Skip to main content

This job has expired

Supervisory Economist/Statistician (Economics)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Jun 18, 2021
Duties

Summary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making.

This position is located in the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics, Division of Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Operations and Analysis Branch.

This position is interdisciplinary and may be filled as either Supervisory Economist or Statistician (Economics).

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:
  • Manages a major statistical program segment or survey that provides significant products or services for the public. Products and services may affect government policy and may be subject to congressional or media scrutiny. Develops plans to meet program goals, adjusts work plans and objectives, commits and effectively utilizes program resources, assigns work to subordinates, monitors work progress, and evaluates program accomplishments and staff performance. Studies and improves work methods and procedures. Works closely with higher-level program officials to develop overall goals and objectives for assigned functional areas. May develop regular and special program budget materials, including explanations and justifications.
  • Prepares reports, publications, and, if applicable, news releases that present program statistics and results to the public. Answers questions from the news media and the public about these releases. Presents program statistics and results at public meetings and conferences. Assists members of the public in appropriate uses of program data for economic analysis by providing guidance and technical assistance.
  • Acts as a technical expert to improve program production processes. Monitors work processes and quality control procedures so that data and other products are developed efficiently, in the appropriate time frame, and according to schedule. Incumbent may be assigned the role of Task Monitor. Ensures accuracy and quality of program data and resolves data quality problems. Proposes and manages process enhancements to improve efficiency. Directs the preparation of technical reports and publications.
  • Represents the program segment managed to other BLS organizations and outside organizations. Explains and defends program goals and objectives, coordinates activities with other organizational units, resolves operational problems, represents the program on agency committees and task groups, presents briefings on program activities, and develops reports on program outcomes. Coordinates work activities with other work units. Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with support organizations and, if applicable, BLS regions and State partners, other federal agencies, and private contractors. Through constant communication with program support staff, ensures understanding of program requirements and the speedy resolution of problems.
  • Supervises a professional staff that may also include administrative and support staff. Interviews and recommends candidates for selection and promotion, counsels employees on work and administrative matters, hears and resolves employee complaints, develops performance plans for subordinate employees and appraises employee performance, recommends employee awards, effects minor disciplinary measures and recommends more severe disciplinary measures, identifies employee training needs and arranges for employee training, approves employee leave requests, and develops an overall employee leave roster.
  • Manages special projects as a team leader or participates in special projects as a team member. Projects may cross-divisional lines, may affect Federal, State, and nongovernmental participants, and may have a substantial impact on Office plans and operations. Projects may involve staff and contractors from other organizations. Projects may include such areas as program assessments, evaluation or installation of new or improved technologies, formulation of detailed specifications, or development of new administrative capabilities. Formulates project plans, provides guidance and motivation for team members, monitors team performance, determines acceptability of team products, presents team findings to higher levels of management, and implements team results.


Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional Travel may be required.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
14 - Grade 14 - This position is at the full performance level (FPL).

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Requires supervisory probationary period if requirement has not been met.
  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.


Applicants must meet time-in-grade, time-after-competitive-appointment and qualifications requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the vacancy to be eligible for consideration for selection.

Federal Employees Please Note: Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met and reflects your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. competitive/excepted). In some cases you may need to submit more than one SF-50.

Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

You may not be aware, but in the regulations for agency ethics programs, there are requirements for supervisors. Section 2638.103 of Title 5 of the CFR states:

Every supervisor in the executive branch has a heightened personal responsibility for advancing government ethics. It is imperative that supervisors serve as models of ethical behavior for subordinates. Supervisors have a responsibility to help ensure that subordinates are aware of their ethical obligations under the Standards of Conduct and that subordinates know how to contact agency ethics officials. Supervisors are also responsible for working with agency ethics officials to help resolve conflicts of interests and enforce government ethics laws and regulations, including those requiring certain employees to file financial disclosure reports. In addition, supervisors are responsible, when requested, for assisting agency ethics officials in evaluating potential conflicts of interest and identifying positions subject to financial disclosure requirements.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement

Economist, GS-0110: A) Degree in economics, which included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus;

OR

B) Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Statistician, GS-1530: A) Degree: that included 15 semester hours in statistics (or mathematics and statistics, provided at least 6 semester hours in statistics), and 9 additional semester hours in one or more of the following: physical or biological sciences, medicine, education , or engineering; or in the social sciences including demography, history, economics, social welfare, geography, international relations, social or cultural anthropology, health sociology, political science, public administration, psychology.

OR

B) Combination of education and experience: courses shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience should have included a full range of professional statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying statistical techniques such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.

Specialized experience:

In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-13, in the Federal Service. This experience must have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience must demonstrate a thorough understanding of economic principles and theories and a wide knowledge of current economic factors and their implications. Examples of qualifying experience include (1) the organization, direction, and coordination of complicated and important economic research activities and (2) the development of economic analyses for a wide variety of stakeholders, including Government officials, researchers, media, and the public, tailored to these stakeholders' needs and levels of understanding.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees' differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION , ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION , FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

This position is outside the bargaining unit.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Customer Service - Works with peers, clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, data users, data providers, including the general public, individuals who work in the unit, bureau, agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to secure information, assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.

Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

Self-Management - Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

Technology Application & Management - Uses machines, tools, instruments, or equipment effectively; uses computers and computer applications to analyze and communicate information in the appropriate format.

Economic Statistical Management & Analysis - Knowledge of the principles, procedures, tools, and activities of economic data management and analysis in conducting systematic and objective inquiries, such as study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and the reporting of results; knowledge of strengths and weaknesses of related data sources and the ability to know when to utilize specific data sources to analyze a particular economic phenomena; knowledge of various systems used to classify economic data; gleaning pertinent information from a body of data; employing efficient and accurate data review methods, including applying a knowledge of market issues to verify BLS estimates; keeping current with developments in the field of data management; includes micro (individuals & establishments or outlets) as well as macro (estimates) analysis.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - continued:

Product Oversight & Improvement - Using accepted process design and product management tools and methods to accomplish a quality product in a timely fashion; developing plans, providing training and assistance, providing oversight (such as tracking, analyzing, monitoring, reporting, risk analysis) to promote product improvement and successful outcomes as well as seeking and implementing opportunities to improve process and output quality. Knowledge, understanding and adherence to written technical material including agency rules, policies, instructions, procedures, and reports, as well as laws, precedents, legal practices and documents, government regulations, and executive orders.

Program Product Knowledge - Understanding and applying the relevant design, data, processes, standards, systems and outputs of an economist's own program area, and knowledge of statistical and/or mathematical support processes. Support processes may include statistical sampling and data collections processes, familiarity with the characteristics of universe sources, weighting and weight adjustment, benchmarking, regression modeling, an in depth knowledge of probability theory as a basis of statistical surveys; and a knowledge of index methodology.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references, and through other means (ex. interview). Your evaluation may also include a review by an HR Specialist or panel and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.

Click here for Evaluation details.

INFORMATION FOR CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP eligible(s) will be considered "well-qualified" if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. Also, do not upload password-protected documents.

- The following documents are required from all applicants (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY):

ARE YOU A CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEE? If applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service, please provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" which shows your appointment eligibility for the position for which you are applying. Your SF-50 must identify the highest grade you held on a permanent basis, Pay Plan/Pay Schedule, Series, and Grade/Pay Band, and career status. Multiple SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate your highest previous rate and eligibility.

*WARNING: An award SF-50 (ex. cash or time off award) may not indicate grade, step, and competitive status. For current DOL employees, an award SF-50 DOES NOT indicate grade and step.

- Resumes are required- provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list month, year, and the number of work hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.

- Most recent performance appraisal/evaluation signed and dated within 18 months is requested by the agency, but will not disqualify candidates if not submitted. If not submitted during the application process, one may/will be requested at the time of the interview if the opportunity is extended. Applies to current and former Federal employees.

The following documents are required if applicable:

- Displaced Employee Placement Documents - Only required if requesting priority consideration under CTAP .

- Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience, but may be submitted.

Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship , and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English) - If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit.

You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document (3 MB size limit). If over 3 MB, please submit via fax feature.

NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED, if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.

Reference the "Education Section" for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.

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.

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert