Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current students enrolled in accredited educational institutions from high school to graduate level. Those in Registered Apprenticeship Programs and Job Corps programs are also eligible to apply. This is a Pathways Internship position which may confer eligibility for non-competitive conversion to a permanent or term appointment.

THIS IS A PATHWAYS INTERNSHIP POSITION WHICH MAY CONFER NON-COMPETITIVE ELIGIBILITY TO A PERMANENT OR TERM POSITION.

RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID.

THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS.

MAJOR DUTIES

The incumbent participates in the application of economic theory, econometrics, and data analysis to support Commission decision-making regarding policies to advance telecommunications, broadband, spectrum allocation, and emerging communications technology.

This position is part of the Pathways Internship Program, designed to provide current students with developmental opportunities that build analytical, research, and policy evaluation skills in telecommunications economics.

Conditions of employment

• Must be actively enrolled in an Economics Ph.D. or related degree program.
• Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation.
• Education-Transcripts Required.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
• Must submit a financial disclosure statement upon assuming the position.
• Resume must not exceed two pages and must meet resume format criteria.
• Job Market Paper Must Be Submitted.

Please note your resume must thoroughly support your qualifications for this position. Your resume is an integral part of the process for determining if you meet the basic qualifications for the position and determining if you are to be among the best qualified.

Must maintain at least half-time enrollment status as defined by your school. 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, you should only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You may verify accreditation at the following website: http:www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html All education claimed will be verified.

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be actively enrolled in an accredited Economics Ph.D., or equivalent degree program.
• Candidates must submit a job market paper (a peer reviewed publication, dissertation chapter, working paper, or similar economic research reflecting a written application of their ability to apply economics, econometrics, and/or data analysis), which they may be asked to present if selected for follow-on interviews.
• Enrolled in a school that has been accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Enrolled at least half-time as defined by your school.
• Be in good academic standing (i.e., must have at least a 3.0 GPA or its equivalent).
• US Citizen or if you are not a citizen you must meet one the following criteria: 1. owe permanent allegiance to the United States (for example, natives of American Samoa and Swains Island); 2. be a lawfully admitted for permanent residence and seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B); or 3. be admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or have been granted asylum under 8 .S.C. 1158 and have filed a declaration of intention to become lawful permanent resident and then citizen when eligible.

Qualifications

Interested candidates should be passionate about the ideals of our American republic, committed to upholding the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, and committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government. Hiring decisions will not be based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

To be deemed as "BEST QUALIFIED", applicants must meet all of the following qualification criteria as outlined within this vacancy announcement:

PART A- GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be actively enrolled in an accredited Economics Ph.D., or equivalent degree program.
• Candidates must submit a job market paper (a peer reviewed publication, dissertation chapter, working paper, or similar economic research reflecting a written application of their ability to apply economics, econometrics, and/or data analysis), which they may be asked to present if selected for follow-on interviews.
• Enrolled in a school that has been accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Enrolled at least half-time as defined by your school.
• Be in good academic standing (i.e., must have at least a 3.0 GPA or its equivalent).
• US Citizen or if you are not a citizen you must meet one the following criteria: 1. owe permanent allegiance to the United States (for example, natives of American Samoa and Swains Island); 2. be a lawfully admitted for permanent residence and seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B); or 3. be admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or have been granted asylum under 8 .S.C. 1158 and have filed a declaration of intention to become lawful permanent resident and then citizen when eligible.

PART B-QUALIFICATION CRITERIA

GS-11

Education: Completed at least 3 years higher level graduate education leading to an Economics Ph.D. degree or an equivalent doctoral degree program. Candidates must be actively enrolled in an Economics Ph.D. degree or equivalent degree program to be eligible for consideration.

OR

Specialized Experience: Candidates must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as follows:

1. Experience conducting economic research and quantitative analysis.

2. Experience developing economic models.

3. Experience presenting economic findings.

OR

C. A combination of both education and specialized experience.

PART C-ADDITIONAL SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

(1) Experience performing research used in publications in peer-reviewed journals (even if candidate is not an author of a peer-reviewed journal publication) focused on applied microeconomics, industrial organization, or the economics of telecommunications or other network industries, including but not limited to industry-relevant technological innovation.

OR

(2) Experience assisting senior economists in the teaching of economics courses focused on applied microeconomics, industrial organization, or the economics of telecommunications or other network industries, including but not limited to industry-relevant technological innovation.

OR

(3) Experience contributing to an agency or private sector organization/company policy making, involving microeconomics analysis focused on applied microeconomics, industrial organization, or the economics of telecommunications or other network industries, including but not limited to industry-relevant technological innovation.

PART D-COMPETENCIES

SME REVIEW

At the time of application you are required to take an external skills-based assessment which is based upon government-wide recognized competencies and consistent with OPM Merit Hiring Plan requirements and the Chance to Compete Act. Should you receive a passing score of 70 or higher, your application will be reviewed by subject matter experts to determine if you meet the OPM qualification requirements for this position.

COMPETENCIES

• Ability to write summaries on economic research projects, coordinating data analysis efforts, and analytical work.
• Ability to contribute to major economic studies and regulatory analyses.
• Ability to evaluate market competition, consumer welfare implications, and industry structure within communications sectors.
• Ability to collaborate constructively with other subject matter experts to develop an empirically based understanding of relevant topics, and ability to present and visualize subsequent analyses for stakeholders at any level of the organization.
• Ability to conduct independent economic research and quantitative analysis related to telecommunications markets, broadband deployment, spectrum policy, and communications competition.
• Ability to develop economic models and apply econometric techniques to evaluate industry behavior and regulatory impacts.
• Ability to present economic findings to senior economists, division leadership, and policy officials.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Optional Four Essay Questions

At the time of application, applicants have the option of answering the following four short, free-response essay questions.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
3. How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Applicants will be required to certify that they are using their own words, and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question.

• In addition: Candidates must submit a job market paper (a peer reviewed publication, dissertation chapter, working paper, or similar economic research reflecting a written application of their ability to apply economics, econometrics, and/or data analysis), which they may be asked to present if selected for follow-on interviews.

What is the Rule of Many

The FCC adheres to the Rule of Many. The Rule of Many means that more than one applicant can be referred to the hiring manager, not just the top few, nor will candidates be placed into scored qualification categories (i.e. Best Qualified, Fully Qualified, Minimally Qualified).

Everyone who meets minimum qualifications and scores 70 or higher may be referred, even if many applicants qualify. There is no fixed limit on how many people can be referred.

What this Means for Applicants

• You do not need to be the highest scorer
• You do need to meet qualifications and score at least 70
• Multiple applicants can be considered fairly
• Selection is based on overall qualifications, not just test scores
• Veterans preference applies

Merit Hiring Plan Resume Requirements

In compliance with Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service resumes must not be longer than two pages in length. The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement.

Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below:

Contact Information

Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number.

Relevant Work Experience

• Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions)
• Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 –08/2022)
• The number of hours you worked per week

Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement.

Resumes must be formatted as outlined above. If the two page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration.

• Resume
• Copy of your transcripts showing total credit hours earned and cumulative GPA.
• Candidates must submit a job market paper (a peer reviewed publication, dissertation chapter, working paper, or similar economic research reflecting a written application of their ability to apply economics, econometrics, and/or data analysis), which they may be asked to present if selected for follow-on interviews.
• Veterans MUST submit form DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," or an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.

Your resume must clearly document how you meet the specialized experience in order to meet the minimum qualification requirements for this vacancy. Some positions require supplemental document(s). All required supporting documents MUST be received by midnight U.S. Eastern Time of the closing date of the announcement, as specified in this announcement. If you do not submit a required document (e.g. transcripts, etc.) your application will be considered incomplete and you will not receive further consideration. Additionally, you may not receive the special consideration, e.g. Vet's Preference, for which you may be eligible without the appropriate supporting documentation. Once you apply to this vacancy you will be prompted by the system to upload the documents. If you are unable to upload the required documentation, contact the HR Specialist listed on the vacancy announcement prior to 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.

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