STEM position(s) are being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority, open to all U.S. citizens. Selections made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the civil service. Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and the "Rule of Three" do not apply.
Summary
STEM position(s) are being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority, open to all U.S. citizens. Selections made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the civil service. Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and the "Rule of Three" do not apply.
This announcement serves as public notice. Applications submitted be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection as positions become available.
Vacancies may be filled for up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.
Applications may be gathered from additional recruitment sources. These will be added to the pool created by this announcement.
Serves as a senior analyst with responsibility for initiating, formulating, planning, and conducting major research studies dealing with the social and economic aspects of SSA earnings and benefit program policies.
Produces statistical trust fund information to be used by SSA, Congress, other Federal agencies, and the public.
Determines the general structure and specific methods by which the economic variables used in the projections are estimated.
Plans and designs data collection systems used to produce statistics for research into various aspects of SSA programs.
[Cont..] This includes derivations from major statistical systems such as the Continuous Work History Sample and the Claims and Benefits samples, as well as new systems developed from SSA's primary data bases
Conducts studies of the accuracy and reliability of the data produced by the major statistical systems.
Plans and designs corrective actions for deficiencies found. Recommends changes to SSA's operations and/or procedures if deficiencies are due to flaws in SSA's primary data bases.
Consults with subject matter specialists and systems personnel within and outside the agency on data, estimation, and assumption problems.
Develops and designs computer programs necessary to produce statistical data and research reports.
Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation may be required
Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results
Selectees may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period
Relocation expenses will not be paid
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement
As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. See Additional Information section.
Qualifications
Applicants must qualify for the series and grade of the posted position. Your resume and transcripts are the key means we have for evaluating your experience and education as they relate to this position. Your resume must provide sufficient experience required to perform the position for which you are applying. Please submit a thorough resume and all transcripts that directly relate to this position. If your application materials do not demonstrate the specialized experience and education required for this position, your application will be ineligible for further consideration.
To qualify for this GS-13 Economist position, applicants must meet BOTH of the qualification requirements below:
1. To demonstrate the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), applicants must possess and demonstrate at least ONE of the following:
A. 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. A combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics as shown in A above and appropriate experience or additional education. Examples of qualifying experience include: 1) individual economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation, 2) supervisory or project coordination assignments involving a staff of professional economists, and requiring the evaluation and interpretation of economic information, or 3) teaching assignments in a college or university that included both class instruction in economics subjects and one of the following (a) personal research that produced evidence of results, (b) direction of graduate theses in economics, or (c) service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems.
NOTE: You must submit a transcript that demonstrates the required coursework and any degree conferred to substantiate claimed education. (A copy of a diploma or other certification is not qualifying to demonstrate claimed education.)
2. Additionally, applicants must have the following:
Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-12 level, or equivalent, which is in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience must include: applying socioeconomic principles and research methodologies to research the social and economic aspects of earnings and benefit program policies, conducting studies of the accuracy and reliability of the data produced by the major statistical systems, applying methods currently being used in the development of economic variables and economic projections, or developing and designing computer programs necessary to produce statistical data and research reports.
If you are qualifying on the basis of education or satisfying an educational requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application. You must submit your transcripts according to the application submission details of this announcement. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail. If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of the personnel action placing you into the new position.
Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide documentation 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 a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Additional information
Additional selections may be made for this vacancy six months from the closing date of this announcement. This Direct Hire announcement may be used to fill the same or similar position in another office.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
This is a bargaining unit position represented by AFGE.
This position is telework eligible. Current agency/component policy permits up to 5 days of telework per week.
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.
You will be evaluated on the experience you describe in your resume and the education supported by the transcripts you submit.
SEE THE QUALIFICATIONS and EDUCATION SECTIONS ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR RESUME and TRANSCRIPT(S) MUST DEMONSTRATE.
The experience you claim is subject to verification by the selecting official.
You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience to support your answers or may be required to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability to perform a task.
Your claimed education must be fully documented with a copy of the transcript(s) that demonstrate the education requirements; applicants combining education and experience must provide all documents necessary to support that claim.
If you claim federal experience you must show your grade at the time the experience was gained, as well as the complete dates (month/day/year) you were at each grade.
See the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section below for information on the additional documents needed to support your application.
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.
All applicants must submit the following documents:
A resume clearly describing duties you perform that meet the requirements of the Specialized Experience statement;
Transcripts that demonstrate how you meet the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for this position. (See Education section for more information on what your transcript must include.)
You must also submit ALL supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to claim certain priority selection.
INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP): ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. To receive selection priority, candidates must meet the requirements for the Well Qualified. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Candidates must also provide:
proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation Notice of Personnel Action, (SF-50); and
proof of your most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent.
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 read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. 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/.
If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with the application process, please contact Hai-My Le at hai-my.le@ssa.gov or (703) 605-8228.
Individuals with disabilities may also call us via Federal Relay using the (voice) contact telephone provided.
Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.
ORDP - ORES
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
US
Next steps
Once you have successfully submitted all of the required application materials and assessments, you can expect to receive at least two or more of the following email notifications concerning your application status: (1) Receipt of application; (2) Qualifications status and whether your application has been Referred/Not Referred to the selecting official; and (3) Selection status for the position.
Selection interviews may be conducted with one or more of the candidates, but there is no requirement that interviews be conducted. The hiring office will contact candidates directly for interviews. Interviews may be conducted via video conferencing software, if technically feasible. Applicants referred for consideration will receive a final disposition notice after selections have been made.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
All applicants must submit the following documents:
A resume clearly describing duties you perform that meet the requirements of the Specialized Experience statement;
Transcripts that demonstrate how you meet the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for this position. (See Education section for more information on what your transcript must include.)
You must also submit ALL supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to claim certain priority selection.
INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP): ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. To receive selection priority, candidates must meet the requirements for the Well Qualified. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Candidates must also provide:
proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation Notice of Personnel Action, (SF-50); and
proof of your most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent.
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 read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. 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/.
If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with the application process, please contact Hai-My Le at hai-my.le@ssa.gov or (703) 605-8228.
Individuals with disabilities may also call us via Federal Relay using the (voice) contact telephone provided.
Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.
ORDP - ORES
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
US
Next steps
Once you have successfully submitted all of the required application materials and assessments, you can expect to receive at least two or more of the following email notifications concerning your application status: (1) Receipt of application; (2) Qualifications status and whether your application has been Referred/Not Referred to the selecting official; and (3) Selection status for the position.
Selection interviews may be conducted with one or more of the candidates, but there is no requirement that interviews be conducted. The hiring office will contact candidates directly for interviews. Interviews may be conducted via video conferencing software, if technically feasible. Applicants referred for consideration will receive a final disposition notice after selections have been made.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
