Summary An independent Federal agency, the U.S. International Commission provides the President and Congress with high-quality analysis and technical support on international trade, tariff and competitiveness issues; hears and decides import injury cases; and publishes the United States' tariff schedule. You will find a working environment throughout the Commission that is dedicated to the development of your technical skills and a commitment to provide balance between your work and personal life. Responsibilities The position is in the Office of Operations, Office of Industries and Competitiveness Analysis, Agriculture and Fisheries Division. The mission of the Office includes responsibility for identifying, developing, maintaining, and analyzing pertinent qualitative and quantitative information on trade and economic matters relating to the competitive posture of the United States and other countries in the agriculture, manufactured goods, and service industries. You will be assigned to multi-disciplinary teams working on a variety of projects and products. The ideal candidate will have formal academic training as an Economist, is inquisitive, shows initiative, and has an interest in working for an organization that is recognized as a leader in the analysis of agricultural trade. As an Economist, you will take a leading role in the Commission's most challenging work and personally perform complex economic analysis to meet those challenges. You will routinely contribute to the development or improvement of analytical methods for analyzing agricultural markets and trade which contribute significantly to the mission of the USITC. Projects require creativity and experimentation, development of innovative techniques, advanced research capabilities, and consideration of the effects of new and emerging technologies, rapidly changing industry practices, agricultural policy and regulation, as well as other changes in national and global commodity markets. Additional work assignments may include: Develops and maintains in-depth industry, market, and technical knowledge of agriculture and fisheries sectors. Researches and obtains data from relevant primary and secondary sources. Develops and maintains contacts with industry officials and with other government agencies. Independently prepares a variety of standard written materials. Prepares and delivers formal briefings for internal and external stakeholders. Assumes leadership roles as assigned on major projects that are central to the agency's mission. Assists in the development and implementation of project strategies; analyzes key trade and competitiveness issues; and contributes to significant agency investigations, decisions, and determinations. Publishes discretionary research on trade and competitiveness issues relevant to the agency mission and identified priority areas. Applies interpersonal skills to work collaboratively in a team environment and to communicate effectively with high-level industry and government officials. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications 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. Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements, including education, and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement. Education may only be substituted in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0300/management-and-program-analysis-series-0343/. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be credited towards qualifications. Applicants must have the general and specialized experience outlined below which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. You must meet all the requirements below by the closing date of the announcement and they must be clearly identified in your application, resume, or supporting documents. This includes any general and specialized experience, education, and/or selective placement factors mentioned. These are used to determine if you possess the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to successfully perform in this position. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has not issued qualification standards for attorney positions. However, the USITC sets minimum qualifications for attorney positions and sets forth these qualifications in each vacancy announcement. Both specialized experience, and/or the substitution of education for experience, must have required an in-depth understanding of international economic principles and theories, such as the interplay of economic forces of goods and services across international borders, matters of trade policy, and product or industry competitiveness. To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience would include the following: professional and/or academic experience in substantive analysis which requires a thorough understanding of the economic issues under investigation; planning and execution of sequential work steps; and integration of research into an assigned study or work product, OR Possession of a PhD in Economics, that provided academic preparation which would allow performance of the full range of professional work of the position within a short period of time, may be substituted for the experience requirement above, and is fully qualifying at the grade 11 level. To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must have one of the following: At least one year of specialized experience obtained in the private or public sector that is equivalent to the GS-11 level. Your experience must demonstrate: planning and carrying out a project to collect detailed economic data from primary sources; during the course of project work, making recommendations for expanding, contracting, or initiating auxiliary studies; within established research plans, determining data sources, selecting and/or modifying techniques for data processing and analysis; during research, stating the problem, hypothesizing a solution, locating and collecting data, and drawing conclusions. To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience obtained in the private or public sector that is equivalent to the GS-12 level. Your experience must demonstrate: planning and carrying out a project to collect detailed economic data from primary sources; during the course of project work, making recommendations for expanding, contracting, or initiating auxiliary studies; holding responsibility for developing research plans and coordinating the activities of group members; determining data sources, selecting and/or modifying techniques for data processing and analysis; during research, stating the problem, hypothesizing a solution, locating and collecting data, and drawing conclusions; and planning the method of presentation of findings. To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience obtained in the private or public sector that is equivalent to the GS-13 level. Your experience must demonstrate: planning and carrying out an initial study that involves unprecedented data peculiarities or that requires novel analytical solutions; independently recognizing and evaluating significant and critical factors to solve complex problems and to draw rational inferences based on research findings; recommending the initiation, development or revision of projects or studies which fall within the framework of established agency programming and policy; and responsibility for a number of diverse studies that are being conducted simultaneously. Education This occupation has a positive education and specialized experience requirement. Specifics are detailed below: Basic Education requirement for all applicants: Possession of BA or higher degree in Economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting or calculus. You are required to submit a copy of your transcript(s) to verify this requirement. Education May be Substituted for Experience as Follows: Degree: 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 shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. At the GS-11 level: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree At the GS-12 level: There is no substitution of education for experience at this level. At the GS-13 level: There is no substitution of education for experience at this level. At the GS-14 level: There is no substitution of education for experience at this level. COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE To combine your experience and education, you must convert the figures to a percentage and add them together. The combined total percentages of your education and experience must equal at least 100% to qualify. To calculate your percentage of undergraduate education, divide the number of undergraduate hours you've completed by 120. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours you've completed by 18. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Finally, add your experience and education percentages. The two percentages must total at least 100% to be considered qualified. You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above educational requirements. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that an perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials: http://www.naces.org/members.htm. Additional Information As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period (competitive service) or a two-year trial period (excepted service) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. You must meet all the requirements below by the closing date of the announcement and they must be clearly identified in your application, resume or supporting documents. This includes any general and specialized experience, education and/or selective placement factors mentioned. These are used to determine if you possess the knowledge, skills and/or abilities to successfully perform in this position. This announcement is issued under "direct-hire" authority. Consistent with 5 U.S.0 3304(a)(3) and OPM regulations (5 CFR 337 Subpart B) on direct-hire: All candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply. The Commission may offer recruitment incentives for this position.
