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International Economist

Executive Office of the President
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Summary

This position is located in the Executive Office of the President (EOP), Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Office of Economic Affairs.

**Notice: More than one selection may be made within 90 days of the issuance of the certificate, if additional vacancies occur.

Promotion to the next highest grade level is neither guaranteed nor implied.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/30/2026 to 05/07/2026
Salary
$143,913 - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14 - 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
USTR-EOP-12948528-26-TW-DE
Control number
867361200

Duties

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As an International Economist, GS-0110-14/15, your typical work assignments may include the following:

  • Develops methodologies and approaches for research, builds relevant empirical models, and renders expert advice to senior United States Trade Representative (USTR) officials based on subsequent analysis.
  • Assists USTR attorneys in representing the United States in dispute settlement proceedings under international trade agreements to which the United States is a party.
  • Prepares economic assessments of foreign and United States (U.S.) policies, measures and practices related to trade to determine their impact on U.S. interests.
  • Works with USTR economic staff to prepare economic analyses and data necessary to support U.S. challenges.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  • Selective Service registration if a male born after December 31, 1959.
  • Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
  • Direct Deposit is required.
  • RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID.
  • Suitability for Federal employment.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
  • This is a Drug Testing Designated Position (DTDP) and is covered by the Executive Office of the President Drug-Free Workplace Program.
  • More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: All applicants must meet the qualification requirements outlined below to be considered minimally qualified for this position. The qualification requirements are in accordance with the OPM Qualification Standards. ALL QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility comparable to the next lower grade or comparable pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector.

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements

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

Evaluation of Experience

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 (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.

Experience in related fields that did not involve the use and understanding of economic principles and theories may not be used as qualifying experience for these positions. Special attention on this point should be given to certain types of work that may or may not have provided professional economic experience. The following examples of work require special care in such determinations:

  1. economic statistics;
  2. industrial surveys;
  3. management of individual business enterprises, including farms;
  4. industrial planning;
  5. writing or editorial work in economic subjects; and
  6. financial market analysis.
AND

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility comparable to the next lower grade or comparable pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector.

You may qualify at the GS-14 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to theGS-13 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector, that demonstrates the following:
  1. Providing economic analytical support including related data analysis and statistical work; AND
  2. Assisting with preparing economic assessments of foreign and U.S. policies; AND
  3. Developing methodologies and approach for research; AND
  4. Assisting with applied economic analytical projects and independent research projects or research projects in conjunction with intra-and interagency work groups.
You may qualify at the GS-15 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to theGS-14 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector, that demonstrates the following:
  1. Leading economic analytical projects including related data analysis and statistical work; AND
  2. Leading economic analytical modeling projects and conducting independent research; AND
  3. Conducting and managing the formulation and implementation of a program of quantitative economic research; AND
  4. Managing quantitative and qualitative economic analysis, research, and policy studies dealing with economic, trade investment, and commercial issues affecting assigned countries; AND
  5. Establishing policy guidelines and technical evaluation procedures for economic factors in the assigned resources activities.
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.

Additional information

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, you must be a preference eligible or a Veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Active Duty Military Members MAY apply under this announcement due to the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act. You must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions along with your application for Federal employment. A certification is a document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days from the date of application. If selected, appointment eligibility requirements must be met prior to the effective date of appointment.

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs & Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/ictap/

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm

Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Main_Page

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternative Application.

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.

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience.

When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities or you may be found ineligible/not qualified.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Begin a challenging and exciting career with the Executive Office of the President (EOP) providing support to the President of the United States. The EOP is comprised of The White House Office, Executive Residence, Office of the Vice President, Office of the United States Trade Representatives, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Office of the National Cyber Director, Office of the National Drug Control Policy, Office of Management and Budget, Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Office of Administration, National Security Council, Council on Environmental Quality, President's Intelligence Advisory Board, United States DOGE Service, and Council of Economic Advisers. The EOP has responsibility for tasks ranging from communicating the President's message to the American people to promoting our trade interests abroad.

Agency contact information

Client Services EOP - OA
Email
EOPJOBS@OA.EOP.GOV
Address
Office of the United States Trade Representative
725 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20503
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/eop/

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