Federal

AGRL ECONMST

Economic Research Service ยท Department of Agriculture
๐Ÿ“ Washington, District of Columbia GS-14 $143,913 - $187,093/yr
Posted: Apr 6, 2026 Deadline: Apr 20, 2026 (Closes in 8 days days left)

About This Position

The positions are located with the Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Market and Trade Economics Division, Crops Branch in Washington, D.C.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Basic Requirements: Degree: 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

Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. AND Specialized Experience for GS-14 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-13 which is directly related to the work of this position, and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 level of this position are: experience planning and performing technical, applied economic research or outlook studies related to the commercial agricultural sector; interpreting economic concepts as they relate to food or agricultural commodity markets, and disseminating economic research data through presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals or equivalent government or industry publications related to current global or domestic food or commodity issues.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Major Duties

Develops and executes a market outlook and analysis program for rice. Conducts outlook and research programs related to rice that deal with current and emerging issues and problems.

Conducts complex economic research on issues that are relevant to markets both domestically and internationally, especially the rice sector.

Demonstrates ability to plan and coordinate a program of complex economic research, analysis and outlook for crop markets.

Responsible for coordination and integration of the team's program of research and analysis with those of other teams and other Branches in the Division and the Agency.

Leads a team of lower graded economists and support people but may independently perform some major studies.

Conducts complex economic research and analysis on the rice sector.

Provides short- to long-term forecasts of domestic and international agricultural market conditions.

Responsible for identifying research activities and staff required to complete the work associated with analysis of the rice sector.

Assumes full technical responsibility for formulating and carrying out research plans and is responsible for the validity and application of the economic results produced.

Assesses current economic assumptions and explore alternative scenarios to continually improve the state of the art.

Maintains large databases and oversees data collection, economic analysis and research, and publication and communication of results and findings.

Serves on Division and ERS committees and task forces as the expert on rice and serves on interagency committees. Expert on research and analysis performed within his or her area of expertise.

Responsible for preparing briefings, working papers, position papers, and national and international meetings for the Secretary of Agriculture, Under Secretary, and/or the Chief Economist.

Represents the Branch, Agency, and Department in various high-level meetings concerning the rice sector.

Representing the Department at economic and trade conferences, at working-level contacts with foreign diplomatic missions, and on inter-agency and intergovernmental committees.

Education

Please see above for education qualification requirements.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. This is a Direct Hire Authority position. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veterans' preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Note: All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration. Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire.

The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right. To view the application form, visit:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12928986

Additional Information

**This Position is being filled through OPM's government-wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens.

Your application will be evaluated for basic eligibility and to determine if your experience and/or education meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and other basic requirements will be referred and are eligible for selection. ** Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given a new appointment to the civil service.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified based on an evaluation of the following competencies: Competencies: Research- Conducts economic analysis and research on major issues affecting global agricultural markets and trade.

Undertakes and completes complex economic program of outlook, research, and analysis, as well as managing large databases. Technical - Skill and ability to analyze data in order to make comparisons and draw conclusions. Gathers and interprets pertinent data from a variety of sources and identifies trends available through regular channels and alternative sources.

Identifies cause and effect relationships to solve complex problems. Conducts economic analysis, research, and provides authoritative technical analysis that draws on large datasets covering agricultural data for multiple countries and commodities. Data Management - Maintains large databases.

Oversees data collection and documentation. Communication- Communicates economic information to public and private decision-makers. Knowledge, and skill in the application of the methods and techniques of oral and written communication in order to write clear and objective economic analyses for inclusion in documentation, reports and/or articles including peer reviewed articles; develop and deliver presentations and publications on data uses; and work with all levels of personnel.

CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT: Federal employees are subject to prohibitions against officially dealing with outside organizations in which they have a financial interest. If hired for this position, you may be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of the effective date of your appointment and annually thereafter.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin.

You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged.

We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

Resumes must not exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX).

Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted.

Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.

If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university.

If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service.

For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the AGRL ECONMST position at Economic Research Service?
The salary range for this position is $143,913 - $187,093/yr. This is a GS-14 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the AGRL ECONMST job located?
This position is located in Washington, District of Columbia. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Basic Requirements: Degree: A bachelor's (or higher) degree in economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accoun...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Apr 20, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does GS-14 mean?
GS-14 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.