This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/527601400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
The position is located in the Department of Labor (DOL) in the Office of Policy and Research (OPR), Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). OPR serves as the research and evaluation arm of the Assistant Secretary, EBSA, and is responsible for implementing Section 513 of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) by producing policy analysis and tracking benefits policy related developments and activities.
This position is inside the bargaining unit.
03/15/2019 to 04/05/2019
$68,036 - $126,062 per year
GS 11 - 13
Few vacancies in the following location:
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - Occasional travel once or twice a year may be required.
No
Permanent
Full-Time
Competitive
13 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and supervisor’s recommendation to the next grade.
No
No
DH-19-HRC-EBSA-119
527601400
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
This position is being filled through Direct Hire Authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applications does NOT apply. Veteran’s preference does not apply.
The Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) seeks to fill several economist positions located in Office of Policy and Research. EBSA is committed to protecting retirement, health, and other employee benefits, thereby advancing the retirement security and health of our nation’s workers and retirees. EBSA, through its enforcement of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and other related health benefits laws, protects the security of retirement and health plan benefits and assets for all workers who are covered by employer-sponsored pension and welfare benefit plans.
Major duties for this position at the full performance level include, but are not limited to, the following:
Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.
Basic Requirements: (You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to verify that the Basic Requirements listed above are met). Reference the "Required Document" Section.
A. Degree: 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:courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must also meet the specialized experience outlined below.
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.
For the GS-11 level - Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level. Specialized experience is defined as the use of economic theory and statistical and econometric methods (e.g., use of statistical software packages like SAS, Stata or R to conduct analysis) or experience researching various aspects relevant to private or public health and retirement benefits.
For the GS-12 level - Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level. Specialized experience is defined as using economic theory, statistical and econometric methods to analyze policy issues (e.g., economic research studies and use of statistical software packages like SAS, Stata or R to conduct analysis) and experience using primary and secondary databases. Examples of such databases include Form 5500, Form M-1, CPS, SIPP, MEPS, SCF, HRS, PSID, Morningstar, industry databases, or other large data sets used for policy analysis.
For the GS-13 level - Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level. Specialized experience is defined as using economic theory, statistical and econometric methods to analyze policy, legislative and regulatory issues relating to various aspects important to private employee benefits (e.g., economic research studies and use of current statistical software packages like SAS, Stata, or R to conduct analysis) and experience using primary and secondary databases relevant to private employment-based health and retirement benefits (e.g., Form 5500, Form M-1, CPS, SIPP, MEPS, SCF, HRS, PSID, Morningstar, or various industry databases relevant to private employee benefits).
Some topics relevant to private or public health and retirement benefits include but are not limited to:
Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.
If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.
DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.
Federal Employees Please Note: Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met and reflects your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. competitive/excepted). In some cases you may need to submit more than one SF-50.
Additional selections may be made if authorized.
Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Please review evaluations details here.
How You will be Evaluated:
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SERVES AS PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THE USE OF OPM'S DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY. ALL APPLICANTS WHO MEET THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE SELECTING OFFICIAL FOR CONSIDERATION. CATEGORY RATING, VETERAN'S PREFERENCE, AND TRADITIONAL RATING AND RANKING OF APPLICANTS DO NOT APPLY TO THIS POSITION.
Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:
Economics Technical Knowledge - Knowledge of labor, health and financial markets especially as it applies to employee benefits; Knowledge of current economic theories, methods, evidence, and economic studies.
Statistical and Quantitative Analysis – Knowledge of current economic theories and methods relating to statistics, modeling and quantitative analysis. Knowledge of data sources related to employee benefit plans and programs.
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving – Identifies and analyzes and relevancy of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives and make recommendations. Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
Self-Management & Interpersonal Skills - Organizes work and sets realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior. Demonstrates interpersonal skills that support an environment in which constructive communications take place.
The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Human Resources Office (HRO) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the HRO may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)
The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. You are not required to submit a document if it does not apply to you. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. Also, do not upload password protected documents.
- Veterans Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD214. Your DD-214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference, SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. (For active duty service members expecting honorable or general discharge or release within 120 days, click Active Duty). Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference. For more information, go to: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/vetguide/index.aspx
- Displaced Employee Placement Documents – Only required if requesting priority consideration under CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.
- Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience, but may be submitted
– Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English) - submit if using education as a basis for qualifying for this position. If so, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, PHD, etc). If specific course work is required to qualify, you must supply transcripts from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit.
You may upload your transcript(s) as one document (3 MB size limit). If over 3 MB, please submit via fax feature.
OFFICIAL Transcripts MUST BE RECEIVED prior to selection and report date. Reference the “Education Section” for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
Follow the steps below to apply. Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration. Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered. Click here for information on Reasonable Accommodations.
SAVE your information before the 30 MINUTE TIMEOUT! For help, go to https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/.
STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents
Your resume must provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses in the self-assessment vacancy questions. If not, HR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the competency indicated by resume content. FOR EACH EMPLOYMENT PERIOD, include: start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week); otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete.
STEP 2 - Complete the 1st part of the application process (USAJOBS)
Once you have identified a job on www.usajobs.gov that you wish to apply for, click on the title and click the Apply button . For questions about the vacancy, contact the Agency Contact at the bottom of the announcement. Click “Start Application” and proceed through 5 steps noted at the top of the USAJOBS page. You will be able to select a resume and documents from your USAJOBS Account that you can submit as a package as part of your DOL application. At Step 5, click “Continue to Agency Site”.
STEP 3 – Complete the 2nd part of the application process (DOL)
On the Department of Labor (DOL) page, create a DOL Account if you have not already and click “APPLY TO THIS VACANCY”. Continue through the 7 progress steps indicated by circles at the top of the DOL page. The 3rd progress step is where you answer the vacancy specific questions. The 4th progress step "Documents" is where you submit required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the "Required Documents" section of this vacancy. If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission.
STEP 4 – On the “Review and Submit” step, click “Submit Application”
The last “Confirmation” step will turn green noting that your application was submitted successfully.
STEP 5 - Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm ET of Closing Date by returning to USAJOBS, clicking the vacancy, then “Update Application”.
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration. Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome. A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days from the issuance date of the certificate.
For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to Step 7 on: Using DOORS and USAJOBS Help Guide. To sign up for Application Status Updates via email: Click Here for instructions.
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/527601400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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