Summary This position resides in the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB), Forecasting and Analysis Division at the USPTO. Forecasting and Analysis Division has full responsibility for estimating and analyzing workloads, fees, fee collections, fee setting, and related financial, economic and operating parameters across the agency. This position applies quantitative theories, techniques, and methods as well as policy analysis and legal interpretation to accomplish office goals. Responsibilities This position permits, but does not require, remote work. The official duty station and physical worksite for employees who do not opt for remote work will be the Alexandria, VA Headquarters or one of the USPTO's Regional Offices located in Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI or San Jose, CA. The official duty station for employees who opt for remote work, will be their approved remote work location. Employees' locality pay will be determined by the location of their official duty station. This is an entry-level trainee position being advertised under the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. Successful applicants will be placed in a dynamic, one-year career development program. Selectees will participate in formal training, job assignments, and receive a mentor to develop competencies that enhance their career goals. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may, at the agency's discretion, be converted to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service. You are an ideal candidate for this position as an Economist: If you enjoy assisting senior analysts in designing and implementing fee restructuring programs. If you have a passion using quantitative methods to conduct analyses which contributes to management planning, budgeting, and resource decisions. If you are willing to develop financial models based on studying the role of intellectual property rights in the domestic and global economy and other conditions, for input into agency resource and budget processes. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants can qualify by meeting the EDUCATION requirements specified below and/or the SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE requirements. The minimum qualification requirements for each grade level of this vacancy announcement are described below: A) Degree: economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus. OR B) Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at Economist Series, 0110.Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. Candidates for the GS-07 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience assisting in the design and implementation of fee restructuring programs; OR Experience using quantitative methods and conduct analyses; OR Experience assisting in the development of limited financial models. OR 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement Candidates for the GS-09 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience assisting in the design and implementation of fee restructuring programs; OR Experience using quantitative methods and conduct analyses; OR Experience developing limited financial models. OR 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. 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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education Education may be substituted for specialized experience at the GS-07 and GS-09 grade levels. If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Additional Information The Recent Graduates Program is a one-year program that targets individuals who have graduated from a qualifying educational institution or program within the past two years. Veterans have up to four years after graduating from a qualifying educational institution to be eligible for the program due to their military service obligation.Recent Graduates are on a trial period for the duration of the program. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.This is a Bargaining Unit position and represented by The Patent Office Professional Association (POPA)This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "MODERATE". Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice. Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid. CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP. CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement. More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued. All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/accommodation. The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity via email (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).