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International Economist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide

Summary

The position is located in the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE), which reports to the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs (E).The Office of the Chief Economist will advise the Secretary of State and the Department on emerging issues that, while largely economic on their face, implicate key foreign policy interests, and likewise, those predominantly political or security issues that turn on economic choices.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/14/2026 to 04/20/2026
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - 25% or less domestic and international travel may be required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Announcement number
E/OCE-MPI-2026-0002
Control number
864941700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Department of State career or career conditional status employees in the competitive service; employees who are on temporary or other non-status appointments who have reinstatement or non-competitive eligibility for a competitive service appointment (e.g., tenured Foreign Service employees, employees on an excepted service appointment at the USUN who have previous career status, etc.); and CTAP.

Duties

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  • Assess international economic policies and outline or evaluate policy options.
  • Prepare analysis in support of Department foreign policy objectives as they relate to and impact global economic developments and policy interests, identifying potential sources of international economic instability and proposes responses.
  • Prepare regular analytical papers and recommendations on major economic policy issues and presents to Department leadership for review and decision.
  • Perform research or other professional work in the formulation and direction of international economic policy.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  • Obtain/maintain eligibility to access Sensitive Compartmented Information

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. 

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants must meet ONE of the required basic entry qualification requirements described below:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

Have an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in economics, that INCLUDED at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus;

OR

Have a combination of education and experience where my coursework was equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in Choice 1 Above, PLUS appropriate relevant experience or additional education;

OR

Have a combination of education and experience where my coursework was equivalent to a major in economics, (as shown in above), PLUS appropriate relevant experience OR additional education.

Examples of qualifying experience include: (a) individual economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation; (b) supervisory or project coordination assignments involving a staff of professional economists, and requiring the evaluation and interpretation of economic information; or (c) teaching assignments in a college or university that included both class instruction in economics subjects and one of the following (1) personal research that produced evidence of results, (2) direction of graduate theses in economics, or (3) service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems.

Note: All applicants MUST submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

IN ADDITION to meeting one of the basic entry qualifications requirements listed above, the applicant MUST have at least one year of specialized experience that has equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience is related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience with economic methods and techniques to produce policy-relevant assessments that involve the research and analysis of information derived from a variety of sources, such as Excel, Python, R, and/or STATA, and data visualization tools.
  • Experience with theories and tools of international economics, finance, and macroeconomic policy in order to assess geo-economic policy.
  • Experience in oral and written communication for expert, policy, and economist audiences.

Note: All applicants MUST submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at OAA@state.gov. 
  • OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement. RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only.  Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an adjudication decision. Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery.  Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy.  If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at OAA@state.gov.   
  • If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. 
  • Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM’s  CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position. 

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume limited to two pages will be conducted and evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications for this position. The evaluation process consists of an online assessment and a subject matter expert review of your resume. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Knowledge of current U.S. foreign policy objectives and programs to assess the relevance and implications of global economic issues.
  • Skill in conducting research to analyze economic programs in order to formulate recommendations.
  • Ability to effectively communicate in writing to prepare analytical documentation to present recommendations
  • Ability to effectively communicate orally, maintaining liaison with officials throughout the International Economics community.
  • Knowledge of the theories and tools of international economics, particularly trade, but also international finance and macroeconomic policy in order to assess the soundness of geo-economic policy.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration.

Resume review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Your resume should demonstrate how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience statement. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded in your resume will not be opened.). If meeting basic qualifications through education only or a combination of education and experience, applicants will not be referred to the SME panel but will be reviewed by the HR Specialist for referral. 

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be considered well-qualified for the position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority. To be considered well-qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.


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Department of State - Agency Wide

The U.S. Department of State, our country’s lead foreign policy agency, provides employees with a dynamic international career whether at home or abroad and unique professional development opportunities.  Each day, our employees make a difference as they advance the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity, through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance.  We embrace our talented workforce which reflects the personal, professional, and educational strengths of our country. 

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Agency contact information

Christy Justice
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
JusticeCL@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
Not accepting applications by Mail
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States

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