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International Economist

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Oct 19, 2021
Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This position serves as an international economist, providing economic analysis, evaluating trade policies and practices affecting the U.S. agricultural industry, and planning and coordinating policies and positions on highly complex trade issues.

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Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • Assists in preparing complex analytical material in connection with the U.S. Government (USG) participation in international meetings, negotiations, and produces briefing materials and related documents for executive-level use.
  • Applies professional economic techniques and principles to analyze factors and conditions impacting the competitive posture of the U.S. agricultural industry in international trade.
  • Analyzes data to evaluate consistency with USG objectives, policies, and legislation, formulating conclusions and recommendations for consideration by senior officials in making decisions and writing portions of reports.
  • Conducts in-depth analysis for use in the formulation of U.S. agricultural trade policy positions and recommendations developed by FAS.
  • Participates in negotiating teams representing FAS and participates in major projects which are central to the agency?s mission.
  • When economic analysis is needed to support trade policy recommendations, determines research methods and data source to be used, the appropriate statistical methodology, and most appropriate interpretation and presentation of findings.
  • Produces written and oral interpretive reports on agricultural trade policy issues. Maintains up-to-date knowledge of economic practices and theories through review of government, scholarly, and private sector literature.
  • Analyzes and evaluates the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international agreements and legislation, as well as trade barriers to discern the impact on U.S. trade barriers
  • Represents the agency at meetings with other USG agencies, foreign governments, industry, and other stakeholders.
  • Receives, reviews, analyzes, and transmits classified information, and attends and/or represents USDA at interagency meetings that require up-to and including a Secret level clearance.


Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
  • Successful completion of 1 year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution
  • Pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
  • Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment are conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
  • Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.


Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree: 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 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOR THE GS-9 LEVEL : Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-7 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
  • Conducting economic impact evaluations, including using appropriate methodologies, determining relevant data requirements, collecting and analyzing information, and presenting the results in a professional manner.
  • Conducting benefit-cost analyses that integrate technical and economic information and that demonstrate the ability to acquire an understanding of diverse subject matter and perform basic technical analyses.
  • Delivering oral or written presentations of one's own analyses that exhibit careful craftsmanship and that demonstrate the ability to make technical concepts understandable to non technical persons.
OR EDUCATION: Master's or equivalent graduate degree in agribusiness, applied economics, agricultural economics or related. OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in agribusiness, applied economics, agricultural economics or related. Applicants who expect to meet the Basic Education requirements and/or obtain their Master's degree or equivalent or have completed 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education by November 1, 2021 must submit documentation to support this claim with your application. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, the applicant must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND must meet certain GPA requirements. TRANSCRIPTS are required if:
  • This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
  • You are qualifying for the position based on education.
  • You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
  • You are qualifying for this position based on Superior Academic Achievement.
  • This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-09 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) or other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. applicants will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Please see Qualifications Section above for educational requirements.

Additional information

  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be well qualified, which means having knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies that exceed the minimum qualification requirements for this position.
  • First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
  • Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
  • This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the duty location of the position. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor.
  • Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.


How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Category rating procedures will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. The following quality categories will be used: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. Within each quality category, veterans' preference eligibles will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Your final category placement will be based on your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. To preview the application questionnaire, please visit:
To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11228091

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness , National security

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
  • A resume that is NOT more than 4 pages and includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications; and 5) supervisors name and phone number for each work period listed and whether or not they may be contacted for reference checks.
  • If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If you are using education completed in 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. For further information, visit the following: Foreign Education Evaluation . All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
  • If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS
  • Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), last performance appraisal that is at least fully successful or its equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
  • Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
  • Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.

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