This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/815227400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
The Surface Transportation Board is an independent federal agency responsible for the economic oversight of the nation's freight rail system.
This position is located in the Surface Transportation Board's Office of Economics. As an Economist, the position will be responsible for utilizing econometric and quantitative techniques and analyze cases before the Board, including mergers and rates, and reviewing and analyzing data collected by the Board.
10/22/2024 to 11/05/2024
$82,764 - $181,216 per year
GS 11 - 14
4 vacancies in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Competitive
14
No
No
No
STB-12560075-24-TR-DHA
815227400
All U.S. Citizens. This position is being filled through Direct Hire Authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applications Does NOT apply. Veteran's preference Does NOT apply.
THIS JOB ANNOUNCEMENT has an applicant limit of 100. Therefore, the announcement will close the day 100 applicants have been received, which may be before the date listed above.
As an Economist in the Office of Economics, you will perform the following duties:
TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED as proof of meeting the basic requirements for the series.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Individual Occupational Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet the additional grade level requirements.
(1) All applicants must meet the basic requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to a position under series 0110:
A. Successful completion of a degree in economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience which includes courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
For additional reference, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for GS-0110: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0100/economist-series-0110/
(2) Upload all the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.
Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of the closing date of this announcement. If selected, the final transcript must be received before your start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
(3) Specialized Experience: To further determine eligibility, review the following grade-specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet these grade levels in your resume.
You must meet the Mandatory Education Requirements listed in the "Education Requirements" section and the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for this series as described below.
All applicants are required to submit a resume with your application. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please utilize the following date format MM/YY to MM/YY - or - MM/YY to present and the number of hours worked per week for each period of employment/experience listed in your resume. Your responses to the questionnaire must be supported/demonstrated in your resume. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or education. Read more about what should I include in my federal resume below: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/
Specialized experience must meet 52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade level. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Specialized Experience is defined as the experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position of the Economist, 0110 series.
GS-11 LEVEL
To be qualified for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must demonstrate in your resume one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level of Federal service such as Performing general econometric and statistical techniques; individual economic research; conducting general studies to economic regulation or market analysis.
OR
Performing general economic analysis, general experience with Microsoft Office, or general experience with statistical software packages.
OR
3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
GS-12 LEVEL To be qualified for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must demonstrate in your resume one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level of Federal service such as using econometric and quantitative techniques; working with econometric and statistical techniques; conducting studies related to economic regulation or market analysis; performing economic studies and economic impact studies.
OR
Performing economic analysis using statistical software packages; research experience in microeconomics; applying various methods from research; applying statistical methods to the investigation of complex issues.
GS-13 LEVEL
To be qualified for this position at the GS-13 grade level, you must demonstrate in your resume one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level of Federal service such as serving as a staff economist with proficiency in econometric and quantitative techniques; extensive experience working with econometric and statistical techniques (such as estimation, predictive modeling, empirical cost models); conducting studies evaluating complex issues related to economic regulation or market analysis;
OR
Performing robust economic analysis, experience with statistical software packages. conducting microeconomics research and reviewing economic literature; adapting methods from research; manipulation of large datasets; advising on economic matters; and presenting on economic issues.
GS-14 LEVEL
To be qualified for this position at the GS-14 grade level, you must demonstrate in your resume one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level of Federal service such as Conducting highly complex independent economic research including market analyses, cost benefit analyses, and development of decision support tools. Leads teams tasked with quantitative and qualitative analysis by using various complex statistical techniques - econometric analysis, market analysis, pricing, and industry analysis. Makes authoritative recommendations on policies that provides technical expertise to senior leadership on policy initiatives on economic analyses.
Or
Leading teams employing highly complex economic analysis, and mastery of statistical software packages. Conducting independent analysis market analyses, cost benefit analyses, and development of decision support tools. Conducts analysis using various statistical economic techniques including econometric analysis. Makes authoritative recommendations on policies that provides technical expertise to senior leadership on policy initiatives.
*Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (i.e, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. 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.
This position has a basic education requirement.
You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims (unofficial transcripts are acceptable). All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
If you are applying for the grade 11 using education, please ensure your Ph.D. or equivalent Doctoral transcripts are included. As mentioned, above in the Qualifications section, in order to qualify for this position, applicants must meet the specialized experience* and you must have completed the following educational requirements for this series:
TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED as proof of meeting the basic requirements for the series, and also if you are applying for the grade 11 using education. The transcripts need not be official but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.
There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-12, GS-13, or GS-14 grade levels.
You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to accurately reflect the submitted documentation.
All applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements.
Please note, Applicants will not be rated or ranked for this position and Veteran's Preference does NOT apply.
All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.
Applicants will be evaluated on their resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience will be rated using an Assessment Questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:
Please be advised, the following documents are required even if you are already a current Federal or STB employee:
1. Resume that includes the experience you wish to be considered for the review of your qualifications, the dates of employment with month and year, and hours worked per week, if part-time. Resumes that do not contain all of the necessary information to determine qualifications may be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position. Your latest resume submission is the one that will be used to determine your qualifications.
2. Responses to questionnaire.
3. Transcripts from all educational institutions where courses were taken.
4. Supporting documentation that will be used to verify your eligibility or any preference eligibility along with your application package. These documents may include, but are not limited to:
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, which includes the submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on {INSERT DATE} to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Once referred, you may be asked to complete a structured interview, written demonstration, and/or fit interview. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency during the probationary period.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/815227400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is a small independent federal agency with broad regulatory authority over railroads and more limited regulatory responsibilities over certain water carriers, non-energy pipelines, trucking companies, and inter-city bus companies. STB receives its statutory authority from the STB Reauthorization Act of 2015.
The Office of Economics (OE) supports the Board's decision-making process through economic, cost, financial, and engineering analyses in railroad maximum-rate proceedings, mergers, line abandonments, line constructions, trackage rights cases, and other cases before the agency where such analysis is needed. OE also makes available to the public a variety of statistical and financial analyses of the railroad industry. OE manages the Board-prescribed Uniform System of Accounts and cost accounting systems. OE also audits Class I carriers to ensure their compliance with these systems and uses the data provided by carriers to develop and disseminate the Uniform Railroad Costing System.