The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making. This is an interdisciplinary position and my be filled as an Economist or Statistician (Economics). This position is outside of the bargaining unit. This position is at the Full-Performance Level (FPL). Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

Duties

This position is with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Consumer Price Indexes, Chicago Regional Office. Duties include but are not limited to: Directs and provides technical guidance to a branch of professional and technical employees, providing technical leadership in the following areas: Developing and improving survey collection strategies and procedures; collecting data from the most complex companies in the Consumer Price Index Programs; improving survey non­response; assisting branch Field Economists in developing strategies for obtaining participation from respondents critical to multiple BLS programs and surveys; leading, training, and mentoring others; explaining survey findings and data uses; exchanging information on developments relevant to the programs; and making presentations to interested groups regarding survey results. Assigns work to staff Economists and Economic Assistants to achieve program goals. Assignments consider the level of experience required for appropriate data collection, the current regional economic status, as well as cost and time clustering of geographically dispersed units. This includes full responsibility for collection, technical review, and processing of all CPI work within the Branch. Plans, establishes and communicates work priorities to staff; provides training, counseling, staff development and evaluation; develops Branch recruitment plans; interviews, and selects candidates for vacancies and initiates other personnel actions; supports EEO affirmative action plans and objectives; provides advice, counsel, or instruction to individual employees on performance and administrative matters; initiates disciplinary measures. Directs survey planning for the branch and participates in the overall survey planning for the region with the Assistant Regional Commissioner, other CPI Branch Chiefs, and national office staff, including making long-range assessments of the various price programs and surveys. Provides advice on retail trade practices, potential for cooperation, anticipated reporting problems, and content and form of collection materials. Recommends revisions of data collection procedures. Ensures the quality of the data collected by all Branch staff through a comprehensive data quality program consisting of observational interviews, re-interviews, and schedule reviews for multiple surveys. Certifies both Field Economists and Economic Assistants for technical competency for independent data collection. Analyzes data to improve overall Branch performance. Identifies developmental and training needs for staff and develops appropriate remedies to promote consistent production and quality. Participates in CPI survey developmental activities. Directs and evaluates testing of procedures and materials prior to full national fielding. Assesses usability of materials and feasibility of procedures, as well as regional economic factors affecting pre-tests. Provides comments on draft materials sent for regional review. Participates in national level task forces which address program related issues and problems that are nationwide in scope. Researches or directs research and contacts with companies that have complex structures, maintain highly sensitive/confidential records, and usually require highly placed corporate officers' approval before participation. Researches and analyzes a variety of unique and complicated data sources, and determines which source or combination of sources will yield the kind and quality of data needed to satisfy BLS national data requirements. Negotiates levels of cooperation with major United States firms addressing participation in BLS surveys from a multi-survey level. This includes identifying the data needs and priorities of various programs in conjunction with regional office and national office staff. Prepares comprehensive, complex technical reports describing economic related statistical and market developments. Identifies difficult to assess changes/trends and emerging industry practices and developments. Evaluates impact of changes on current procedures, methodologies, and specifications, and recommends improvements to current processes.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Subject to financial disclosure requirements.
• Requires a supervisory probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Requires a valid drivers license.

Qualifications

Qualifications: Applicants must meet the Basic Requirement AND Minimum qualifications for each grade they wish to be considered for. Basic Requirements: Economist, GS-0110: A) Degree in economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting or calculus. OR B) A combination of education and experience - courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Statistician (Economics), GS-1530: 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 should 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) A 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 MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE APPLICANTS MUST ALSO MEET MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED. Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-12, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience: This experience must have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience should include a thorough range of complex economic professional work and training. Specialized experience includes: Expert knowledge of the Consumer Price Index, including technical requirements and collection methodology of all CPI component surveys. Experience in data collection and data collection procedures. Experience providing technical assistance and guidance in the collection, processing, estimating, analysis, and interpretation of data. Experience reviewing data and completing data quality reviews. Experience recommending changes in technical procedures, organization, staffing, and budget to improve program effectiveness and data adequacy. Conducting research and investigations to interpret and present economic findings; expert knowledge of the CPI Data Quality program requirements and an understanding of quality principles to direct subordinate staff. For additional information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management Operating Manual for Qualification Standards, Group Coverage Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions. Individual Occupation Requirements for Economist Series GS-110. Individual Occupation Requirement for Statistician Series GS-1530

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Contacts

• Address Bureau of Labor Statistics 200 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20210 US
• Name: Sara Schnitz
• Phone: (312) 353-0839
• Email: [email protected]