KEY REQUIREMENTS



• See "Qualifications Required" below.

The Analyst in Public Finance will work on legislation and oversight issues in the areas of small business, economic development, and general tax policy for Members and committees of the U.S. Congress. The analyst will locate and interpret factual information; conduct research; prepare objective, non-partisan descriptive, background, and analytical reports; and participate in team research projects and seminars. The work also includes briefing congressional staff and Members.

The ideal candidate will have formal training in or experience with microeconomics with an emphasis on small business and economic development policy; knowledge and experience with public policymaking; and/or formal training in public finance economics or general economics.

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:

Students or Library of Congress employees who meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

1. U.S. citizenship.
2. Enrollment in or anticipated graduation from an appropriate, accredited advanced degree program between September 2011 and August 2012 (Library employees may already possess a graduate degree).
3. General education requirements for a GS-9 or GS-11 appointment (see table below).
4. Additional education requirements for economist positions (see below).

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-09/GS-11 APPOINTMENTS:

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ECONOMIST POSITIONS:

1. A degree in economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.
   
   OR
   
   
2. A combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in (1) above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, AND ABILITY REQUIREMENTS:

The critical knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), gained through education, experience and/or training, needed to successfully perform the duties of the position:

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Completed application packages will be forwarded to a panel of CRS staff that will first assess applicants against basic eligibility, general education requirements, and additional education requirements for economist positions. An evaluation panel will then assess the degree to which candidates meet the critical knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) required to perform the duties of the position and offer the better qualified candidates an opportunity for an interview in person, by telephone or by other telecommunications means. In addition to the critical KSAs listed above, the following competencies will also be addressed during the interview:

• Ability to convey analysis and information orally through briefings, consultations and other presentations.
• Ability to exercise objectivity in all phases of analysis, consultation and/or oral presentations.
• Ability to communicate orally.

Finalists may be required to submit a writing sample related to their academic discipline.

A complete applicant package will require applicants to provide responses to a vacancy questionnaire, which includes mandatory submission of a Candidate Statement of Interest.

The selectee for this position may qualify for one or more of the following benefits during the summer appointment:

• Paid annual leave (for vacations, personal business or emergencies)
• Paid sick leave (for personal medical needs, care of a family member, bereavement purposes and/or adoption-related purposes)
• Paid federal holidays
• Training
• A transportation subsidy to be used on the Metrorail system, Virginia Rail Express, MARC commuter trains, county and commuter buses and qualified commercial van pools

OTHER INFORMATION:

The Congressional Research Service, within the Library of Congress, is part of the Legislative Branch of the federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service.

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustment for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

The appointment tenure for this position is full-time temporary; flexible work schedules may be available.

The position description numbers for this vacancy announcement are: 4737 (GS-9) and 4738 (GS-11).

Relocation expenses are not authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.

Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation.

Applicants who are referred for an interview will be required to submit a completed OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment.

Those Graduate Recruit Program participants who are converted from a temporary appointment to a permanent position, and who have not yet completed the one-year probationary period required of all new Library employees, will be required to do so. Time served in the temporary appointment will not count toward completion of this one-year probationary period requirement.

CRS staff not placed in a permanent position under the Graduate Recruit Program will return to the position occupied before entering the program or a position of similar grade and duties without loss of federal service tenure or seniority. Before applying, other Library of Congress employees should consult their supervisor or service unit management regarding the status of their position should they be selected for the program but not placed in a permanent position.

The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. Women, men, minorities, and persons with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.

This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify Nancy Warrick at CRSGraduateRecruit@crs.loc.gov or (202) 707-6960. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Please carefully follow all instructions to ensure you are considered for the position.

Step 1: Review this job announcement. We recommend you review the "Qualifications Required" section of the announcement to determine whether your education and experience align with the position requirements.

Step 2: Click the "APPLY ONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Log into your USAJobs account, or create an account if you do not already have one.

Step 3: Follow USAJobs' instructions to submit your resume. Your resume should include the following information:
-- Work experience (paid and unpaid, including start and end dates and hours worked per week)
-- Education

Step 4: You will be redirected to the Library's Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be required to answer questions related to your eligibility for federal employment and requested to provide demographic information.

Step 5: Provide responses to the vacancy announcement questions (you can preview these questions by clicking the link under "How You Will Be Evaluated" above).

Step 6: Attach transcripts (official or unofficial) of all completed graduate courses or a self-prepared course list showing grades and the number of credits received. Graduate transcripts/course lists are mandatory; undergraduate transcripts are optional.

Step 7: Click "Finish" to submit your application. You will be redirected to USAJobs with notification that your application has been completed. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by signing into your USAJobs account and clicking "Application status."

If you have questions or are experiencing technical difficulty you MUST CONTACT Nancy Warrick at CRSGraduateRecruit@crs.loc.gov or (202) 707-6960 no later than 4:30 p.m. EDT of the closing date.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

It is recommended that you review your application to ensure it contains the following items:

• Resume (uploaded through USAJobs.gov)
• Completed vacancy questionnaire
• Graduate transcripts or a self-prepared course list (attachment to application)

Note: the "Documents" section of the application may request that you attach an OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment. You may choose to upload this form as part of your application or submit it at the time of interview.

Incomplete applications will not be referred to interview officials and will be disqualified from further consideration.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Please refer to "How You Will Be Evaluated." You will receive final notification via e-mail when the vacancy has been filled.