Duties

Summary

This position is for RECENT GRADUATES. For additional information regarding the Recent Graduates program visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=graduates.

Duty locations will vary. The difference in salary is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2020/general-schedule/

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Economist-Recent Graduate:

• Carries out clearly defined segments of larger projects assigned to a senior economist.
• Assists in the conduct of economic evaluations of the significant issues affecting transportation and provides policy recommendations as required, based upon quantitative economic analysis.
• Conducts literature searches and prepares preliminary write-ups of findings; locates and collects relevant data to analyze a specified problem.
• Updates data sets for econometric models.
• Designs tables and charts to illustrate analyses; applies statistical analysis to data; and prepares preliminary reports.
• Creates data sets using software such as SQL Server Management Studio, Microsoft Access and Excel.

An ideal candidate will have knowledge of economic theory, basic statistical techniques sufficient to analyze economic data, and familiarization with software products used to analyze data sets. Candidate will also be able to prepare reports and present economic data.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Some travel will be required.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet Pathways Recent Graduate requirement.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
• Review Required Documents Section as documents are required by closing date
• Must meet Recent Grad requirements by closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Must be a recent graduate within 2 years of application.
• Must meet education requirements.
• Must submit transcripts with application for consideration.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Must meet the eligibility requirements for the Recent Graduate Program.
• Recent Graduates will enter a formal training program with a mentor and execute an Individual Development Plan outlining training requirements and program expectations.
• Recent Graduates serve a trial period for the duration of their excepted service appointment.
• Recent Graduates will be required to sign a Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement.
• Applicants must provide documentation of completion within the previous 2 years of a qualifying, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
• Provide all required documents by the closing date of announcement.
• Selectee is required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine suitability for federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

Qualifications

THIS POSITION HAS A MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the education requirement, OR have a combination of education and experience.

To qualify for the GS-09 on Education alone , you must have:

• At least 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or have been awarded a master's or equivalent graduate degree. This must be fully supported by transcripts, that you provide with your application.

You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate education and experience.

To qualify for the GS-09 on Experience , you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-07, it must include:

• Experience working on assignments that are selected to provide training in the analytical evaluative aspects of the work and in the appropriate use of such methods and techniques as qualitative and quantitative analysis.
  
• Experience using economic principles and theory sufficient to perform studies, prepare reports as segments of larger scale studies that involves basic economic research and statistical techniques to analyze economic data.
  

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

• Knowledge of economic policy, principles, and practices and the ability analyze and report economic data.
• Skills building economic models, conducting quantitative analysis and drawing sound qualitative interpretations from quantitative analysis.
• Ability to use benefit cost analysis and analytic tools and methodology for examining issues and problems related to economics.

RECENT GRADUATE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY:
*Applicants must have obtained a qualifying associates, bachelors, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution, within the previous 2 years unless military service interfered with a veterans eligibility to apply during that two year time frame. Veterans meeting the above exclusion may apply within 2 years of discharge or 6 years from the date of receipt of the degree whichever comes first.

( http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp ) for information on crediting education.

You must provide a copy of ALL of your college/vocational/technical transcript(s). See "Required Documents" section for additional information.

Applicants may refer to the U.S.Department of Education's Institutional Accreditation System to determine whether their school/program is accredited: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx .

Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. See OPM's General Policies ( http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp) for information on crediting education.

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.

Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/ and U.S. Department of Education website at http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html .

Foreign Education: If your education was completed or is from foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

For additional information about the Recent Graduates program, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Overview

Students enrolled in a degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within 60 days of closing date of this announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.

Education

In order to qualify for this series, you must meet the following:

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

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

Additional information

MOBILITY AGREEMENT: Appointees will be required to sign a Mobility Agreement. If you decline a position due to geographic location, you will receive no further consideration under this announcement. This agreement states that in order to be placed in the program, or upon graduation from the program, you may be assigned to any location, within the Agency and that you will move to the new duty location. Failure to relocate can be used as the basis for non- selection and failure to relocate after completion of the program can be the basis for your termination from the Federal service.

This is a two year appointment in the excepted service which may lead to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service but conversion is not guaranteed or promised.

Recent Graduates will enter a formal training program with a mentor (assigned within 90 days of appointment) and an Individual Development Plan, executed within 45 days of the appointment, outlining training requirements and program expectations.

Recent Graduates must receive at least 40 hours of formal training directly linked to their employment field.

Recent graduates serve a trial period for the duration of their excepted service appointment.

Recent graduates will be required to sign a Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement.

IMPORTANT: Applicants must be open to geographic mobility for developmental assignments and permanent placement relocation nationwide. If you decline a position due to geographic location, you will receive no further consideration under this announcement.

This vacancy may be used by any DOT agency to fill similar positions within 90 days.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.

To compete with U.S. Citizens: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of four categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze, which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.

All applicants: Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated on your behalf or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy.

The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position and consideration for which you are applying. Please review each of the following sections to determine which, if any, additional documents you need to provide with your application.

TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED: You must submit a transcript with your application. The transcript may be an unofficial transcript at the time of application, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. However, you will need to provide an official transcript before you are given a final job offer.

COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE.

VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. It need not be official.

• If you are applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
• If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
• If you are applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) ( https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/#veoa ), you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act.

NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.

DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85 or falling in the Gold Category) and provide all of the following documents:

• Your most recent performance appraisal,
• The proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
• Your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition .

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.