Financial Economist, NB-0110-V.2 Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. DH-HQ-DB-24-5236-12570136 Department Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Salary $172,198.00 to $187,560.00 Grade 5 to 5
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/11/2024 Close Date 11/18/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

As Financial Economist, you will provide advice and consultation by performing research, analysis, or modeling to: effectively assess banks' compliance with laws, regulations and model risk management practices; identify/quantify emerging risks; or further understand the evolving behaviors/trends of financial institutions, consumer behavior, and financial markets. The position is located with the Supervision Risk and Analysis, Economic & Risk Analysis-Compliance Risk Analysis Division.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals. No prior Federal service is required. This is a Direct Hire Public Notice. A government-wide Direct Hire Authority exists for Economist positions in the 0110 series. UNDER THIS AUTHORITY CATEGORY RATING, "RULE OF THREE", AND VETERANS' PREFERENCE PROCEDURES DO NOT APPLY.

Duties

Economists in the Compliance Risk Analysis Division (CRAD) will conduct quantitative analysis and research to support bank supervision and to advise OCC senior management on policy and regulation related to topics including consumer protection, fair lending, financial technology and financial inclusion, credit access and community reinvestment, and bank secrecy/anti-money laundering.

As a Financial Economist, you will:

  • Conduct onsite and offsite bank-specific analyses that relate to compliance risk at financial institutions.
  • Apply models to test for violations of consumer regulations such as mortgage discrimination, or improper lending practices, and for unfair and deceptive practices with respect to consumer protection, and ineffective risk management of models with respect to anti-money laundering.
  • Conduct research and prepare professional papers to be published In peer reviewed academic journals in such areas of labor, public finance, or other related applied microeconomic fields.
  • Provide conclusions by preparing memoranda that evaluate bank compliance with consumer related, and bank secrecy/anti-money laundering regulations. Present such conclusions to bank management and examiners.
  • Respond to requests for economic analysis of issues affecting the banking system, financial and consumer markets, and broad OCC operations from senior management.
  • Present and actively participate in relevant conferences and seminars to retain, develop, and enhance econometric, economic, and statistical techniques, theories, and approaches for use in consumer protection, credit access, anti-money laundering and other compliance examination related areas in the financial institutions and markets.
  • Initiate and manage consumer and community related and/or economic research projects to facilitate the development and understanding of new techniques for risk measurement components of compliance examination.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time.

There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:

  • Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back,
  • FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and
  • SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information).
  • Complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • Complete a background investigation (unless already completed).
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Travel occasionally to attend conferences and/or training.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • File an OCC Financial Disclosure Form.
  • Click here for important information about OCC ethics standards, such as the requirement that new hires divest their bank securities.
  • Successfully complete a background investigation that includes criminal history, financial history (including a credit check) and other information.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Degree: Economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.

OR

A combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Examples of qualifying experience include: a) individual economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation; b) supervisory or project coordination assignments involving a staff of professional economists, and requiring the evaluation and interpretation of economic information; or c) teaching assignments in a college or university that included both class instruction in economics subjects and one of the following (1) personal research that produced evidence of results, (2) direction of graduate theses in economics, or (3) service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems.

In addition to meeting the BASIC REQUIREMENTS above, you must meet and/or possess at least one of the following:

One year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent the next lower level, NB-IV or GS-11 in the Federal service. This experience may have been gained in either the public or private sector. Specialized experience for this position includes:
  • Conducting research involving the application of economic, financial, or quantitative theories, principles or methods. (e.g. dissertation, Job Markert Paper, Working Papers, Work-in-progress, or publications).

NOTE: Examples of research may include: Independently planning and conducting financial or economic research projects; experience applying analytical and research techniques (e.g., econometrics, mathematical economics, operations research, benefit-cost analyses, and cost-effectiveness analyses); developing mathematical or statistical models to assess the impact of financial developments on the economy.

while your application may include, but not be limited to, dissertation, Job Market Papers, Working Papers, Work-in-Progress, or publications and you must fully demonstrate one year of specialized experience in your resume.

The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.

To receive any credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate the number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

Education

Please see Qualifications section for education.

Additional information

  • This position is included in the bargaining unit.
  • This position is a Step 2 level position within the NB-V pay band. Step 2 level positions are distinguished by additional job complexity, responsibility, and advanced skill levels required by the work.
  • Salary range includes 25.04% geographical pay.
  • If you are a current OCC employee who previously received a waiver determination permitting you to retain bank securities due to extenuating circumstances, please note that this determination may be rescinded if the nature of your duties changes. We strongly suggest that you discuss the potential implications of any change in duties on a prior securities determination with your ethics official.
  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more positions.
  • Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information and instructions.
  • The candidate selected for this position may be credited with directly-related non-Federal experience for annual leave purposes if eligible and considered appropriate.
  • Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  • Click "Print" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  • The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus 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 Treasury by email at, FairChanceAct@treasury.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.

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.

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.

Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Referral: All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications for the position will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must be Well-Qualified to receive special selection priority. "Well-Qualified" means conducting and managing research projects and activities involving the application of economic/econometric techniques and quantitative modeling related to capital markets examination of national banks/federal savings associations.

Required Documents

A complete application includes: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). Note: Please ensure that all bank, financial, and other confidential or sensitive information is removed/redacted from each document.

RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please review Resume Tips.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP)/INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.


EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: This position has a positive education requirement. To qualify, you must submit an official or unofficial copy of your transcripts with your application, or other qualifying documentation, if applicable. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS: In addition, you may submit the following:

  • Cover letter
  • Recent performance evaluation (be sure to redact/remove all sensitive information prior to submitting)

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

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, you must contact us by noon Eastern Standard Time on the announcement's closing date. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Dekieta Bethea at Dekieta.Bethea@occ.treas.gov or 202-679-1591 to obtain an alternative application.

If you require a reasonable accommodation for disability during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Kelly Battista by phone at 202-704-9488 or by email at Kelly.Battista@occ.treas.gov. Treasury provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the announcement's closing date to request accommodation. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. Ms. Battista is not the point of contact for questions about the vacancy announcement.

To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click here:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12570136.

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the Announcement to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Agency contact information

Dekieta Bethea
Address
Supervision Risk and Analysis/Economic and Risk Analysis
400 7th Street SW
Washington, DC 20219
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.

For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.


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


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