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Economist

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.

If you do not meet any of the categories listed below, you may wish to apply under announcement 26-HUD-12976921-P which is open for any U.S. citizen to apply. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/24/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 24, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$127,829 - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
14
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-HUD-12976920
Control number
872511900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All candidates who meet the following are eligible to apply for this job: Current or former federal employees qualifying as Status Candidates, Federal employees currently serving on a VRA, VEOA eligibles, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., the Schedule A appointment for persons with disabilities, or covered by an Interchange Agreement, or Land Management employees eligible under Public Law 114-47).

Duties

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HUD's Mission
The mission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is to foster strong communities by supporting access to quality, affordable housing, expanding the housing supply, and unlocking homeownership opportunities for the American people. The Department is committed to furthering the promise of self-sufficiency in every American while promoting economic development to revitalize rural, tribal, and urban communities across the country.

This position is located in the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), The Office of Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. PD&R is responsible for providing advice and information to the Secretary to further the agency's, policy agenda; for maintaining current information to monitor housing needs, housing market conditions, and the operation of existing programs; and for conducting research on priority housing and community development issues. The Office of Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research is responsible to the Secretary on overall Department policy, program evaluation, and research.

As a Economist, you will:

  • Assist the Director of the Housing Finance Analysis Division by conducting economic analyses that address problems of great difficulty and critical importance.
  • Prepare research designs for economic studies related to the Department's general housing and housing finance responsibilities, usually involving problems of great difficulty and critical importance.
  • Advise the Division Director on what policy relevant questions should be answered as part of the economic study and whether the questions are answerable within the time and resources available and within the limitations of economic methodology.
  • Develop research designs answering important economic questions as in an analysis of the impacts of new mortgage types on housing affordability and the FHA Insurance Fund.
  • Obtain input from program or field office staff into the research design and explain to program or field office staff how the research design will answer the policy relevant questions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Candidates will be selected for a job assigned to one of the official duty stations listed in this announcement. Failure to report to duty at the location for which the candidate is selected may be grounds for a disciplinary action, including removal.

Key Requirements:
  • Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
  • A probationary or trial period may be required. Continued employment is contingent upon supervisory certification that continued employment will benefit the Federal Service; the certification will occur no less than 30 days before the end of the probationary/trial period.
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation.
  • Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form i-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
  • Please refer to "Additional Information Section for additional Conditions of Employment."

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized Experience: For the GS-14 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes:
  • Leading two or more simultaneous economic research design studies involving advanced statistical and econometric analysis, simulation modeling, the use of computer software, and advanced housing economics, finance, or public finance theory; AND
  • Developing research designs related to the analysis of housing and urban economics, housing finance, public finance, or microeconomics issues; AND
  • Utilizing computer software packages (such as SAS, SPSS, STATA, RATS, or others) to conduct econometric and statistical analysis; AND
  • Communicating effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing, on findings of economic studies with special emphasis on describing and assessing the adequacy and significance of the methodology and data employed and findings derived.
The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

Time-in-Grade: In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:
For the GS-14 you must have been at the GS-13 level for 52 weeks.

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Education

Basic Requirements Degree:

A. Degree: Economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.
OR
B. Combination: Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus 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 (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.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

Additional information

OTHER INFORMATION:

  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid.
  • Relocation incentive will not be paid.
  • Recruitment incentive will not be paid.
  • This is a bargaining unit position.
  • This position is Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
  • HUD offers alternative and flexible work schedules.
  • This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies for similar positions across HUD. During the online application process, you will be asked to specify if you would like your application information shared with other hiring managers in the Program Office listed in this announcement or in other HUD Program Offices. Opting to share your application information will not impact your application for this announcement, nor will it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (CONTINUED):

HUD employees are subject to a number of government-wide and HUD specific ethics laws and regulations, including restrictions on working in a real estate related business, and having Section 8 tenants, along with other prohibited interests and activities. To review applicable ethics rules and HUD specific restrictions, please visit https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/general_counsel/ethics.

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.

Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Rating:
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questions, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application, this position requires an online assessment. This online assessment uses structured questions about your past work to help understand your experience and determine how well your skills fit the role. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questions may result in your removal from consideration. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Economics - Knowledge of economic policy, principles, and practices, market and non-market values, and the analysis and reporting of economic data.
Research - Knowledge of the scientific principles, methods, and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry; including study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and the reporting of results.
Mathematical Reasoning - Solves practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical and statistical techniques.
Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing matter for the intended audience.
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Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan(CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center
Phone
304-480-7300
Email
hudinquiries@fiscal.treasury.gov
Address
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research
Treasury Common Services Center
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/administration/careers

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