Duties

As an Economist in EAG, responsibilities will include:

• Analyzing the likely effects on competition of horizontal or vertical mergers.
• Analyzing the effects of business strategies and practices undertaken by a single firm.
• Analyzing the effects of agreements among firms and/or other economic agents.
• Analyzing the likely effects on competition and market outcomes of proposed changes in regulation, new regulatory rules, or proposed legislation.
• Testing whether a particular economic model is appropriate to a matter and drawing conclusions from theory to support a policy recommendation, often depending on measuring economic quantities and balancing offsetting effects.
• Determining useful sources of data and other relevant information to resolve critical issues identified by theoretical framework.
• Identifying unresolved theoretical or empirical questions that have broader application to issues in antitrust analysis and competition policy.
• Undertaking research aimed at addressing unresolved theoretical or empirical questions in the interest of advancing, understanding, and facilitating future analysis.
• Conceiving and planning pioneering work of outstanding scope, difficulty, and complexity in unexplored or previously unpromising areas of investigation.
• Developing oral or written presentations to deliver to colleagues at the Division and other competition agencies.
• Preparing economic reports and guiding other economists in the preparation of papers and manuscripts for publication related to the results of economic studies.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to be considered for this position.
• You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
• You may be required to take and successfully clear a drug test.
• You must submit a complete application package by the closing date (cut-off dates) of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service (see http://www.sss.gov/). If selected for this position, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
• DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• This is a full-time, permanent appointment in the competitive service, eligible for inclusion in the bargaining unit.
• This is a non-supervisory appointment, subject to a one-year probationary period in accordance with 5 CFR 315.801.
• The Antitrust Division participates in the E-Verify program.
• When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

Qualifications

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS OPEN CONTINUOUS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT:

• This is an open continuous vacancy announcement that will be used to fill vacancies as they occur.
• To receive consideration for vacancies, applicants must submit complete applications prior to the established cut-off date(s). An initial cut-off will take place on August 26, 2022 to begin initial applicant consideration. Applications received after the initial cut-off date will be considered, if needed. Additional cut-off dates will occur on the following dates:
September 26, 2022; October 25, 2022; November 25, 2022; December 27, 2022; January 25, 2023; February 27, 2023; March 27, 2023; April 25, 2023; May 25, 2023; June 26, 2023; and July 25, 2023.
• Candidates who submit a complete application by 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time on the cut off dates, will be reviewed and referred if found eligible and qualified for the position.
• This announcement will remain open until the closing date indicated; however, those who apply after the cut-off date will be considered for referral to the hiring manager only if additional vacancies occur and/or the initial referral list is exhausted.
• Cutoff dates and the closing date of this announcement may be adjusted as needed, and any updates will be reflected on this announcement.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date ( by cut-off dates ) of this announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

To qualify for this position, applicants must demonstrate ALL qualifications listed below:

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL LEVELS : Applicants must meet the requirements specified in paragraphs 1 or 2 below.

A degree in economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus; OR

A combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS : In addition to meeting the basic education requirements, applicants must also meet the following conditions:

To qualify for the GS-14 level, candidates must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS- 13 level. Examples of qualifying specialized experience at this level include:

• Analyzing strategic behavior in multi-firm markets;
• Identifying optimal choices for a firm based on its competitive environment;
• Identifying and estimating relevant demand elasticities;
• Identifying and evaluating the effects of regulations or similar constraints on the profit-maximizing strategies of firms; and
• Identifying the significance of specific factors affecting a firm's entry to or exit from a market, such as network effects, market structure, or exclusionary practices.

To qualify for the GS-15 level, candidates must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS- 14 level. Examples of specialized experience at this level include:

• Managing all or part of a team performing economic or econometric analysis, with responsibility for the content of that analysis;
• Conducting and presenting independent research or policy analysis at an academic or policy institution;
• Determining the reliability of econometric evidence based on appropriateness and limitations of data or methodology used and the viability of the underlying economic model given other evidence; and
• Weighing an econometric analysis against a rebuttal presented by another economist, and determining what factors explain the differences in results of competing economic analysis.

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.

*In order to be considered for this position, you MUST submit a copy of your most recent transcript. Applicants using any education to qualify MUST submit copies of college transcripts or a list of college courses taken that identify for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade, and grade-point average received. An unofficial transcript is acceptable to qualify, however, it must include your full name. If selected, you may be asked to submit an official transcript prior to appointment.

Additional information

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category (80 or higher) using established category rating criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category (80 or higher) using established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp.

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