Industry Economist

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Economics and Analytics, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), located in Washington, DC. RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID. THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS.

Duties

The incumbent serves as an expert and technical advisor on complex economic issues in telecommunications and regulatory policy, typically in the areas of industrial organization, applied microeconomics, and/or econometrics. The incumbent responds to special requests for specific analyses, research, and studies for use in reports to inform policymaking, and for preparation of testimony to be presented before Congressional Committees. In collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, the incumbent develops and implements meaningful data collections, processes the collected data for economic analyses, and undertakes such analyses to enhance understanding of competition and pricing in telecommunications markets, broadband deployment, spectrum allocation, and the technological deployment of communications services. The incumbent initiates and conducts complex economic research, analyses, and studies and develops analytical techniques for economic studies on regulation of the telecommunications markets, broadband deployment, spectrum allocation, and the technological development of communications services. The incumbent conducts and leads sophisticated analyses of major economic issues and policy questions, preparing reports and presenting results to audiences with varying levels of expertise. The incumbent collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to conduct and direct studies on the economics of the telecommunications industry. The studies require a high degree of specialized knowledge of economics and statistics, especially as they relate to the telecommunications industry, and a strong grasp of industry trends. The incumbent develops economic models and applying econometric techniques to evaluate industry behavior and regulatory impacts.

Requirements

Please note your resume must thoroughly support your responses to the vacancy questions. Your resume is an integral part of the process for determining if you meet the basic qualifications of the position and determining if you are to be among the best qualified.

Qualifications and evaluation

As this position is being advertised under DEU and Merit Promotion hiring procedures, applicants will be rated on the extent and quality of experience and education relevant to the duties of the position using the hiring procedures outlined below. Optional Four Essay Questions At the time of application, applicants have the option of answering the following four short, free-response essay questions. 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. Applicants will be 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]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Education

Interested candidates should be passionate about the ideals of our American republic, committed to upholding the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, and committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government. Hiring decisions will not be based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Time in grade restrictions do not apply to Direct Hire procedures. Any/all educational requirements are listed and outlined within the "Qualifications" section.

Benefits

The FCC offers a wide range of employee benefits, including: Health Insurance Life Insurance Dental & Vision Insurance Flexible Spending Accounts Long-Term Care Insurance Holidays and Leave Retirement Thrift Savings Plan Transit Benefit Alternative Work Schedule Telecommuting

How to apply

To apply to this announcement go to the website: https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Results?a=FC00&k=Federal%20Communications%20Commission As outlined in the "Required Documents Details" section of the announcement, resumes must meet be no longer than two pages in length and must meet the resume formatting requirements. Your application, including resume, all supplemental documents, registration information and answers to job specific questions must be received no later than midnight U.S. Eastern time of the closing date. For more information on applying federal jobs, please check this webpage: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/process If applying online poses a hardship, you may contact either the HR Specialist listed on the vacancy announcement or you may contact the Apply Government Solutions help desk (prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement) via e-mail at fedhirehelp@applygovernment.com or you may reach them directly at 866-656-6831. The Apply Government Solutions Help Desk is available Monday-Friday 7:00 am to 7:00 pm EST. NOTE: To be considered for an announced vacancy in the area of consideration within which the employee is eligible to compete, the employee must apply online using the Commission's automated recruitment system. Employees must submit all necessary application materials identified in the announcement by the specified closing date. Qualified applicants may be further reviewed and rated by Subject Matter Experts to determine the validity of on-line question. The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) are programs designed to afford selection priority to well-qualified Federal employees who meet the definition of a “surplus” or “displaced” employee. To be eligible for consideration under CTAP, you must be a current FCC employee who has received an official notice stating that your position is no longer needed, or that you will be separated by reduction in force (RIF). To be eligible for consideration under ICTAP, you must be one of the following: Be a displaced Federal employee and have a current duty station within the local commuting area of this vacancy. You must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a RIF separation notice, a letter from OPM or your agency documenting your priority consideration status with your application package. The following categories of candidates are considered displaced Employees: • Current or former career or career-conditional (tenure group I or II) competitive service employees who: 1. Received a specific RIF separation notice; or 2. Separated because of a compensable injury, whose compensation has been terminated, and whose former agency certifies that it is unable to place; or 3. Retired with a disability and whose disability annuity has been or is being terminated; or 4. Upon receipt of a RIF separation notice retired on the effective date of the RIF and submits a Standard Form 50 that indicates "Retirement in lieu of RIF", or 5. Retired under the discontinued service retirement option, or 6. Was separated because he/she declined a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area. • Former Military Reserve or National Guard Technicians who are receiving a special Office of Personnel Management (OPM) disability retirement annuity under section 337 (h) or 8456 of title 5 United States Code. • Be applying for a position at or below the grade level of the position from which you have been separated. The position must not have a greater promotion potential than the position from which you were separated. • Have a current (or last) performance rating of record of at least fully successful or equivalent. This must be submitted with your application package. (This requirement does not apply to candidates who are eligible due to compensable injury or disability retirement. • Occupy or be displaced from a position in the same local commuting area of the position for which you are requesting priority consideration. NOTE: To be considered for an announced vacancy in the area of consideration within which the employee is eligible to compete, the employee must apply online using the Commission's automated recruitment system. Employees must submit all necessary application materials identified in the announcement by the specified closing date.

Required documents

***Your resume must clearly document how you meet the specialized experience in order to meet the minimum qualification requirements for this vacancy. Some positions require supplemental document(s). All required supporting documents MUST be received by midnight U.S. Eastern Time of the closing date of the announcement, as specified in this announcement. If you do not submit a required document (e.g. transcripts, etc.) your application will be considered incomplete and you will not receive further consideration. Once you apply to this vacancy you will be prompted by the system to upload the documents. If you are unable to upload the required documentation, contact the HR Specialist listed on the vacancy announcement prior to 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.*** Merit Hiring Plan Resume Requirements In compliance with Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service resumes must not be longer than two pages in length. The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement. Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below: Contact Information Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number. Relevant Work Experience Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions) Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 –08/2022) The number of hours you worked per week Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement. Resumes must be formatted as outlined above. If the two page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration. The FCC is providing the following applicant resume resources: Applicant Guidance on the Two-Page Resume Limit USAjobs-How to Write a Federal Resume Required Documentation for CTAP and ICTAP eligibles 1. An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or other official documentation, which shows that you were declared displaced or surplus while serving as a career or career conditional competitive service employee, in tenure group 1 or 2, OR are a current or former Executive Branch agency employee in the excepted service serving on an appointment without time limit, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, and who has been conferred noncompetitive appointment eligibility and special selection priority by statute for positions in the competitive service. 2. An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or other official documentation which shows the position you may be or are being separated from has the same or higher promotion potential as that of the vacancy. Additionally for CTAP eligibles A copy of your Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice; - A notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area; - A Certificate of Expected Separation; your agency's certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice). Additionally for ICTAP eligibles - A copy of your RIF separation notice, a notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area; - An OPM notice that your disability annuity has been (or will be) terminated; - Certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or - Certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for a disability retirement and will receive the special OPM annuity. - A copy of a current (or last) performance rating of record of at least fully successful or equivalent (not required if you are an ICTAP eligible due to compensable injury or disability retirement). For more information on CTAP and ICTAP download a copy of The Employee's Guide to Career Transition at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf

Additional information

GS-14 Competencies: Ability to serve as an expert and technical advisor on complex economic issues in telecommunications and regulatory policy, displaying expertise in the areas of industrial organization, applied microeconomics, and/or econometrics; Skill responding to and taking the lead on special requests for specific analyses, research, and studies for use in reports to inform policymaking, and for preparation of testimony to be presented before Congressional Committees; Ability to develop and lead processes to compile, clean, and verify economic data from primary and secondary sources-- including possible direct interaction with survey respondents or data-generating entities--following exact specifications and regulations. Expert knowledge of statistical techniques and other requirements, processes, and systems necessary; Ability to initiate, conduct, and possibly lead complex economic research, analyses, and studies and develop analytical techniques in telecommunications and regulatory policy. Demonstrated skill with statistical or similar analytical software tools (e.g., Python, R, SAS, Power BI, Stata) needed to organize and summarize data; Ability to conduct and lead sophisticated analyses of major economic issues and policy questions, and ability to prepare reports and present results pertaining to this work. Demonstrated ability to think critically and completely about the economic impacts of policy changes, legislation, and other events and to present these findings to audiences with varying levels of expertise; Ability to apply knowledge of economics and statistics, especially as they relate to the telecommunications industry, and a strong grasp of industry trends. Ability to collaborate with others and work with a multidisciplinary team to produce unified and comprehensive analyses, including leading these teams on projects; and Demonstrated ability to think critically and completely about the economic impacts of policy changes, legislation, and other events. EEO Policy Statement Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement Veterans Information Legal and Regulatory Guidance Other: - Before hiring, an agency will ask you to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The agency will also ask you to sign and certify the accuracy of all the information in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. If you are a male over age 18 who was born after December 31, 1959, you must have registered with the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be eligible for a Federal job. - If applicable, you will be required to serve a trial period of one year. - In order for you to be employed at the FCC, there are certain Commission and Federal laws governing the financial interests of you and members of your immediate family. If selected for the position, you must submit a financial disclosure statement upon assuming the position.