What are the responsibilities and job description for the Economist (Research) position at US Census Bureau?
Summary
This vacancy is being filled via the Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) for an Economist (Research) position with the U.S. Census Bureau.
This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Economist (Research), 0110-12 / 13, FPL GS-13 positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
This job is open to
- The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Clarification from the agency
All qualified United States citizens.
Duties
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Qualifications
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS :
For complete details, see Economist Series 0110
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS : GS-12
Specialized Experience : For the GS-12 , you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes : Using statistical software packages to analyze economic data; providing analysis regarding Research Plan and Findings and / or providing written analysis to communicate economic findings.
Education : Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Directly Related field.
GS-13 Minimum Qualifications
Specialized Experience : For the GS-13 , you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes : Using statistical software packages to analyze economic data, determining Research Plan and Goals, providing analysis regarding Research Plan and Findings; providing written analysis to communicate economic findings, presenting and / or publishing research findings.
Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.
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.
Additional information
If hired for this position with the Census Bureau, at its headquarters office located in Suitland, Maryland, you will be expected to temporarily telework to maximum extent while the headquarters building is being renovated. Once renovations are completed for your area, you will be notified when to return to the office. At that time, you will be expected to work from your duty station, and you may be eligible to telework, up to 8 days a pay period depending on your respective work schedule, with approval from your supervisor.
The Department of Commerce 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 Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.
Review our benefits
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Under the provisions of the DHA, rating, ranking and veterans' preference does not apply; therefore, your responses to the questionnaire will not be used to determine a scored rating. All applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as defined in the job opportunity announcement, will be referred for selection consideration. While veterans' preference does not apply in DHA, preference eligibles are encouraged to submit their supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.).
CTAP and ICTAP candidates :
Applicants applying as CTAP or ICTAP candidates, and are determined CTAP or ICTAP eligible, must exceed the minimum qualification requirements to be referred under this selection priority placement program by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. For those deemed eligible and who meet the minimum qualifications, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True / False, Yes / No, Multiple Choice questions). Your resume and / or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. CTAP / ICTAP eligibles who are not determined well-qualified by scoring at least 85 will not be referred under the CTAP / ICTAP selection priority placement program; however, will be referred for selection consideration with other minimally qualified applicants. The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies, please do not provide a separate written response. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at : https : / / www.opm.gov / policy-data-oversight / workforce-restructuring / employee-guide-to-career-transition / ctap_guideline.pdf.
The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response :
We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.
Do NOT include the following types of information in your application :
You may view the https : / / apply.usastaffing.gov / ViewQuestionnaire / 12618434 for this vacancy.
Review our benefits
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
A complete application consists of the following :
Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm / yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. If applying under CTAP / ICTAP your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. Your resume should indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12 / 31 / 59.
CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents :
A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or 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).
A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.
You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education : Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at Academic and Professional Mobility | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
NOTE : You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements :
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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and / or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11 : 59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 03 / 11 / 2025.
To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https : / / www.usajobs.gov.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and / or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
USAJOBS Help Center | How to see your application and job status
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at https : / / www.usajobs.gov / and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application."
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online; however, if you are unable to apply online, please contact :
Karen Gross at karen.j.gross@census.gov
Agency contact information
Karen Gross
Phone
301-763-3082
karen.j.gross@census.gov
Address
Human Resources Division
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
Next steps
You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https : / / usajobs.gov and clicking on "Applications." The status will be visible next to the corresponding positions. The four points of notification are :
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability / security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Criminal history inquiries
Required Documents
A complete application consists of the following :
CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents :
A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or 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).
A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.
You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education : Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at Academic and Professional Mobility | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
NOTE : You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements :
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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and / or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11 : 59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 03 / 11 / 2025.
To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https : / / www.usajobs.gov.
USAJOBS Help Center | How to see your application and job status
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at https : / / www.usajobs.gov / and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application."
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online; however, if you are unable to apply online, please contact :
Karen Gross at karen.j.gross@census.gov
Agency contact information
Karen Gross
Phone
301-763-3082
karen.j.gross@census.gov
Address
Human Resources Division
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
Next steps
You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https : / / usajobs.gov and clicking on "Applications." The status will be visible next to the corresponding positions. The four points of notification are :
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability / security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
