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This position is on the Regulatory Impact & Benefit-Cost Analysis Team and the primary focus is advancing the benefit-cost analysis (BCA) program. The candidate will coordinate with the USDOT Office of the Secretary to evaluate applications for discretionary grants for infrastructure projects and will also collaborate with senior Economists on the development and application of advanced benefit-cost methods and models to enhance assessments of cost-effective future transportation investments.
Learn more about this agency01/08/2025 to 01/27/2025
$105,583 - $188,733 per year
Salaries reflected on this vacancy announcement will vary based on the duty station of the appointed position.
GS 13 - 14
1 vacancy in the following locations:
No
Yes—As described by agency policy.
Occasional travel - Some travel is required.
Yes—As described by agency policy.
Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
Competitive
14
No
No
FHWA.HPL-2025-0005
827148500
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Due to the potential of a high volume of applicants, not all applicants may receive consideration. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.
As an Economist, you will:
The ideal candidate has a strong background in directing and overseeing the application of economic principles reflected in Executive Order 12893, "Principles for Federal Infrastructure Investments." The ideal candidate for this position also enjoys and excels at applied, data-driven research. Flexibility, creativity, curiosity, and a willingness to take initiative will help to find--or to create--the projects that analyze data using relevant economic methods, such as market assessment, benefit-cost, or other economic analysis, and identify implications of the findings as they relate to a transportation-related issue. The flexibility to adjust your analyses in your policy conversations with your leadership and others involved will ensure your research is effective in shaping policy choices. Good time-management skills to enable you to juggle inevitably competing and changing demands and priorities in a dynamic economic policy environment.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.
(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 the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.
(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 the grade level in your resume.
For the GS-13 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include:
• Experience in analyzing data using economic methods, such as market assessment, benefit cost or econometric analysis, and identifying implications of the findings as they relate to a transportation-related issue; and/or experience presenting research summaries and other technical reports to a variety of groups and individuals, such as making project presentations to clients/sponsors or to audiences at conferences or workshops.
For the GS-14 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include:
• Experience conducting economic research in support of various projects (i.e. impact studies, cost-benefit analysis, equilibrium analysis, etc.); analyzing data using statistical procedures, econometrics, and computer methodology to develop solutions to analytical problems; and performing policy oriented research in the development of innovative approaches to new and existing problems in economics.
Although you must meet the mandatory education requirement for the series, you cannot qualify for GS-12 and above grades based solely on education, you must meet the specialized experience for the grade, which is cited above.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
• Requires mastery knowledge on a professional level of economic planning concepts, principles and practices, combined with a thorough knowledge of related engineering and scientific disciplines, in order to plan and coordinate projects.
• In-depth knowledge of project planning and project management principles and practices, to coordinate the development of project plans and proposes.
• Thorough knowledge of economic practices and requirements to assess the feasibility of plans and proposals in meeting the needs of project planning.
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.
For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/
All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
See the Qualifications section for Mandatory Individual Occupational Requirements.
This announcement is being advertised under the FHWA's Alternative Duty Location (ADL) Program and can be filled in any one of the approved ADL locations listed on this announcement, as space allows for each location. It is possible to select a location that no longer has space available, and in that instance, the selecting office will not be able to move forward with placement.
PLEASE NOTE: Salary will be adjusted in accordance with the locality pay for the specific area.
Under this program, relocation assistance is not available to applicants residing in any one of the ADL locations advertised in this announcement. Employees who are not eligible for relocation because they reside in one of the advertised locations may apply for positions in other advertised duty locations; however, if selected, they must move themselves to the locations at their own expense.
Positions under the ADL program have several unique requirements, such as remote supervision, the required signing of an ADL agreement, and possibility of increased travel.
Applicants are responsible for selecting the locations in which they want to be considered.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.
All applicants: For this announcement, applicants may be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational requirements. Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications may be referred to the selecting official.
Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.
Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.
RESUME: – Your resume MUST contain specific information used to make a qualification determination that includes employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education as well as support the required specialized experience. Formatted resumes may be uploaded later in the application process. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to
TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED as proof of meeting the basic requirements for the series. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.
DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all of the following documents:
Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration.
For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USA Jobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USAJobs" and click "Applications". Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist may evaluate your application. If evaluated, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
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/827148500. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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