Industry Economist (Direct Hire) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 2025-18-DH Department Federal Maritime Commission
Salary $84,601.00 to $156,755.00 Grade 11 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/27/2025 Close Date 9/10/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position serves as an Industry Economist in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). OGC reviews, monitors and, if necessary, takes action to enjoin antitrust-exempt agreements filed by ocean common carriers and/or marine terminal operators. The Commission also identifies and takes necessary steps to address unfavorable shipping conditions caused by foreign governments or foreign carriers and monitors the rates and other activities of carriers owned or controlled by foreign governments.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. This position is being advertised using OPM's delegated Direct-Hire Authority.

Duties

The duties of an Industry Economist cover a range of economic analysis in the field of international transportation. The position involves frequent collaboration with attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel and requires contact with regulated entities and their representatives. The major duties of the position are:

  • Apply economic and data science techniques in reviewing proposed or existing agreements between or among carriers and marine terminal operators to determine their competitive impact on the shipping market.
  • Prepare expert economic testimony for and participate in formal hearings before the Commission and, as appropriate, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
  • Monitor activities in assigned trade areas to detect and refer for further action possible carrier involvement in prohibited acts.
  • Meet with industry representatives to discuss the impact of agreements, methods, and practices of carriers and marine terminals subject to the Shipping Act.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Probationary Period: A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • Background Suitability Investigation: Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability or security clearance. Please note: If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.
  • Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/
  • Required to participate in the Direct Deposit program.
  • May be required to obtain and use a government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • May be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.

Qualifications

Your resume should not exceed 2 pages and must demonstrate the specialized experience related to the position for which you are applying. If your resume goes beyond two pages, we will only consider the first two pages for the required experience as outlined in the specialized experience. It must contain the following information:

  • Name, address, telephone number, email address;
  • Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade);
  • If qualifying based on related unpaid (e.g. volunteer service) experience, you must provide hours worked per week and beginning/ending dates (mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy);
  • If other than full time you must provide hours worked per week.
  • PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination.
  • Should you submit multiple resumes, only the latest uploaded resume will be reviewed.
In addition to the above minimum requirements, you must meet the following:

GS-11: One or more years of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 federal grade level that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience must have been demonstrated by conducting economic research to provide analysis of markets and competition, utilizing common programming languages to build datasets and automate data retrieval from public sources; and applying economic and quantitative analytical techniques to provide recommendations to senior staff OR You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related OR You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above for this grade level, that, when combined with education, equals 100% of the total requirement. (Please note that education beyond what is required for a master's degree, 36 semesters hours, leading to a Ph.D., may be used in this calculation). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

GS-12: One or more years of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 federal grade level that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience must have been demonstrated by performing duties such as by performing duties such as applying economic and data science techniques and principles in reviewing the competitive impact of agreements, proposed mergers, or other activities subject to competition or antitrust scrutiny.

GS-13: One or more years of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 federal grade level that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience must have been demonstrated by performing duties such as assisting legal staff by providing expert testimony or analysis in litigation. This involves the development, analysis, and evaluation of economic evidence introduced or to be introduced in such a proceeding and the provision of assistance to senior personnel in their defense of conclusions and findings under cross-examination

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

It is your responsibility to ensure your resume states complete information for each job entry. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year (MM/YYYY), and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume. If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.

Free Response Essay Questions: Applicants are to required to certify that they are using their own words, and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). To reduce the burden on candidates, the responses cannot exceed 200 words per question.
  1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
  2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
  3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
  4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Education

Basic Requirement:

  1. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree in economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting or calculus. (Master's in economics preferred, but not required.)

or

  1. Have a combination of education that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting or calculus AND experience that involve the use and understanding of economic principles and theories. Examples of qualifying experience include:
  1. individual economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation;
  2. supervisory or project coordination assignments involving a staff of professional economists, and requiring the evaluation and interpretation of economic information; or
  3. teaching assignments in a college or university that included both class instruction in economics subjects and one of the following (a) personal research that produced evidence of results, (b) direction of graduate theses in economics, or (c) service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems.
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; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

Additional information

This position may be filled at the GS-11, GS-12, or GS-13 grade levels. If selection is made at the GS-11 or GS-12 level, promotion to the next higher levels may occur without further competition.

The agency may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

Federal employees are required to adhere to the 14 Principles of Ethical Conduct.

This is anon-bargaining unit position.

Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact listed on the vacancy announcement. The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis.

The Commission encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the FMC mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests for USA Hire Assessment: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency-Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency-Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency-Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

This is a Direct Hire position and not subject to category rating.

This position is announced under a government-wide Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for positions in the GS-0110 series. Under this Direct-Hire authority, applicants are required to meet minimum qualification requirements at the grade level(s) of interest. Veteran's Preference, Schedule A, Category Rating, and other methods of consideration do not apply under Direct-Hire Authority regulations.

Appointments made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the Civil Service. Current Civil Service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the Civil Service. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).

BASIS OF RATING: You resume will be evaluated by a Subject Matter Expert Panel (SME). The SME may evaluate your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience (under the qualifications section) and the competencies listed below:

  • Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
  • Attention to Detail
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Teamwork

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency-Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency-Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

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 assigned to the Well Qualified category or better to receive special selection priority.

Required Documents

Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position (or will not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). A complete application includes:
1. A resume (of no more than 2 pages).
2. Vacancy question responses (Eligibilities and assessment questionnaire(s)).
3. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50. Please Note: Cash award, Details, and Realignments are not acceptable SF-50s.
4. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Documentation:
These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal Service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, you must submit the following documents:

  • To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position based on the competencies listed above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility including:
    • Agency notice,
    • SF-50 that reflects current grade,
    • SF-50 that reflect full performance level of the position, and
    • Your performance appraisal which must reflect "fully successful" or equivalent).
Education Documentation:
  • An official transcript may be required if you are selected.
  • A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation website.
  • 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
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position (or will not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.)

For more information on veterans' preference please visit FedsHireVets.

Education Documentation:
  • An official transcript may be required if you are selected.
  • A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation website.
  • 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.
Special Hiring Authorities Documentation:
If you are applying under a special hiring authority (i.e. Schedule A persons with disabilities authority), submit a copy of proof of your eligibility.

If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency-Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

  • The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon EST on the announcement's closing date.
  • To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  • Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
  • To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • To return to saved application at a later date, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

Cassie Hayden
Address
Office of Human Resources
800 North Capitol Street
Suite 1028
Washington, DC 20573
US

Next steps

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." We expect to make a job offer within several weeks after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. View more information on applying for federal employment.

FMC uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about e-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. Any Offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

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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