Economist

The mission of the Antitrust Division is to promote competition by enforcing the antitrust laws to protect economic freedom and opportunity on behalf of the American people. The Antitrust Division has an opening for an Economist to join its dedicated team and gain invaluable experience working in the public interest to protect the competitive process. Are you ready to contribute to matters of national importance that promote a competitive and productive American economy?

Duties

This position is located in the Expert Analysis Group (EAG) within the Antitrust Division (ATR). The Expert Analysis Group (EAG) is one of the world's leading venues for developing and applying economics to real world questions of competition. The economists hired will conduct analysis that plays a central role in enforcement efforts to protect competition and benefit consumers through low prices, high quality, and innovation.

As an Economist, responsibilities of this position will include, but are not limited to:

• Analyzing the likely effects on competition of horizontal or vertical mergers.
• Analyzing the effects of business strategies and practices undertaken by a single firm.
• Analyzing the effects of agreements among firms and/or other economic agents.
• Analyzing the likely effects on competition and market outcomes of proposed changes in regulation, new regulatory rules, or proposed legislation.
• Testing whether a particular economic model is appropriate to a matter and drawing conclusions from theory to support a policy recommendation, often depending on measuring economic quantities and balancing offsetting effects.
• Determining useful sources of data and other relevant information to resolve critical issues identified by theoretical framework.
• Identifying unresolved theoretical or empirical questions that have broader application to issues in antitrust analysis and competition policy.
• Undertaking research aimed at addressing unresolved theoretical or empirical questions in the interest of advancing, understanding, and facilitating future analysis.
• Conceiving and planning pioneering work of outstanding scope, difficulty, and complexity in unexplored or previously unpromising areas of investigation.
• Developing oral or written presentations to deliver to colleagues at the Division and other competition agencies.
• Preparing economic reports and guiding other economists in the preparation of papers and manuscripts for publication related to the results of economic studies.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Please note: Additional selections may be made beyond the total number of vacancies specified using this vacancy announcement. Further selections may also be made for additional organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above. Also, a combination of three to five business and academic references may be requested of individuals identified as best qualified, to be forwarded to the selecting official along with your application package, upon referral.

Salary

• $104,604 - $159,950/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to be considered for this position.
• You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
• You may be required to take and successfully clear a drug test.
• You must submit a complete application package by the closing date of this announcement.
• SELECTIVE SERVICE: All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service (see SSS.gov). If selected for this position, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
• DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• This position is ineligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit.
• This is a full-time, non-supervisory Permanent appointment in the competitive service, subject to a one-year probationary period: in accordance with 5 C.F.R. 315.801.
• The Antitrust Division participates in the E-Verify program.

Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet the Basic Qualification Requirements AND possess the required Specialized Experience specific to the grade(s) listed below:

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL LEVELS: Applicants must meet the requirements specified in paragraphs 1 or 2 below.
1. A degree in economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus;
OR
2. A combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

AND

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: In addition to meeting the basic education requirements, applicants must also meet the

To qualify for this position at the GS-14 level, your resume must reflect at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level. Specialized experience is experience that has provided you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position as described above, and that is typically in or related to this position being filled. This experience must be identified in your resume.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience at the GS-13 level include:

• Analyzing strategic behavior in multi-firm markets using widely-acknowledged graduate-level economic and/or econometric methods. The methods used should be evident from the provided writing sample;
• Identifying optimal choices for a firm based on its competitive environment using widely-acknowledged graduate-level economic and/or econometric methods. The methods used should be evident from the provided writing sample;
• Identifying and estimating relevant demand elasticities using widely-acknowledged graduate-level economic and/or econometric methods. The methods used should be evident from the provided writing sample;
• Identifying and evaluating the effects of regulations or similar constraints on the profit-maximizing strategies of firms using widely-acknowledged graduate-level economic and/or econometric methods. The methods used should be evident from the provided writing sample; and
• Identifying the significance of specific factors affecting a firm's entry to or exit from a market, such as network effects, market structure, or exclusionary practices using widely-acknowledged graduate-level economic and/or econometric methods. The methods used should be evident from the provided writing sample.

• Managing all or part of a team performing economic or econometric analysis, with responsibility for the content of that analysis;
• Determining the reliability of econometric evidence based on appropriateness and limitations of data or methodology used and the viability of the underlying economic model given other evidence, and presenting those findings to a government agency or other nonacademic third party; and
• Weighing an econometric analysis against a rebuttal presented by another economist, and determining what factors explain the differences in results of competing economic analysis, and presenting those findings to a government agency or other nonacademic third party.

Education All academic degrees and course work must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see U.S. Department of Education website. Applicants MUST submit copies of college transcripts or a list of college courses taken that identify for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade and grade-point received. An unofficial transcript is acceptable to qualify, but it must include your full name and you may be asked to submit an official transcript prior to appointment, if you are selected. Foreign Education*: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation *All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Other Information

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is online.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over candidates from other agencies for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority over other applicants who are not employees of the Department of Justice if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is online.

Veterans' Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veterans' preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veterans' preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your resume. In order to determine your eligibility, you can find additional information online.

NOTE: To verify your veterans' preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions. (1) If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 in addition to the supporting documentation required and identified on the reserves side of the SF-15, Application for 10 Point Veterans' Preference. (2) If you are claiming 10-point DERIVED PREFERENCE as a relative you must submit Member Copy 4 of the veteran's DD-214, and an SF-15, Application for 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the supporting documentation required and identified on the reverse side of this form. If you fail to do so, you will receive consideration as a non-veteran.

DOJ EEO Statement/Policy
OPM Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement
DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement
Veterans' Information
Legal and Regulatory Guidance

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:

1. Cover letter (Optional)
2. A copy of your resume, CV or equivalent - Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume and cover letter. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences, as represented in their resume, clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position, and the competencies and technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.

RESUME REQUIREMENTS: ALL APPLICANTS: you must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience. The federal government has very specific resume requirements. If you have not written a federal resume before, you may want to watch this Resume Writing Tutorialvideo on the USAJOBS YouTube channel, or read through a helpful Resume Writing FAQon the USAJOBS Help Site to learn what details you should, and should not, include in your resume. A CV (curriculum vitae) may not contain enough information to meet these resume requirements.

• Your resume, CV, or equivalent must list all work, research, and other experiences (paid and unpaid) used to establish the minimum qualification requirements above; you must list the full name and address of each employer.
• For all types of work experience, you should indicate the start and end date (include month and year); you must also list the average
  number of hours per week that you worked.
• Your resume, CV, or equivalent must include any education and training that you have completed or will complete, including any Ph.D. to be conferred. List (the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date or expected completion date)

3. A copy of your transcript. An unofficial transcript is acceptable to qualify, however, it must include your full name. If selected for the position, an official transcript must be provided.
4.A writing sample, which can be a chapter of a doctoral dissertation, a job market paper adapted from such a chapter, or any other document that clearly establishes the minimum qualification requirements.
5. Documentation of eligibility for special hiring authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment eligibility. Examples include Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter and:

1. Documentation of eligibility for CTAP and ICTAP (if applicable) - You must provide written notification of your eligibility for CTAP and/or ICTAP; your most recent Performance Appraisal, and your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.
2. Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable) - If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character discharge (Member Copy-4), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.

• If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
• If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or mother or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 and all additional proof required by the SF-15, as applicable. If you don't have your Department of Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it online or call 1-800-827-1000.3.

6. Military Spouses may apply. Please see below to ensure requested documentation are provided:

• Military Spouse of Active Duty Military Member: A copy of your marriage license AND your spouse's active duty orders.
• Military Spouse of Separated Veteran: A copy of your marriage license, Member-4 DD-214 AND either your spouse's 1) 100% disability rating, or 2) documentation of death during active duty.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 12/02/2024 to receive consideration.

• To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
• Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Please note: Applications mailed using government postage and/or internal federal government mailing systems are in violation of agency and postal regulations and will not be accepted.

These instructions outline our application process. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, you must contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Tammy Davisby email at tammy.davis@usdoj.gov or by phone at 202-894-4992 to obtain an alternative application.

If you require a reasonable accommodation for disability during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Karen Jung by phone at 202-514-8885 or by email at Karen.Jung@usdoj.gov. The Antitrust Division provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. ET on the announcement's closing date to request accommodation. Callers with hearing or speech impairment can access their state's telecommunications relay service (TRS) to make TTY calls by dialing 7-1-1. Ms. Jung is not the point of contact for questions about the vacancy announcement.

In addition to the availability of telework, applicants may also be considered for remote work based on mission needs and at the discretion of the Division.

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. Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits