USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal jobs across the United States and around the world as the official employment site for the federal government

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Students

Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.

Clarification from the agency

CFTC will accept applications from current students in, or accepted to, an accredited advanced degree program with a major in economics, finance, applied statistics, or mathematics.

Duties

Help

The CFTC is currently hiring students studying economics under the Pathways Program. The CFTC offers substantive work that gives interns an opportunity to demonstrate their skills through work experience. Students will be assigned to work with CFTC staff members on projects and assignments that cover a broad range of the Commissions’ work.

Students may be assigned to one of the following Divisions:

Chairman/Commissioner's Office

Five Commissioners administer the CFTC, all Commissioners are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The President designates one of the Commissioners to serve as Chairman. The Chairman and Commissioners sponsor advisory committees as well as provide market oversight.

Division of Clearing and Risk (DCR)

DCR oversees derivatives clearing organization (DCOs) and other market participants in the clearing process. DCR monitors the clearing of futures, options on futures, and swaps by DCOs, assesses DCO compliance with Commission regulations, and conducts risk assessment and surveillance.

Duties of an economics intern under one of the following branches for DCR includes:

Risk Surveillance Branch

Students majoring in economics/finance will assist RSB staff with research on the market structure of the cleared derivatives and related markets. This will include risk management practices and procedures of clearing houses, their members and clients, as well as usage of these products by market participants.
Students majoring in statistics/math will assist RSB staff in the quantitative risk analysis of exposures in cleared and uncleared derivatives markets using data reported to us by clearing houses and their members, data from trade repositories, as well as publicly available data

Examinations Branch

Students majoring in finance or economics will work with DCR management staff to design tools that are used within the examination process. The intern will produce written documentation describing how to use the tools and will also participate in training sessions demonstrating how to use the tools.
Students majoring in finance or economics will work with DCR staff to produce a document that outlines the functional requirements for a risk assessment tool that will be used during the examination process.

Division of Market Oversight (DMO)

DMO fosters open, transparent, fair, competitive, and secure markets through oversight of derivatives platforms, specifically, designated contract markets (DCMs) and swap execution facilities (SEFs).

Duties of an economics intern may include:

Review and analyze exchange-traded derivatives product filings, including amendments to the terms and conditions of existing contracts, for compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations.
Focus on metals, energy, agricultural, and financial products, including to help ensure that products are not susceptible to manipulation.
Assist in performing economic analysis of product terms and underlying cash markets, including estimates of deliverable supply.
Help evaluate novel and complex product filings, including event contracts, digital assets, and other products.
Provide technical assistance to other DMO branches and other Commission staff in order to advance the CFTC’s mission.

Market Participants Division (MPD):

MPD oversees swap dealers and derivatives market intermediaries, including commodity pool operators, commodity trading advisors, futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, major swap participants, and retail foreign exchange dealers, as well as designated self-regulatory organizations.

Duties of an economics intern may include:

Assisting with the review of financial models.
Assisting with cleaning and organizing data and designing queries for analysis.
Assisting in the preparation of presentations and report.
Assisting in the management of data directories.

NOTE: If selected at the CT-07 level the full promotion potential is the CT-07. If selected at the CT-09 level the full promotion potential is the CT-09. Temporary positions do not have promotion potential.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. citizen.
Must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as an advanced degree student.
You must be registered for Selective Service if applicable (www.sss.gov).
You must be suitable for federal employment.
Must major in economics, finance, applied statistics, or mathematics.

You must be a U. S. citizen or national
Enrolled/accepted in an accredited educational institution
Pursuing a degree listed in the vacancy announcement
Maintain enrollment at least half time as defined by the institution
If selected, official transcripts must be submitted prior to establishing a start date
Veteran's preference applies in the hiring process. In order to receive preference in hiring, you must clearly identify your claim for veteran's preference when you apply
Must maintain eligibility and enrollment for the duration of the internship

Qualifications

Pathways Internship Program Qualifications:
You must meet the qualifications requirements must be met by summer of 2022.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

A. Degree: 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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for this position at the grade 07 level, you must meet the definition of a student and possess at least one of the following:

1. Completion of at least 1 full academic year of graduate level education; or eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) Provision* and completion of a Bachelor's degree, or

2. Possess at least one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS/CT-05 showing progressively responsible work experience conducting research for economics, finance, mathematics or statistics research projects or assisting others in evaluating and interpreting economic or statistical information; or

3. Possess an equivalent combination of experience and education.

To qualify for this position at the grade 09 level, you must meet the definition of a student and possess at least one of the following:

1. Completion of 2 academic years of graduate level education, or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, or

2. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/CT-07, defined as assisting others in the planning, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation for economic or statistical research projects or assignments; or

3. Possess an equivalent combination of experience and education.

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.

*SAA is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.
1. Class standing: Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
2. Grade-point average (GPA): Applicants must have a grade-point average of: a. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or b. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society: Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts. See the Required Documents section for more information.

*If selected at the CT-07 level the full promotion potential is the CT-07. If selected at the CT-09 level the full promotion potential is the CT-09. Temporary positions do not have promotion potential since positions are temporary NTE 9/30/22.

Education

Basic Education Requirements:

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. Please see the qualifications section for details on how to qualify with combination of education and experience.

All applications must be received via www.usajobs.gov

U.S. EDUCATION: Institutions located within the United States that have attained accreditation are listed on the U.S. Department of Education's website. To verify your institution's accreditation, please access this website: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.aspx

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement from other geographical locations as needed.

By submitting your application you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired, you may be terminated after you begin work, or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. You will be required to submit official documentation before appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (e.g., degree, veterans’ documentation, certification of disability, etc.).

How you will be evaluated

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

Candidates will be assessed based on basic eligibility requirements (either Agency-developed standards or the OPM Qualification Standards for the position being filled). Veterans' preference applies to selection for positions in the Pathways Programs. Selections must be made in accordance with the requirements of 5 CFR part 302, veterans' preference laws, and OPM guidance.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Help

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

Your resume showing relevant duties, when the duties were performed (MM/YY), and your work schedule. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your educational and work experience including the following information for each employment listed: job title; duties and accomplishments; employer's name and address; supervisor's name and phone number; starting and ending dates formatted in month/day/year; hours worked per week; salary; if the employment was federal: title, series, and grade/pay band. Your resume should also list your expected graduation date. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire.
Proof of current student status. You must submit proof of current student status to be considered for this position. This can be in the form of current registration, an acceptance letter from the institute of higher education, a receipt of tuition payment, etc.
You must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.
If applicable: Veteran's Preference Documentation (your DD-214, Member Copy 4). Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans' preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

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.

Help

YOU MUST APPLY ONLINE: Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. You must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at USAJOBS.GOV. To begin, click the Apply Online button within the vacancy announcement and follow the prompts to create an account using LOGIN.GOV, if you have not done so already. LOGIN.GOV will walk you through each step of the account set-up and will automatically link your USAJOBS profile to LOGIN.GOV. Once you have established an account using LOGIN.GOV, you will then go back to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to answer the questions, and submit all required documents. If you already have established an LOGIN.GOV account or want to return to your saved application go to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to apply or view your profile. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or phone at 1-866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

The law prohibits public officials from appointing, promoting, or recommending their relatives. The law prohibits requesting, making, transmitting, accepting, or considering political recommendations for employment or other personnel actions for non-political positions. This includes recommendations from Members of Congress, Congressional employees, elected state or local officials, and political party officials and any recommendation based on party affiliation.

EEO Policy Statement. The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetic information, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.

Reasonable Accommodation. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the CFTC directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Agency contact information

Tiffany Williford

Phone: 202-418-5804
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: Twilliford@cftc.gov

Address: Commodity Futures Trading Commission
CFTC
Three Lafayette Centre
1155 21st Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20581
United States

Next steps

Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. You can check your status, by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application."

Required Documents

Help

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

Your resume showing relevant duties, when the duties were performed (MM/YY), and your work schedule. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your educational and work experience including the following information for each employment listed: job title; duties and accomplishments; employer's name and address; supervisor's name and phone number; starting and ending dates formatted in month/day/year; hours worked per week; salary; if the employment was federal: title, series, and grade/pay band. Your resume should also list your expected graduation date. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire.
Proof of current student status. You must submit proof of current student status to be considered for this position. This can be in the form of current registration, an acceptance letter from the institute of higher education, a receipt of tuition payment, etc.
You must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.
If applicable: Veteran's Preference Documentation (your DD-214, Member Copy 4). Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans' preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

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.

How to Apply

Help

YOU MUST APPLY ONLINE: Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. You must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at USAJOBS.GOV. To begin, click the Apply Online button within the vacancy announcement and follow the prompts to create an account using LOGIN.GOV, if you have not done so already. LOGIN.GOV will walk you through each step of the account set-up and will automatically link your USAJOBS profile to LOGIN.GOV. Once you have established an account using LOGIN.GOV, you will then go back to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to answer the questions, and submit all required documents. If you already have established an LOGIN.GOV account or want to return to your saved application go to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to apply or view your profile. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or phone at 1-866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

The law prohibits public officials from appointing, promoting, or recommending their relatives. The law prohibits requesting, making, transmitting, accepting, or considering political recommendations for employment or other personnel actions for non-political positions. This includes recommendations from Members of Congress, Congressional employees, elected state or local officials, and political party officials and any recommendation based on party affiliation.

EEO Policy Statement. The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetic information, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.

Reasonable Accommodation. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the CFTC directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Agency contact information

Tiffany Williford

Phone: 202-418-5804
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: Twilliford@cftc.gov

Address: Commodity Futures Trading Commission
CFTC
Three Lafayette Centre
1155 21st Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20581
United States

Next steps

Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. You can check your status, by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application."