Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/
Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.
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.
Specialized experience to qualify at the GS-9 level: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Experience researching information.
- Experience using data to create reports related to business and industry.
- Experience tracking the progress of documents and/or action items and performing follow-up to ensure completion.
-OR-
SUBSTITUTION OF THE FOLLOWING EDUCATION: Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree, OR LL.B. or J.D., in a related field.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE. Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be considered. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant at the grade level.
Specialized experience to qualify at the GS-11 level: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Experience researching business and financial information, analyzing the findings and making inferences from the findings.
- Experience creating datasets and technical reports related to business and industry.
- Experience tracking the progress of documents and/or action items and performing follow-up to ensure completion.
-OR-
SUBSTITUTION OF THE FOLLOWING EDUCATION: A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR LL.B. or J.D., in a related field.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE. Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be considered. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant at the grade level.
Specialized experience to qualify at the GS-12 level: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Experience analyzing issues affecting business or foreign investment or trade issues affecting U.S. industry competitiveness and reporting on findings.
- Experience coordinating large datasets and creating reports to track the progress of related work.
- Experience briefing a wide variety of stakeholders on findings.
Specialized experience to qualify at the GS-13 level: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Experience conducting analytical work that addresses any of the following: U.S. business exports, reverse investment facilitation or trade development initiatives in key industries and world regions.
- Experience performing research, analysis and making recommendations on findings.
- Experience developing and disseminating business and industry related information to senior-level stakeholders.
Notes: Education cannot be substituted at the GS-12 or GS-13 grade levels.