FINANCIAL ECONOMIST

Duties

At the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), we are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) and value a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the communities we serve. As such, we welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds who share our commitment to public service.

Financial economists provide economic guidance, research, and expertise in a broad range of undertakings, including rulemakings, enforcement actions, market risk assessments, and other regulatory initiatives. In all roles, candidates must demonstrate their ability to apply their knowledge of economics and econometrics in support of the SEC's mission to protect investors, facilitate capital formation, and ensure fair and orderly markets.

Typical duties:

• Provide economic guidance, research, and expertise in a broad range of projects, including federal policy, rulemakings, enforcement actions, market risk assessment, and other regulatory initiatives.
• Use economics, finance, and econometrics to develop and analyze federal financial policies and rules, including their impact on individuals, businesses, market efficiency, competition, and capital formation.
• Use economics, finance, and econometrics to evaluate specific violations of securities laws, such as analysis of market impact of the alleged wrongdoing, and analysis of the extent of harm as well as ill-gotten gains.
• Use economics, finance, and econometrics to provide risk assessment and modeling analyses to support SEC supervisory, surveillance, and investigative programs involving market, systemic, conduct and fraud risk.
• Present and discuss analyses, models, and findings with SEC leadership and legal staff. Contribute to meetings and engagements with external stakeholders.
• Plan, organize, and prioritize tasks to address needs, emerging issues, and meet timelines, while working collaboratively and flexibly with multi-disciplinary team members, including lawyers and finance policy experts.
• Analyze economic, financial, and administrative data to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of federal financial and securities regulations and policies.
• Evaluate economic research and comments authored by federal agencies, academics and other experts to determine their relevance and implications for federal financial rules and policies.
• Review draft analyses and reports, and address stakeholders' comments, to ensure accuracy, precision, and clarity of presentation of economic issues and data.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a US Citizen.
• Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all the instructions carefully. Failure to follow the instructions may result in you not being considered for this position.
• Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement.
• This position has promotion potential to the SK-14 level.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: This appointment may require completion of a one-year probationary period.
• SECURITY CLEARANCE: Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. Favorable results on a Background Investigation may be a condition of employment or selection to another position.
• DRUG TESTING: This position may be subjected to drug testing requirements.
• PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized.
• 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 in the collective bargaining unit, NTEU Chapter 293.
• This position is eligible to request telework in accordance with the SEC 's telework policy.
• Existing Participants in the SEC’s Remote Telework Program are eligible to apply for this position. If selected, management will evaluate and communicate whether the position will allow for continued participation in Remote Telework.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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 experience.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: A. Applicants must show successful completion of a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.
--OR--
B. An appropriate combination of education and experience----courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Examples of qualifying experience include economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation; supervisory or project coordination assignments involving a staff of professional economists, and requiring the evaluation and interpretation of economic information; or teaching assignments in a college or university in economic subjects in combination with one of the following: personal research that produced evidence of results, direction of graduate theses in economics, or service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement; which includes experience in the application of economics that may be demonstrated in at least one of the following five ways:

(a) Success in conducting research that is of comparable quality to publications in peer-reviewed finance and economics journals;
(b) Experience analyzing the economics of securities litigation that have been submitted in federal courts or in the context of an SEC action, including the quantification of harm to investors or ill-gotten gains;
(c) Experience writing reports that evaluate the effect of policy and rule changes on market performance and function;
(d) Experience writing reports in market microstructure or similar applied microeconomic fields such as industrial organizations and auction theory; and/or
(e) Experience in analyzing the costs and benefits of regulations in financial markets, including effects on market efficiency, competition, and capital formation.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes as it represents the full range that is applicable to current employees in this occupation/grade; however, a selectee's initial pay is always set below the maximum rate of the range. Please click here for additional information.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) are available to individuals who have special priority selection rights under this plan. Individuals must be well-qualified for this position to receive consideration for special priority selection. CTAP or ICTAP eligibles will be considered well-qualified when receiving an adjudicated score of 80 or higher.

Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation for disability to participate in the application process at the SEC, submit the form for Reasonable Accommodation for Participation in Job Application Process here. Please be sure to submit your request at least 5 business days in advance of the date you need the requested accommodation.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Information for SEC Job Applicants: Federal EEO laws protect all applicants from discrimination on the following bases: race, color, sex (not limited to conduct which is sexual in nature, includes pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender status), age (40 and over), religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, retaliation for participating in the EEO process or opposing discrimination. Applicants who believe they have been discriminated against on any EEO basis can seek recourse through the SEC's administrative complaints process. To be timely, an individual must enter the EEO process within 45 days from when they know (or should have known) of the alleged discrimination. Click here for additional information.

The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the Legal and Policy Office in the Office of Human Resources at ElliottT@sec.gov.

• Benefits Help

  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.

  Review our benefits

  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.

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

• Required: Your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.
• Required: Your complete and comprehensive resume that includes a complete history of your work experience and the applicable employment dates with months and years. To determine if you qualify for this position, OHR will review your work history that is relevant to the specific position for which you applied. If you are an external candidate selected for this position, OHR will review your complete work history to establish your starting salary.If you are a current SEC employee selected for this position, the standard percentage increases will be applied (i.e., 6% for non-supervisory and 10% for supervisory positions) if your selection results in a promotion. If your selection results in lateral movement (i.e. no change in grade) you will maintain your current salary. If your selection results in a change in grade from an SK-15 to an SK-16 you will maintain your current salary.Note: Your resume must directly address the definition of specialized experience listed in the qualification section of this announcement and must NOT contain pictures. For external candidates: Information on how your resume will be used for pay setting purposes can be found here.
• Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.)
• Required, if applicable: Veteran's Preference Documentation (DD-214, Member Copy 4 or other documentation containing dates of service and character of discharge. Disabled veterans and other applicants eligible for 10-point Veteran's Preference please include: documentation to validate your claim - VA letter, SF-15, etc).

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.