This vacancy will be filled using the Office of Personnel Management's Direct-Hire Authority. Veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement.
This position is located in the Risk Management Agency, Deputy Administrator for Product Management, Actuarial, Prices, & Filing Division, location to be determined.
Summary
This vacancy will be filled using the Office of Personnel Management's Direct-Hire Authority. Veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement.
This position is located in the Risk Management Agency, Deputy Administrator for Product Management, Actuarial, Prices, & Filing Division, location to be determined.
This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, applications will be accepted from U.S. citizens. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.
Identify, analyze, and interpret supply and demand factors for federally insured crops in order to develop price projections (price elections) for the upcoming crop year.
Develop relationships and collaborate with universities, research organizations, commodity groups, handlers, other government agencies, producers, and processors to gather data and information about crops and crop markets.
Plan and direct special studies on price elections quality adjustment factors, distribution of liability for various crops, and other factors needed to evaluate actuarial adequacy and equity.
Serve as a resource and spokesperson of the Prices Branch at Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), senior management, producer group, and insurance and agricultural lenders meetings.
Ensure that price elections and corresponding data for insured crops are entered into databases accurately to guarantee accurate population of all relevant insurance offers. This will require developing knowledge of large and complex databases.
Write reports containing background research, program analysis, data and information sources, relevant agricultural economic principles, market structure and dynamics, price projection methodologies, and results of any statistical analysis.
Reports will also include conclusions regarding how all this information culminates in expectations for the future and the expected impact on prices. Submission of reports must adhere to strict deadlines.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date 07/17/2023 of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined.
Basic Education Requirement: A degree in Economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.
Minimum Qualifications: Specialized Experience for GS-11: Possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the Federal GS-09 level or higher, which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience at this level include, but are not limited to, regularly researching and composing written reports on commodity markets, covering at a minimum, the major fundamental factors that influence price movement. Experience includes developing external contacts, determining research and analytical methods, compiling and analyzing data, interpreting findings, making recommendations, and compiling all of this into a research report as part of your normal job duties on a recurring basis.
OR
Education Substitution for the GS-11: Completion of at least three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education resulting in a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university.
OR
Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of education and experience as described above which totals at least 100% when combined.
Specialized Experience for GS-12: Possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the Federal GS-11 level or higher, which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience at this level include, but are not limited to, composing written agricultural commodity market research reports related to price forecasting or price movement on a frequent recurring basis with minimal, if any, oversight or assistance. These reports communicate background research, policy/program analysis, data and information sources, relevant economic principles, market structure and dynamics, price forecasting methodology options, results of any statistical analysis, decision criteria, and conclusions regarding how all this information culminates in expectations for the future and the potential impact on future prices. The process for creating such reports includes: initiating and conducting research, acquiring and reaching out to contacts for market information, compiling and analyzing data, evaluating alternative methods, interpreting findings, and making recommendations.
Specialized Experience for GS-13: Possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the Federal GS-12 level or higher, which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience at this level include but are not limited to independently composing agricultural commodity market research and price forecasting reports as part of your normal job duties on a frequent recurring (weekly or monthly) basis. These reports communicate background research, policy/program analysis, data and information sources, relevant economic principles, market structure and dynamics, price forecasting methodology options, results of any statistical analysis, decision criteria, and conclusions regarding how all this information culminates in expectations for the future, the resulting potential impact on price, and your price forecast. The recommendations in these reports are used for risk management purposes, market speculation, or some other purpose where financial decisions are made based on these recommendations. The process for creating such reports includes: independently initiating and conducting research, acquiring and reaching out to contacts for market information, compiling and analyzing data, evaluating alternative methods, interpreting findings, and making recommendations.
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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
You must submit a copy of your transcripts to include course number, title, completion and grade. 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. If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement.
Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this link for more information.
Failure to provide all of the required documents/information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
THE SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE IS NOT QUALIFYING AT THE GS-12/13 LEVEL.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the Federal service. Current Federal employees would therefore be given a new appointment.If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Current USDA policy includes telework for an 8 hour work day, 4 days per week; other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and/or the position and its associated duties. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor.
Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.
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.
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining - Direct Hire Procedures and USDA policy. IMPORTANT NOTE ON REFERRAL FOR THIS POSITION: A Government-wide Direct-Hire Authority exists for Economist postings in the 0110 series. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications for the position will be referred to the selecting official and preference does not apply. There will be no rating system under which to award veteran's preference and additional hiring authorities are irrelevant due to the existence of the Direct-Hire Authority. Applicants' resume's should show quality of experience and the extent they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies:
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.
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.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
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 read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Risk Management Agency
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
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 read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Risk Management Agency
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
