Duties

Summary

The position is located in the Bureau of Economics; responsible for providing economic analysis in support of antitrust and consumer protection investigations, litigation, and rule-making, and economic studies. Financial analysts assist the Bureau and the Commission by developing and conducting the financial analysis necessary to support these functions. During the course of case and project assignments, the incumbent works in collaboration with economists and attorneys.
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Responsibilities

If you are selected for this position, you will perform the following duties:

• Review and analyze internal corporate data, documents and reports submitted by respondents, their consultants and other relevant parties such as customers, suppliers and competitors to obtain the information necessary to conduct the financial analyses of issues related to competition (e.g., merger valuation and financing, relevant margins, financial viability, cost savings, appropriateness of asset package to be divested, financial soundness of potential buyer of divested assets, etc.); also review publicly available sources of information relevant to the investigation.
• Determine company valuation using various corporate finance methodologies including discounted cash flow analysis, including as appropriate, estimates of replacement costs.
• Analyze and verify the estimates of cost savings and efficiencies presented by the parties and determine the portion that are directly attributable to the pending transaction or business practice under investigation.
• Evaluate the reasonableness of assumptions made by the parties in their financial presentations as well as the robustness of their analyses (e.g, how a change in the inputs or assumptions affects the estimates of cost savings).
• Participate in meetings and interviews with company officials, their counsel, and their consultants; ask questions and engage in discussion relevant to the financial analyses undertaken.
• Assist with drafting specifications for civil investigational demands ("CIDs") and subpoenas calling for the companies to provide the financial records needed for the financial analysis component of the antitrust or consumer protection investigation. Identify the specific documents and data that are needed and the reason they are needed. Review submissions of CIDs and subpoenas for completeness and correctness.
• Provide input and other assistance into investigation hearings with company officials concerning financial issues, including preparing questions relevant to the financial issues for attorneys to ask during investigational hearings and depositions; attending these investigational hearings and depositions and give immediate feedback to attorneys for follow-up questions. In some cases, the incumbent may be required to ask these questions directly at hearings and depositions.
• Analyze company operating cost data to categorize items into fixed costs versus variable costs, recurring versus non-recurring costs, avoidable versus non-avoidable costs or sunk versus non-sunk costs.
• Calculate relevant margins (e.g. gross margin, net margin, variable margin) for input to the economic models employed by the economists analyzing a transaction or business practice.
• Assess the validity of company's claims of financial distress and its inability to continue as a viable standalone entity; determine the factors that are causing the company's financial distress and the likelihood that the company will be able to reverse its financial decline. This may include making a determination regarding the amount of time the company is expected to be able to remain a stand-alone entity.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizenship requirement must be met by the closing date of this vacancy.
• Position is subject to a background investigation.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must register with Selective Service.
• You may serve a one-year probationary period under this appointment.
• Resume and supporting documents
• Due to COVID-19, the FTC is currently in a maximum telework posture through December 31, 2021. In addition, the agency is currently exploring the possibility of having a remote workforce for current and future employees beyond January 2022.
• If selected, you will be permitted to temporarily telework from a location outside the local commuting area.
• However, once employees are permitted to return to the office, you may be required to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within 60 days. At that time, you will be eligible to request telework in accordance with the FTC?s policy.

Qualifications

To qualify for the GS-14 grade level:

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: preparing detailed analysis of the financial status of companies, which includes reviewing companies' financial documents and conducting interviews with company financial and management personnel; evaluating potential cost savings from proposed mergers in the context of the federal antitrust laws; using accounting information to estimate product profit margins of the company as a whole and of individual product lines and divisions; and assessing the financial capabilities of potential buyers of divested assets. This experience should include a comprehensive knowledge of corporate finance and any specialized fields of finance required such as public finance, securities, international finance, money and securities markets, investments, and banking, the financial and management structure, operations, and practices of corporate and other organizations.

Education

There is no education requirement for this position.

The ideal candidate will have completed graduate-level coursework in finance and accounting.

Additional information

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference visit: VETERANS GUIDE

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see SELECTIVE SERVICE ).

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: CAREER TRANSITION .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your résumé and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category.

Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies.

Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies.

Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

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

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete application package which includes:

1. Your résumé showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
2. Other supporting documents:
- Cover Letter, optional
- Most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service)
- Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
- DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
- Noncompetitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable

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.