Economist-Direct Hire

Responsibilities

• WHAT IS THE SMALL BUSINESS/SELF EMPLOYED (SB/SE) DIVISION? The Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) Division provides examinations and taxpayer education services for about 7 million small businesses and upwards of 33 million self-employed and supplemental income taxpayers. SB/SE taxpayers generally have higher incomes than most taxpayers, need to file twice as many tax forms, and generally need to rely more on paid tax preparers and the taxpayer education outreach activities of the IRS.
• WHAT DOES A ECONOMIST DO? Economists perform a variety of economic studies to evaluate policies affecting tax administration and taxpayer compliance, and to define feasible alternatives. They provide senior management with analyses of problems for decisions that must be made under conditions of uncertainty, such as changes in the future economic environment or managerial priorities. They assess the economic aspects of existing programs and activities to determine their investment potential and contribution to the achievement of the IRS mission. They manipulate models of alternative proposals to determine the efficacy of proposed policies and procedures. They prepare written materials explaining the methodology used, which is presented to and used by IRS management. They evaluate quantitative data to determine the effectiveness of various approaches to redesigning IRS work processes. They recommend different courses of action as necessary, and represent the office at meetings with other Executive Branch agencies, Congressional staff, and external stakeholders. They plan and carry out projects for collecting detailed economic data from primary sources.
• As a Economist you will:
• Perform a wide variety of economic studies to evaluate policies affecting tax administration and taxpayer compliance and to define feasible alternatives, which involves analyzing long-range effectiveness and resulting recommendations.
• Provide senior management with analyses of problems for decisions that must be made under conditions of uncertainty, such as changes in the future economic and demographic environment or technology, or changes in managerial priorities.
• Assess the economic aspects of existing programs and activities to determine their investment potential and contribution to the achievement of the IRS mission and strategic goals, and serve as a consultant to aid in preparing, executing, revising and monitoring management policies.
• Prepare written narrative and/or briefing materials explaining the methodology used and supporting recommendations derived from the analyses, which may be presented to and used by the highest levels of IRS management in discussions with Treasury, OMB, GAO, and Congress.

Qualifications

• You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:
• BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: (All Grades)
• You must have 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. Examples of qualifying experience include (this list is not all inclusive): a. Individual economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusion 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 include 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. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in economics.
• In addition to the above, you must meet the requirements described below:
• GS-13 LEVEL: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: experience in the application of quantitative techniques to analyze and address complex and multidisciplinary issues pertaining to strategic planning, public policy, or public administration; experience applying principles, concepts, and methodologies associated with economic theory, mathematical modeling, econometrics, statistics and related fields gained through graduate education or experience; experience working complex work assignments; experience selecting, organizing, and presenting appropriate information in a concise and coherent manner and relating such information to areas of economic policy; experience in negotiations and interpersonal skills to obtain information, data and intelligence from others. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Performing a wide variety of economic studies to evaluate policies affecting tax administration and taxpayer compliance and to define feasible alternatives. Providing senior management with analyses of problems for decisions that must be made under condition of uncertainty, such as changes in the future economic and demographic environment or technology, or changes in managerial priorities. Evaluating quantitative data to determine the effectiveness of various approaches to redesign work processes. Preparation of written narrative and/or briefing materials explaining the methodology used and supporting recommendations derived from analyses.
• - The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
• - To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.