Duties

Summary

The FMC is ranked in the top 10 Best Places to Work for Small Agencies!

The Bureau of Trade Analysis (BTA) provides a unique opportunity to work on anti-trust, logistics, and transportation issues. The BTA supports the agency in antitrust economics and competition policy and analyzes and monitors agreements for any anti-competitive effects. The incumbent will perform a range of technical and specialized program functions directly associated with oversight of the liner shipping industry.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As an Industry Economist you will:

• Analyze (or assist senior economists in analyzing) the impact of agreements filed at the Commission on prices (shipping rates) and transportation services offered to shippers.
• Conduct market studies of different sectors of the US international maritime industry, including ocean carriers, drayage trucking, chassis and other equipment providers, port authorities, marine terminals, ocean freight forwarders, etc.
• Provide support in developing policy, preparing economic findings, and in developing economic and market aspects of congressional testimony.
• Monitor the commercial and operational activities in assigned agreements and trade areas for potential anti-competitive effects.
• Maintain monitoring data sets and conduct statistical analysis to determine anomalies and identify any potential red-flags in these data.
• Participate in meetings with users and providers of ocean transportation services to discuss the competitive impacts of agreements, operational strategies, and commercial practices of all regulated entities subject to the Shipping Act.
• Interact with politically appointed Commissioners (and Commissioners' staff) and present findings at public Commission meetings.

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13 grade level. If you are selected at a lower grade, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• A 1-year probationary period is required (unless previously completed).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust background investigation.
• This opportunity is also open to all U.S. Citizens (no prior federal service required) under Announcement 2019-06-DHR. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.
• We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
• We may fill like positions within 12 months of closing the closing date.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• 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.
• Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
• 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.
• May be required to obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
• May be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.

To preview questions click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10531787 .

Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Requirement AND the Additional Qualification Requirement listed below by the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Requirement:
A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree in economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting or calculus. (Masters in Economics preferred, but not required.)
OR
B. Have a combination of education that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting or calculus AND experience that involve the use and understanding of economic principles and theories. 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 (a) personal research that produced evidence of results, (b) direction of graduate theses in economics, or (c) service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems.

Additional Qualification for GS-12 level:
You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience may have been demonstrated by performing duties such as:

• Conducting analyses for minor components of reports;
• Preparing short memos or analyses; and
• Conducting standard statistical tests between means and between proportions.

Additional Qualification for GS-13 level:
You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience may have been demonstrated by performing duties, such as:

• Conducting analyses for entire, final reports (or significant subcomponents of major studies);
• Initiating researching, planning, interpreting findings, and preparing results of analyses conducted; and
• Utilizing standard econometric techniques (e.g., OLS) and software packages.

Education

Please see the sections "Qualifications" and "Required Documents" for additional education information.

Additional information

The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.

It is your responsibility to ensure your resume states complete information for each job entry. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year (MM/YYYY), and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume. If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified and you will no longer be considered for this position.

In addition to the above requirements, Status Candidates must meet the following by the close of the announcement:

• For the GS-12 grade level: You must have been at the GS-11 level for 52 weeks (time-in-grade requirement).
• For the GS-13 grade level: You must have been at the GS-12 level for 52 weeks (time-in-grade requirement).

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 will result in a "not qualified" determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas:

• Economics
• Manages and Organizes Information
• Reasoning
• Oral Communication

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. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

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 receive a score of 80 or better to be rated as well qualified to receive special selection priority.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A resume, 2. Vacancy question responses, 3. Transcripts (official or unofficial), and 4. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position (or will not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.).

CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

• SF-50: Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a 1 and your "tenure" block should show a 1 or 2.). Award SF-50s will not be accepted.
• Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit an additional SF-50 showing this grade.
• Performance Appraisal: Submit a copy of your most recent, signed, completed annual performance appraisal which includes the final rating dated within the last 18 months. If it is not dated within the last 18 months or if you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application (i.e upload a supplemental document reflecting this information).
• Non-Competitive Current/Former Federal employees: In addition to the SF-50 and Performance Appraisal, submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which reflects your grade level and promotion potential.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION:

• If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, you must submit documentary evidence, e.g., Reduction-In-Force (RIF) Notice, Certification of Expected Separation, SF-50 documenting separation by RIF, or a letter from OPM or your agency documenting your priority consideration.
• Displaced District of Columbia Government, Department of Corrections employees will be eligible for priority consideration and competitive appointment (Public Law 105-274). Eligible candidates are not restricted by geographic location or grade level in jobs for which they apply. Documentary evidence is the same as stated above.

VETERANS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ACT (VEOA)

• If you are applying under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) , you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge.
• Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15 , along with the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form.

SPECIAL HIRING AUTHORITIES DOCUMENTATION
If you are applying under a special hiring authority (i.e. Schedule A persons with disabilities authority ), submit a copy of proof of your eligibility.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, 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 .