Deputy Assistant Director, Division of Research

Recruiting Number:                  2011-018E

JOB TITLE:                                        Deputy Assistant Director, Division of Research

AGENCY:                                            Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Sub Agency:                                      CFPB – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau       

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT NO:2011-018E

OPEN PERIOD:                                 October 25-31, 2011

POSITION INFORMATION:            Full-Time TEMPORARY PROMOTION not-to-exceed 1 year; may be extended up to 36 months

DUTY LOCATION:                       Total Openings: 1 ; 1 vacancy(ies) – Washington DC Metro Area, DC

SALARY RANGE:                               Starting at $160,000.00 – $235,000.00

SERIES & GRADE:                            CN – 0110 – 8A

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:              8A

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:          Current CFPB employees on career or career-conditional (permanent) appointments in the competitive service or currently serving on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) appointment.

 JOB SUMMARY:

This position is located in the Directorate of Research, Markets and Regulations (RMR), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Incumbent serves as the Deputy Assistant Director, Division of Research, and is delegated full supervisory and managerial responsibility from the Assistant Director to accomplish the Division’s work.

The Division of Research is responsible for designing and conducting foundational, policy-relevant quantitative research on household finance and behavior of consumer financial firms or markets through both directed and self-directed research, and for sharing this research broadly through reports, papers, and presentations. The Division is also responsible for promoting a robust evidence-based policy making process, helping to ensure that the CFPB fosters honest investigation, open discussion, refined understanding, and a firm commitment to evidence, and assisting the CFPB to understand the nature and extent of the need for regulation of consumer financial markets and the costs and benefits of potential or existing regulations for firms and households. The Division also provides analytical support for complex supervisory and enforcement matters.

DUTIES:

Major Duties of this position include:

•   Assists the Assistant Director, Research in planning, establishing, directing, coordinating and evaluating CFPB’s research programs. Encourages self-directed research that meets CFPB objectives of deepening understanding of household finance and behavior and promoting evidence-based policy making.
• Assists the Assistant Director in developing objectives for directed research, and encourages and supports self-directed research, in the following areas: Household finance and behavior; Industries, firms, and markets; Consumer financial products and services; and Access to consumer financial services, broadly and for underserved communities
• Develops, recommends and implements needed policies, procedures, and guidelines for conducting sophisticated economic research and analysis functions that address important economic and policy issues related to consumer finance. Operates in undefined, new and unprecedented areas of policy, program, organizational, consumer and industry concerns. Continually encourages staff in innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, and excellence.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.

You must answer all job-related questions in the job questionnaire.
Basic Requirements: Degree: 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. 1. Examples of qualifying experience include: (a) individual economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation; (b) supervisory or project coordination assignments involving a staff of professional economists, and requiring the evaluation and interpretation of economic information; or (c) teaching assignments in a college or university that included both class instruction in economics subjects and one of the following (1) personal research that produced evidence of results, (2) direction of graduate theses in economics, or (3) service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems. 2. Experience in related fields that did not involve the use and understanding of economic principles and theories may not be used as qualifying experience for these positions. Special attention on this point should be given to certain types of work that may or may not have provided professional economic experience. The following examples of work require special care in such determinations: (a) economic statistics; (b) industrial surveys; (c) management of individual business enterprises, including farms; (d) industrial planning; (e) writing or editorial work in economic subjects; and (f) financial market analysis. The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
AND
Specialized Experience: Your résumé and any other submitted documentation must establish that you possess one year of very senior-level management and technical experience equivalent to the CN-7A level (For qualification purposes, the CN-7A level is broadly equivalent to the GS-15). Specialized experience is defined as:

• Demonstrated mastery of econometrics or one or more applied microeconomic fields, such as consumer and/or household finance, industrial organization, regulation economics, economics of information, or a related field that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to conduct sound applied microeconomic analysis and research.
• Broad-based knowledge of and demonstrated experience in complex qualitative and quantitative techniques necessary to independently manage and lead the conceptualization, implementation, and evaluation of complex economic studies and analyses. Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively orally and in writing, to communicate goals and objectives to staff; to develop networks and coalitions to achieve common goals; and to defend policy and program recommendations to the highest levels of agency management that will be relied upon as absolutely valid and accurate.
• Ability to plan, organize, assign, and monitor the work of a subordinate staff to ensure efficient, effective, and timely completion of assignments.The experience may have been gained in either the public or private sector. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY:

Your application includes your:
1. Resume,
2. Responses to the online questions,
3. Required supporting documents
4. Cover letter (optional).
Note: If a cover letter is submitted, it may be used to assess your qualifications.

We use a multi-step process to evaluate and refer applicants:

1. Minimum Requirements: Your application must show that you meet all requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. You may be found “not qualified” if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position. If your application is incomplete, we may rate you as ineligible.

2. Rating: Your application will be evaluated against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. You may also be further evaluated using additional assessment processes.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your score. A human resources representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the selecting official.

3. Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application will be referred to a selecting official for consideration and possible interview. You must receive a score of 90, or higher, in order to be considered as well-qualified to receive special selection priority.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

 If selected for this position, you will:

• Before entering on duty, be required to complete a Public Financial Disclosure Report, SF-278, in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from doing so.
• Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process.
• Successfully complete a background investigation.

VACANCY QUESTIONS:

For your application to be considered complete, you need to respond to the following Vacancy Questions below in a separate document included in your application.  

Grade: All Grades
* 1.Do you meet the Specialized Experience as stated in the vacancy announcement? (Select only one response)

1. Yes

2. No

* 2.Which of the following responsibilities have you performed on an ongoing basis with respect to subordinate staff? Include all relevant experience, whether or not officially classified as supervisory, but do not include responsibilities performed only on an ad hoc basis. Identify all that apply

1. Planning work assignments on a multi-year basis.

2. Setting goals, milestones and timetables and adjusting timetables or priorities as needed in response to changes in mission priorities or staff capabilities.

3. Developing duty statements or position descriptions.

4. Developing performance standards.

5. Evaluating performance.

6. Recommending performance-based actions and awards.

7. Providing informal coaching and mentoring to junior staff.

8. Interviewing applicants and making recommendations for appointment or promotion.

9. Identifying training needs and ensuring accomplishment of required training.

10. None of the above.

 * 3.Select the response that best describes your ability to translate program objectives into current and multi-year organizational structures, staffing and resource requirements. (Select only one response)

1. I have exercised ongoing responsibility for all of the following: developing options or recommendations for creating or changing organizational structure to optimize efficiency of research program operations; identifying budget and staffing requirements for current and out years; defending resource requirements to top management; executing the approved budget for the research program office; and conducting or directing continuing assessment of operations to identify need for realignment of budget and staff resources to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

2. I have exercised ongoing independent responsibility for developing and defending current and multi-year budget and staffing requirements to support projected program operations, conducting or directing continuing assessment of efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and related managerial functions to optimize impact and cost efficiency of program operations. I have also worked with or assisted other managers and/or led comprehensive projects to identify options and develop recommendations to address specific organizational structure or resource allocation issues.

3. I have supervisory or managerial experience that has included reallocating staff or budget to meet changing priorities or resource gaps in ongoing program operations, developing budget recommendations with justification for inclusion in a broader organization request and similar activities related to ongoing program management. I have also led one or more project teams to assess efficiency and effectiveness of operations and develop improvement recommendations, project probable impact of specific emerging issues on resource requirements, or perform similar analyses related to translating program objectives into operating resource requirements.

4. None of the above.

* 4.Select the response that best describes your ability to develop, implement and evaluate policies and procedures for complex research and analysis programs. (Select only one response)

1. I have experience both with CFPB and with outside government, consumer, financial industry, private business, academic or other organizations in which I participated in developing objectives for research programs to address broad economic and policy issues. I developed long- and short-range objectives for the economic research program to align with overall organizational strategic objectives, identified and established metrics for measuring effectiveness of research program execution, and identified need for new policies, procedures or approaches to meet emerging policy, consumer and industry concerns. My work required coordination of ongoing research in two or more of the following areas: household finance or behavior; industries, firms or markets; consumer financial products and services; and/or access to financial services by consumers, particularly underserved communities.

2. I have developed long- and short-range objectives aligned with strategic goals, identified and established metrics for measuring research program effectiveness, and identified need for and recommended new or revised policies, procedures or approaches for specific economic research programs in one or more areas of consumer finance at the national level. My work was similar to that described above but did not require coordination of projects in as wide a range of subject areas. I participated in projects and reviews to assess potential application of new research findings or methodologies to ongoing research or to develop recommendations for better alignment of the research program with organizational strategic goals, but did not exercise ongoing responsibility for such analyses.

3. I have performed work comparable to that described above in a field office or component program office of a large organization. I exercised ongoing responsibility for coordinating research, developing policies and procedures, evaluating research program effectiveness and aligning the research program goals with overall mission objectives at my office level, but participated in only one or two reviews intended to develop recommendations research policies or program direction at the national organization level.

4. None of the above.

* 5.How did you find out about this job? (Select only one response)

1. Recruitment/Outreach Event

2. Advertisement

3. CFPB Jobs Website

4. USAJOBS site

5. Friend

6. Other

HOW TO APPLY:

Please electronically submit your résumé, answers to the vacancy questions, your transcript, and other required documentation to CFPB21stCenturyJobs@cfpb.gov, noting the position title and 2011-018E in the subject line.

Application packages must be received no later than 5:30 p.m. on October 31, 2011.

BENEFITS:

Our comprehensive benefits are among the most generous in the federal government. They include:

• Challenging and rewarding work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards  
• Ten paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year  
• Access to comprehensive health, vision, dental, life, and long-term care insurance programs that may be continued after you retire  
• A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods.  We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.   
• Participation in the Federal Reserve Retirement and Thrift Plans; or continued participation in the Civil Service Retirement System or Federal Employees Retirement System.  
• Public Transit Incentive program (PTIP)  
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)  
• Health Unit Services  
• Emergency Child Care Service (Contracted Service)  
• Fitness Center Access  

Learn more about federal benefits programs at: http://www.usajobs.gov/EI/benefits.asp#icc.

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