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Economist

Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The position is located in the US Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, Economic Analysis Division, in Arlington, VA. The purpose of this position is to perform complex studies and projects involving research and analysis of economic data or problems and provide advice and consultation on economic matters to government officials and private organizations or the general public. 

This position is inside the bargaining unit.  

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/23/2022 to 10/14/2022
Salary
$74,950 to - $116,788 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
Arlington, VA
FEW vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Approximately 10%
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and supervisor’s recommendation to the next grade.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DH-22-DAL-MSHA-316
Control number
678998700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled through Direct Hire Authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applications does NOT apply. Veteran’s preference does not apply.

Duties

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At the GS-11 developmental capacity, the major duties and responsibilities are similar to those described below at the full performance level of the GS-12 position but with greater guidance from the supervisor or other economists.

  • Perform complex data tasks including documentation, organization, maintenance, update of internal and external databases. Demonstrates professional skills in quantitative analysis to produce data products such as descriptive statistics, table preparation, and other data analytics to support decision-making and strategic planning for leadership and senior economists.
  • Apply professional knowledge of economics to perform difficult and complex studies and projects involving research and analysis of economic data or problems and provide advice and consultation on economic matters to government officials and private organizations or the general public. Conduct comprehensive review and synthesis of economic literature on issues related to office research.
  • Gain the knowledge and application criteria stated in the Mine Act, Executive Order 12866, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, SBREFA, OMB Circular A-4, and the Paperwork Reduction Act concerning the impacts (e.g., costs and benefits) of regulatory actions or options.
  • Effectively communicating with senior economists and other staff at the Office of Standards, Regulations and Variances (OSRV) on the scope and findings of research projects.
  • Assist in the preparation of briefings, summaries, and other documents primarily for internal customers. The assignments may be related to the preparation of materials for management, advisory committees, public hearings, etc.
  • Demonstrates active and effective teamwork. Expected to actively participate in producing group-assigned outcomes and to ask questions to learn the full range of job requirements.
  • Assist with the analyses of impacts on small businesses, paperwork burdens, and economic feasibilities. Assist with data and develop an understanding of the requirements related to complicated statistical and medical outcome modeling. Apply skills in data mining, statistics, probability theory, and econometrics to support economic research.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

This position is being filled through Direct Hire Authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applications does NOT apply. Veteran’s preference does not apply.

Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations.  As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law.  If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency.  The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.

Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

  1. Degree: economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.

    OR

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

In addition to meting the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts shown below:

GS-11: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-9, in the Federal Service.

At this level, Specialized Experience is defined as:

  • Demonstrating professional knowledge and skill in the field of economics that is adaptable to regulatory cost benefit analysis;
  • Reviewing and processing data from statistical surveys, reports and databases;
  • Conducting economic research, retrieving economic information from various sources;
  • Preparing spreadsheets, charts and tables using accepted statistical software; and, 
  • Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with staff within an agency.

OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service.

At this level, Specialized Experience is defined as:

  • Demonstrating expert knowledge and experience in the field of economics;
  • Reviewing and processing data from statistical surveys, reports and databases;
  • Producing data analytics and visualization using accepted statistical software;
  • Oral and written communication skills to present research results clearly and concisely; and, 
  • Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with staff within an agency.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information. 

Additional information

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

Position Telework eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Employee participation in telework on a routine or situational basis is determined by management primarily based on business needs.  Employees participating in telework are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor’s Telework Program.

Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

All MSHA employees and their spouses, and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine or mining company which may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations, technical research, or other activities. These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labor's Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report. For questions, please contact the vacancy contact on this announcement.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How you will be evaluated

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

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SERVES AS PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THE USE OF OPM'S DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY. ALL APPLICANTS WHO MEET THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE SELECTING OFFICIAL FOR CONSIDERATION. CATEGORY RATING, VETERAN'S PREFERENCE, AND TRADITIONAL RATING AND RANKING OF APPLICANTS DO NOT APPLY TO THIS POSITION.  

Please review evaluations details here.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Cost-Benefit Analysis: Knowledge of the principles and methods of cost-benefit analysis, including the time value of money, present value concepts, and quantifying tangible and intangible benefits.

Data Management: Knowledge of the principles, procedures, and tools of data management, such as modeling techniques, data backup, data recovery, data dictionaries, data warehousing, data mining, data archiving, data disposal, and data standardization processes.

Economics: Knowledge of economic policy, principles, and practices, market and non-market values, and the analysis and reporting of economic data.

Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.

Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.

Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a brief, clear, and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.

The information you provide on your resume may be verified by a review of your work experience, employment start/end dates/hours worked and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.).


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