Economic Specialist at Embassy of United States of America

Summary:

The U.S. Mission in Ethiopia is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Economic Specialist in the Economic Section.

Duties

The incumbent is responsible for providing in-depth analysis of macroeconomic trends and ensuring access to key economic decision-makers and players in the public and private sectors. In addition, the job-holder will support interagency efforts to further U.S. economic objectives such as capacity building at the central bank and Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority. The job-holder will be required to coordinate U.S. Government visits and USG-sponsored events/conferences. The job-holder will serve as backup to the Trade and Investment Specialist.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Requirements:

All selected candidates will be subject to a background investigation and may be subject to a pre-employment medical exam.
The selected candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable time (4 weeks) upon receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.

Education Requirements:

Master’s degree in Economics, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or Statistics is required.
Please address this factor in your ERA application under Education.

Evaluations:

You will be evaluated against the qualifications and requirements in this vacancy announcement.
You may be asked to complete a pre-employment language or skills test.
You must complete the application form and provide the required documents. Your application must address all the position qualifications and requirements including education, experience, language, and any knowledge/skills/abilities listed. If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position.

Qualifications:

Experience:

Three years of experience in economic research and analysis, or banking and finance.
Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

Language:

Fluency in Speaking/Reading/Writing may include the ability to translate English is required. Fluency in Speaking/Reading/Writing, which may include the ability to translate Amharic is required. (These may be tested)
Please address this language requirement in your ERA application.

Job Knowledge:

Candidate should have some understanding of Mission elements and responsibilities as well as U.S. interests. S/he must understand the complexities and nuances of Ethiopia’s economic development goals and achievements across all key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, banking and finance, mining, and services. S/he must also have a sound grounding in Ethiopia’s history, and familiarity with Ethiopia’s social, cultural, and religious landscape, customs, and traditions. In addition to the above, s/he should also grasp some regional and international factors and systems that influence Ethiopia and USG policy/interests, as well as be familiar with the activities and capabilities of regional and international organizations (e.g. AU, UNECA, COMESA, etc.)
Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

Skills And Abilities:

The job holder must be able to exercise judgment in evaluating data sources, concluding, and estimating the significance of developments. The position requires interaction with high-level private sector executives and government officials. Candidate should have strong data analytic skills, computer skills, and communication skills – both verbal and written. The job-holder must be able to convert data into graphics for ease of understanding and be able to summarize complex data in a succinct and comprehensible format. The job will entail participation in various representational events requiring a basic knowledge of diplomatic protocol. (These may be tested)
Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

Benefits and Other Info

Benefits:

Agency Benefits:

The U.S. Mission offers a competitive compensation and benefits package for local employees.
For Eligible Family Member (EFM) applicants, benefits should be discussed with the HR Office. The pay plan is assigned by the HR Office and confirmed by Washington, D.C.

Other Information:

HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS: 

A hiring preference is extended to eligible and qualified applicants in the order listed below. It is essential you accurately describe your status in your application, failure to do so may result in a determination that you are not eligible for a hiring preference.

HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER

Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM) / U.S. citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
AEFM / USEFM
Foreign Service (FS) on Leave without Pay (LWOP) and Civil Service (CS) with reemployment rights **

* IMPORTANT:  US citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of their most recent DD-214 (“Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”) preferably Member Copy 4, Letter from Veterans’ Affairs which indicates the present existence of a service-connected disability, equivalent documentation, or certification.  A “certification” is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on the letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date, and (2) the character of service.  Acceptable documentation must be submitted for the preference to be given. 

** This level of preference applies to all FS employees on LWOP and CS with re-employment rights back to their agency or bureau.

ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS

The following applies to EFMs, USEFMs, and AEFMs only:

Current employees who used a hiring preference to gain employment who are within their first 90 calendar days of employment are not eligible. This does not apply when the hiring mechanism is TEMP or the work schedule is intermittent or irregular.
Candidates with a hiring preference who have already accepted a conditional offer of employment may NOT be extended a second conditional offer of employment unless and until they withdraw their candidacy for the first position in writing.

The following applies to Locally Employed (LE) staff only:

Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible.
Current employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement, Unsatisfactory, or an MBC score of less than 100 points on their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible.