International Economist (Direct Hire Authority)

The U.S. International Trade Commission is an independent Federal agency that provides the President and Congress with high-quality analysis and technical support on international trade, tariff and competitiveness issues; investigates and makes determinations in proceedings involving imports claimed to injure a domestic industry or violate U.S. intellectual property rights; and maintains the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.

**Qualifications:**
Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements, including education, and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement. Education may only be substituted in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov). Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be credited towards qualifications. Applicants must have the general and specialized experience outlined below which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Both specialized experience, and/or the substitution of education for experience, must have required an in-depth understanding of international economic principles and theories, such as the interplay of economic forces of goods and services across international borders, matters of trade policy, and product or industry competitiveness. You must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience to qualify for this series as described below. BASIC REQUIREMENT 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 education requirement above. You must also meet the experience requirement below. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must have one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility at, or equivalent to, the GS-9 level obtained in the Federal service or in the private or non-profit sector. Specialized experience would include 1 or more of the following: (i) knowledge of trade laws and regulations, current trade and market conditions, factors of competitiveness in the United States and leading global markets; (ii) identifying and obtaining economic and trade information, and in processing and manipulating data; (iii) preparing a variety of written materials on complex topics and submitting written materials to others for editorial and technical review, as a demonstration of written communication skills; and (iv) planning, designing, carrying out, and leading projects, studies, or other work, as part of a team. OR Education: Possession of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in related field. To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must have one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility at, or equivalent to, the GS-11 level obtained in the Federal service or in the private or non-profit sector. Specialized experience would include 2 or more of the following: (i) knowledge of trade laws and regulations, current trade and market conditions, factors of competitiveness in the United States and leading global markets; (ii) identifying and obtaining economic and trade information, and in processing and manipulating data; (iii) preparing a variety of written materials on complex topics and submitting written materials to others for editorial and technical review, as a demonstration of written communication skills; and (iv) planning, designing, carrying out, and leading projects, studies, or other work, as part of a team. To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility at, or equivalent to, the GS-12 level obtained in the Federal service or in the private or non-profit sector. Specialized experience would include 3 or more of the following: (i) knowledge of trade laws and regulations, current trade and market conditions, factors of competitiveness in the United States and leading global markets; (ii) identifying and obtaining economic and trade information, and in processing and manipulating data; (iii) preparing a variety of written materials on complex topics and submitting written materials to others for editorial and technical review, as a demonstration of written communication skills; and (iv) planning, designing, carrying out, and leading projects, studies, or other work, as part of a team. To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility at, or equivalent to, the GS-13 level obtained in the Federal service or in the private or non-profit sector. Specialized experience would include all 4 of the following: (i) knowledge of trade laws and regulations, current trade and market conditions, factors of competitiveness in the United States and leading global markets; (ii) identifying and obtaining economic and trade information, and in processing and manipulating data; (iii) preparing a variety of written materials on complex topics and submitting written materials to others for editorial and technical review, as a demonstration of written communication skills; and (iv) planning, designing, carrying out, and leading projects, studies, or other work, as part of a team. 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.