addressed during the interview:
Ability to convey analysis and information orally through briefings, consultations and other presentations.
Ability to exercise objectivity in all phases of analysis, consultation and/or oral presentations.
Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.
Finalists may be required to submit a writing sample related to their academic discipline.
A complete applicant package will require applicants to provide responses to a vacancy questionnaire, which includes mandatory submission of a Candidate Statement of Interest.
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. Opens in a new windowLearn 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.
It is recommended that you review your application to ensure it contains the following items:
Resume (uploaded through USAJobs.gov)
Completed vacancy questionnaire
Graduate transcripts or a self-prepared course list (attachment to application)
Note: the "Documents" section of the application may request that you attach an OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment. You may choose to upload this form as part of your application or submit it at the time of interview. Incomplete applications will not be referred to interview officials and will be disqualified from further consideration
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please carefully follow all instructions to ensure you are considered for the position.
Step 1: Review this job announcement. We recommend you review the "Qualifications Required" section of the announcement to determine whether your education and experience align with the position requirements.
Step 2: Click the "APPLYONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Log in to your USAJobs account, or create an account if you do not already have one.
Step 3: Follow USAJobs' instructions to submit your resume. Your resume should include the following information:
--Work experience (paid and unpaid, including start and end dates and hours worked per week)
--Education
Step 4: You will be redirected to the Library's Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be required to answer questions related to your eligibility for federal employment and requested to provide demographic in formation.
Step 5: Provide responses to the vacancy announcement questions (you can preview these questions by clicking the link under "How You Will Be Evaluated" above).
Step 6: Attach transcripts (official or unofficial) of all completed graduate courses or a self-prepared course list showing grades and the number of credits received. Graduate transcripts/ course lists are mandatory; under graduate transcripts are optional.
Step 7: Click "Finish" to submit your application. You will be redirected to USAJobs with notification that your application has been completed. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by signing into your USAJobs account and clicking "Application status."
If you have questions or are experiencing technical difficulty you MUST CONTACT Hope Hanner-Bailey at CRSGraduateRecruit@crs.loc.gov or (202)707-1342 no later than 4:30p.m.EDT of the closing date.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Ave. SE
LM-107
Washington, District of Columbia 20540
United States
Next steps
Please review the evaluation process under "How You Will Be Evaluated. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My USAJOBS" tab and clicking on "My Applications''. You will receive final notification via e-mail when this vacancy has been filled.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
It is recommended that you review your application to ensure it contains the following items:
Resume (uploaded through USAJobs.gov)
Completed vacancy questionnaire
Graduate transcripts or a self-prepared course list (attachment to application)
Note: the "Documents" section of the application may request that you attach an OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment. You may choose to upload this form as part of your application or submit it at the time of interview. Incomplete applications will not be referred to interview officials and will be disqualified from further consideration
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please carefully follow all instructions to ensure you are considered for the position.
Step 1: Review this job announcement. We recommend you review the "Qualifications Required" section of the announcement to determine whether your education and experience align with the position requirements.
Step 2: Click the "APPLYONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Log in to your USAJobs account, or create an account if you do not already have one.
Step 3: Follow USAJobs' instructions to submit your resume. Your resume should include the following information:
--Work experience (paid and unpaid, including start and end dates and hours worked per week)
--Education
Step 4: You will be redirected to the Library's Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be required to answer questions related to your eligibility for federal employment and requested to provide demographic in formation.
Step 5: Provide responses to the vacancy announcement questions (you can preview these questions by clicking the link under "How You Will Be Evaluated" above).
Step 6: Attach transcripts (official or unofficial) of all completed graduate courses or a self-prepared course list showing grades and the number of credits received. Graduate transcripts/ course lists are mandatory; under graduate transcripts are optional.
Step 7: Click "Finish" to submit your application. You will be redirected to USAJobs with notification that your application has been completed. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by signing into your USAJobs account and clicking "Application status."
If you have questions or are experiencing technical difficulty you MUST CONTACT Hope Hanner-Bailey at CRSGraduateRecruit@crs.loc.gov or (202)707-1342 no later than 4:30p.m.EDT of the closing date.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Ave. SE
LM-107
Washington, District of Columbia 20540
United States
Next steps
Please review the evaluation process under "How You Will Be Evaluated. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My USAJOBS" tab and clicking on "My Applications''. You will receive final notification via e-mail when this vacancy has been filled.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
