Economist

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia. This announcement will close at 11:59 PM, on the day that 100 applications have been received or on the closing date, whichever is first.

Duties

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY As a(n) Economist, you will: Analyzing economic, behavioral, social science, budgetary, and program data to identify trends and relationships and assess their potential implications for Health Information Technology programs and policies. Assisting in developing and applying explanatory, predictive, econometric, and decision-analytic models to evaluate Health Information Technology programs, expenditures, adoption, and health care delivery issues. Interpreting research results and technical data and prepares reports, memoranda, briefing materials, and other analytical products for review and use by program officials and management. Performing assigned portions of economic research studies examining Health Information Technology adoption, utilization, costs, and impacts on health outcomes and Federal programs. Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR Basic Qualifications: A. Must have at least a bachelor's degree in economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus. OR B. Must have 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 GS-11: A. Have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service that includes ALL of the following: Assisting with economic research and analysis related to health information technology (HIT) programs and initiatives. Applying basic statistical, quantitative, and economic methods to collect, organize, and analyze data under guidance. Supports evaluation studies examining Federal HIT investments, health care costs, and program outcomes. Preparing summaries, tables, and preliminary findings to support economic and health policy analyses and recommendations. OR B. Have three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered an academic year of graduate study. OR C. Have a combination of experience as described in "A" above and education as described in "B" above. GS-12: Have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service that includes ALL of the following: Conducting economic research and analysis of HIT programs, initiatives, and investments. Applying statistical, econometric, and quantitative methods to analyze health care and HIT data. Developing economic analyses and findings to support health policy, program planning, and performance evaluation. Performing evaluation studies assessing Federal HIT investments, program outcomes, and health care costs. GS-13 Have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service that includes ALL of the following: Evaluating economic and program data to identify trends, relationships, and potential policy implications. Contributing to the development and application of economic models used to assess Health Information Technology programs and expenditures. Interpreting research findings and develops analytical materials for program officials and management consideration. Supporting economic studies examining Health Information Technology adoption, utilization, costs, and impacts on health outcomes. Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

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 further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov. Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments. Basic Qualification Question As part of the application process, you must answer a question addressing whether you meet the Basic Requirement for this position, as described in this announcement. Minimum Qualification QuestionAs part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the Specialized Experience required for this position, as described in this announcement. Your response must be supported by the experience documented in your resume. If your resume does not demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you may be found not qualified. Assessment Process USA Hire AssessmentYou are required to complete a USA Hire assessment for this position. The USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. HR Resume Review Human Resource (HR) Specialists will review your resume to determine whether you meet the required Specialized Experience. Applicants who successfully pass all of the assessment(s) may be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration. You must complete all required steps in the process, including submitting an application and resume and participating in the assessments, to be considered for this position. In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. Note: This vacancy will be filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority. Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Please click here for more information on OPM's Authorization of Direct Hire authority" Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Applications will be evaluated against the basic qualifications. Qualified candidates will be referred for consideration in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management direct hire guidelines. Veteran's Preference does not apply to the direct hire recruitment procedures. Selections made under this announcement will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the civil service. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13066161 Other Information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc. Bargaining Unit Position: No Research position: No Drug Screening Required: No Applicants selected for this position will be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be considered well-qualified under I/CTAP, you must be rated eligible based on minimum qualifications for this position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement. Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire