International Economist

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.

This position has a Basic Requirement (Education) and a Specialized Experience Requirement. Please read the below information in the entirety.

Basic Requirement (Education):

1. Degree: A bachelor'sin economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.

   OR

2. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

AND

Specialized Experience Requirement:
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.

To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service performing the following:

• Researching information and facts on international trade, and analyzing trends; and
• Developing presentations and written analyses, charts and graphs based on international trade research data.

OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in economics.

OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of experience and graduate level education to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements.

To qualify at the GS-12 level you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service performing the following:

• Conducting independent research on international trade activities and policies; and
• Developing written evaluations and analyses based on international trade/ economic research findings; and
• Presenting international trade research data and findings to senior officials (such as economists, trade analysts, stakeholders etc.)

• Conducting independent research on international trade activities, policies and trends;
• Developing written evaluations based on research analyses and findings in international trade activities or international economic data.
• Briefing international trade research findings to senior officials, i.e., Economists, Trade Analysts or other stakeholders; and
• Making recommendations on international trade or economic activities and policies.