STATISTICIAN

Summary

The Bureau of Economics seeks candidates for the position of Statistician. Statisticians work directly with BE staff economists to (1) provide economic analysis in support of antitrust and consumer protection investigations, litigations, and rulemaking; (2) advise the Commission, Congress, the President, and other agencies on the impact of regulations; and (3) conduct research on the functioning of markets in the economy. The position is for an initial 14 month term, renewable up to four years.

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Duties

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The specific duties of a Statistician within the Bureau of Economics at the Federal Trade Commission include, but are not limited to:

• Identifying, documenting, organizing, and summarizing government and third-party data relevant to antitrust and consumer protection investigations.
• Generating data sets from qualitative data or surveys.
• Converting file formats, checking data contents, and conducting basic data quality checks to assure reliability before performing analysis.
• Summarizing and describing data contents clearly and accurately.
• Writing programs in Stata, SAS, R, or Python.
• Providing statistical, econometric, and other data analysis.
• Using Stata, SAS, R, or similar statistical software to summarize and analyze data.
• Using ArcGIS or similar software to geocode data, calculate distances between locations of interest, and prepare maps.
• Preparing clear and accurate graphs, tables, and other visualizations that effectively summarize data and results of analyses.
• Communicating professionally and respectfully with colleagues - both orally and in writing.
• Listening, clarifying ambiguities, and acting on guidance from economists and supervisors.
• Working effectively and proactively with minimal supervision.

Statisticians perform these duties under the supervision of, and with guidance from, staff economists in the Bureau of Economics.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. citizenship requirement must be met by the closing date of this vacancy.
• Position is subject to a background investigation.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must register with Selective Service.
• You may serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period under this appointment.
• Résumé and supporting documents (See How To Apply).
• This position is in the bargaining unit. If in the bargaining unit, this position is represented by the National Treasury Employees Union, Local 344.
• If selected for this position, the agency will evaluate your fitness and whether continuation of employment advances the public interest before extending your appointment beyond the one-year probationary period.
• You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: that included 15 semester hours in statistics (or in mathematics and statistics, provided at least 6 semester hours were in statistics), and 9 additional semester hours in one or more of the following: physical or biological sciences, medicine, education, or engineering; or in the social sciences including demography, history, economics, social welfare, geography, international relations, social or cultural anthropology, health sociology, political science, public administration, psychology, etc. Credit toward meeting statistical course requirements will be given for courses in which 50 percent of the course content appears to be statistical methods, e.g., courses that included studies in research methods in psychology or economics such as tests and measurements or business cycles, or courses in methods of processing mass statistical data such as tabulating methods or electronic data processing.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience - courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience should have included a full range of professional statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying statistical techniques such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance. In addition to the above, you must meet the requirements described below:

For the GS-07:

To qualify for the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-05 level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience is defined as:

• Assisting in preparing statistical data for analysis;
• Assisting in analyzing statistical data using statistical software (e.g. Stata, SAS, etc.); AND
• Utilizing statistical analysis and statistical software to assist in producing reports.

OR

One (1) year of graduate-level education directly related to the position or superior academic achievement in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

Note on Superior academic achievement (S.A.A.) - S.A.A. recognizes students who have achieved superior academic standing as evidenced by one of the three methods described below. In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership:

1.Class standing Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.

2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) Applicants must have a grade-point average of:a.3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or b. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. (Grade-point averages will be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.)

3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed in the following link: Honor Societies (

OR

A combination of graduate education and specialized experience as listed above.

Education

If you qualify on the basis of education in lieu of experience, you must submit a copy of your transcripts. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package; however, official transcripts will be required prior to receiving an official offer.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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 further information, visit: FOREIGN EDUCATION

Additional information

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and are claiming 5-points veterans' preference , you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference , you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference visit: VETERANS GUIDE

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see SELECTIVE SERVICE).

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 87 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: CAREER TRANSITION.

Non-competitive Appointment Authorities:

For more information on non-competitive appointment authority eligibility requirements:

- Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A

- Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans

- Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses

- Other Special Appointment Authorities

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.