Economist - DIRECT HIRE Job in Location Negotiable After Selection

Vacancy No. DOT-2025-0006 Department Department of Transportation - Agency Wide
Salary $122,198.00 to $158,860.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/29/2024 Close Date 12/30/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Location Negotiable After Selection


Summary

As an Economist and analyst within a DOT Operating Administration (OA) or DOT headquarters (HQ), you will be responsible for conducting and managing economic and financial analyses required for the assigned studies and research projects.  Serve as an economic expert representing the agency on Federal, and interagency task forces, collaborating with other DOT economists and providing advice and technical assistance for project planning and analysis. 

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. 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.

Duties

As an Economist, you will:

  • Serve as an economic expert representing the agency on Federal, and interagency task forces, collaborating with other DOT economists and providing advice and technical assistance for project planning and analysis.  
  • Design, build, maintain, and utilize the models and datasets necessary to understand how geo-spatial socio-demographic and economic patterns affect government and user transportation costs, cost-effective modal and network options, and overall system performance.
  • Estimate the key economic factors shaping transportation patterns and future trends, including personal and freight user costs; available transportation options; and the impact of land costs, labor markets, and other socio-economic factors.  Estimate the impact of demographic and economic geographic patterns on the economic viability of transportation modes and service options. 
  • Estimate the potential for technology, demographic, geographic, and economic trends to re-shape the economics of transportation options and demand; identify uncertainty bands or alternative future assumptions to reflect unknown attributes of future trends.
  • Develop policy options to enhance transportation performance or cost-effectiveness.  Evaluate the impact of these policies on transportation options and economics, including changes in demand patterns and the value/costs to users by socio-demographic, economic, and geographic characteristics.
  • Develop proposed analysis plans in collaboration with colleagues and leadership which are methodologically sound, consistent with available resources, complement broader DOT/OA research plans, and facilitate improved understanding of national transportation policy needs and options. 
  • Plan and manage the acquisition of approved funded research.  Manage in-house and procured project analyses elements to complete research projects within cost, schedule, and approved scope, including all reviews and report development. 
  • Identify the significance of research findings for policy development and effectively and impartially communication policy implications to agency decision-makers, the public, and the transportation research community.

The ideal candidate for this position 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 identifying implications of the findings as they relate to a transportation-related issue. 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.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
  • Review Required Documents Section - documents are required by closing date.
  • Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
  • POSITION SENSITIVITY AND RISK: Varies by position and will be based on the position to which appointed.
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: Varies by position.  If applicable, you must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position to which appointed.
  • PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required. 
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: Travel will vary by position. If the position requires travel, a government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • REMOTE WORK: This position may be eligible for remote work, which does not require reporting to the agency worksite location on a regular basis. If selected for a remote work location, you will be required to sign a remote work agreement detailing agency remote work policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
  • TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: If selected for a non-remote position, you may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.

Qualifications

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 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-14:On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level, which included: 

  • 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:

  1. 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.
  2. In-depth knowledge of project planning and project management principles and practices, to coordinate the development of project plans and proposes.
  3. 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.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See the Qualifications section for Mandatory Individual Occupational Requirements. 

Additional information

This announcement establishes an open continuous period for this series/grade. We will perform interim reviews of all applications as positions become vacant.  You must meet all eligible requirements at the time of consideration. 

At the discretion of the hiring agency, a position may be approved for Remote Work. This is a work arrangement in which an employee, under a written remote work agreement, is scheduled to perform their work at an alternative worksite and is not expected to perform work at an agency worksite on a regular and recurring basis. A remote worker’s official worksite may be within or outside the local commuting area of an agency worksite. Please note that consideration varies by DOT agency and this option is not guaranteed.

Duty locations will vary.  The difference in the salary is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

If you are hired for this position; you will not receive additional consideration from this announcement.

Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will referred to the hiring manager.

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 

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

TELEWORK INFO: https://www.telework.gov/guidance-legislation

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Given our continuing need for professionals in this field, we will routinely review applications and refer candidates for potential interviews multiple times during the open period of the announcement. 

When an applicant list is requested, all applications received by that request date will be reviewed to determine if the basic qualifications for this position, and grades applied to, are met.  Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official(s) for further review and consideration. From that point on the selecting official determines all aspects of the hiring process. If they wish to contact you for an interview or for selection, they will do so directly. Equal consideration will be given to all applications received.

Note that applications received under a direct hire public notice may or may not result in a referral or selection. Also, management has the prerogative to select at any grade level.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked.  Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.

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.  Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support the noted grade specific specialized experience and your answers.  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.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

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. 

  • Official transcript(s) will be required if you are selected for the position. 
  • Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition. 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:  

  • your most recent performance appraisal,
  • the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
  • your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.

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 USAJobs 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.

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.

How to Apply

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.

  • To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
  • Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
  • You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/

If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at:  Transjobs@dot.gov

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Address
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Your application status will be updated online when applicable and you will be notified by email.

A final email will be generated when the vacancy closes. Note that there is no guarantee that your application will be reviewed under this vacancy, it depends on when and how often the selecting official(s) request to use this public notice.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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