Economist

Find Your Future With Us at USDA – Animal Plant Health Inspection Service

This position is located at the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), Fort Collins, Colorado. Conducts original benefit-cost studies of NWRC wildlife management products and of Wildlife Services (WS) operational effectiveness to solve wildlife damage complaints.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. BASIC REQUIREMENT:
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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
Experience using R, Python, or Stata. Experience using econometric/statistical analysis of big datasets. Navigating, interpreting, and analyzing scientific writing and scientific presentations. Interpreting and applying principles of wildlife damage management, wildlife ecology, biology, or environmental science. Proactively identifies and gathers large datasets needed for analysis. OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree in Accounting, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Agricultural Economics or Finance or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required:
This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. You are qualifying for the position based on education. You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL:
Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, Ameri Corps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

• Apply economic methodology to quantify the benefits and costs of WS activities and NWRC products and develop improved assessment, sampling, and econometric methods.
• Conceptualize, organize and create presentations to NWRC researchers, WS personnel and Stakeholders to disseminate Project research study findings and activities.
• Collaborate with the Project Leader/Research Economist and economics project staff, as well as other NWRC researchers and WS personnel, in the conduct of economic research and data analyses.
• Assist in planning, conduct research and report results of economic research dealing with the benefits and costs of human-wildlife conflicts, wildlife damage management techniques and activities.
• Independently derive novel procedures for economic analyses with readily definable objectives, available information sources, and conventional research procedures.
• Identify important variables and perform data collection and assembly of relevant files for economic research.

08/06/2026

08/12/2026

83265 - 108251 USD Per Year

You can make a difference! The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) needs bright, energetic and committed professionals to facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and to protect the health and care of animals and plants in the United States. We operate in domestic and global markets. Be part of an organization that protects the health and agriculture of the American people.

Join our team! To learn more about what it's like to work at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, what the agency does, and the types of careers, please visit the APHIS careers site. APHIS is an emergency response agency. This means that all Agency employees may be asked or assigned to participate in rotating temporary duty assignments to support emergency programs at some time during their careers with APHIS.