2004 Commissioner's Leadership Program

The Commissioner's Leadership Program (CLP) is designed to attract and retain an exceptional group of Economists, Mathematical Statisticians, Information Technology Specialists, and Administrative Professionals (entry at the GS-9 level) who will develop expertise across Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) programs through rotational assignments.

Orientation for selectees of the FY 04 class of the Commissioner's Leadership Program will occur during the Summer of 2004. Selectees will be expected to begin working fulltime during this timeframe. Applicants not selected for the 2003 program must reapply.

See below to learn how the CLP can benefit your career!

I. PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND BENEFITS:

• Challenging 2-year, full-time program with potential to lead to career employment in either our national or regional locations.
• Rotational assignments lasting up to 6 months each that immerse you in BLS national and regional operations.
• Blended learning environment incorporating classroom and on-the-job training.
• Mentoring during your entire rotation and exposure to executive level staff.
• Experiences that help develop analytical and leadership skills and the ability to identify the BLS program that fits you best.

II. EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS:

• Competitive salary, excellent promotional and educational opportunities, and flexible hours.
• Transit subsidy; annual, sick, and holiday leave; and health and life insurance coverage.
• Retirement Program includes a portable and flexible 401-K type plan (Thrift Savings Plan).

III. QUALIFYING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Economist: A course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in economics or a related field which included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting or calculus.
• IT Specialist: A bachelor's degree in information science, computer science, mathematics, statistics, operations research, or engineering or a bachelor's degree that included 24 semester hours in computer-related course work.
• Mathematical Statistician: A bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours in mathematics and statistics, of which at least 12 hours must be in mathematics at or above calculus and 6 hours must be in statistics.
• Administrative Professional: A bachelor's degree in any field.

Appropriate professional experience combined with education, including the specified course work, may be substituted for the bachelor's degree.

In addition to the above requirements, all applicants, including those applying to Administrative Professional positions, must possess a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

IV. HOW AND WHEN TO APPLY:

The application deadline is March 8, 2004. BLS will accept applications for this program between December 2, 2003 and March 8, 2004. Candidates for the Commissioner's Leadership Program must submit their complete application packets by March 8, 2004. Application packets or materials received after March 8, 2004 will not receive consideration. Orientation for selectees of the FY 04 class of the Commissioner's Leadership Program will occur during the Summer of 2004. Selectees will be expected to begin working fulltime during this timeframe. Applicants not selected for the 2003 Commissioner's Leadership Program must reapply.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 16 years of age to apply to this program.

V. WHAT TO INCLUDE:

Applicants must submit all of the following between December 2, 2003 and March 8, 2004 to receive consideration under the Commissioner's Leadership Program:

• Resume OR an Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF-612) or any other written format, including a Standard Form (SF) 171. Certain information is needed in order to evaluate your qualifications for the job; therefore, your application must contain the following information:
1. Social Security Number.
2. Full legal name and mailing address.
3. Daytime and evening telephone numbers.
4. Experiences most relevant to the position. Include name of employer, dates of employment, job title, start and end dates, a description of your duties and responsibilities, and hours worked per week for each job listed.
5. Title, series, grade, and dates of highest Federal civilian position held.
6. Education. Include name, city, and state of high school and colleges/universities attended as well as date of diploma or GED. Also include type and year of any degrees received and majors. If you do not have a degree, include total credits earned and indicate whether the credits earned were semester or quarter hours.
7. To receive credit for relevant training, list seminar/course titles, dates, number of hours, and name of the institution(s) from which training was received.
8. Description of honors, awards, and special qualifications, such as language and computer skills, along with dates acquired, if relevant to position.
9. If applying for reinstatement or transfer, attach a copy of the appropriate SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which confirms your status.
10. Veterans' Preference: If you served on active duty in the U.S. Military and were separated under honorable conditions, you may be eligible for veterans' preference. If your service began after October 15, 1976, you must have a Campaign Badge, Expeditionary Medal or a service connected disability to receive preference.
    * To claim 5-point preference, attach a copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty or other proof of eligibility.
    ** To claim 10-point preference, attach an SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference, plus proof required by that form.
• Statement of interest (no more than 500 words, typed in at least 10 point font or written in blue or black ink on a separate piece of paper) explaining why you believe that you would be an asset to the CLP.
• Separate sheet addressing the rating factors for the particular position(s) for which you are applying. (See Section VII for more information.)
• Copy of your college/university transcripts (student copy or photocopy acceptable) from each college or university you attended which lists all courses taken and all grades received.
• Two letters of recommendation for each position (PDF for Administrative Professional) (PDF for Information Technology Specialist) (PDF for Economist) (PDF for Mathematical Statistician) for which you are applying, to be completed by professionals familiar with your work, such as a professor, academic advisor, supervisor, or a manager. The recommending officials must complete and provide the letters of recommendation (received no later than March 8, 2004) to the attention of Dan Herrmann at the Bureau of Labor Statistics or you will not receive consideration for this program.

Completed application packets must be faxed, hand-delivered, or mailed (received no later than March 8, 2004) to:

U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Workforce Staffing and Recruitment
Commissioner's Leadership Program
Room 4230, Attn: Dan Herrmann
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20212
Telephone: 1-800-827-5334
Fax: 202-691-5507

If you have any questions, please contact Workforce Staffing and Recruitment at 1-800-827-5334 or email CLP@bls.gov.

VI. METHOD OF EVALUATION:

Applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements for this position may be further evaluated against other job-related factors to determine who will be referred to the selecting official. A categorical ranking method will be used to evaluate applications. Applicants to the Commissioner's Leadership Program must ensure that all of the required application materials are received by the Bureau of Labor Statistics or postmarked by the closing date of this announcement or they will not receive consideration under this program. BLS may contact current and/or past supervisors unless the applicant specifies otherwise. Applicants may be interviewed by a panel and/or the selecting official or the selecting official's designee.

VII. Rating Factors:

Your application must include information on work experience which addresses the evaluation factors below. Applicants may choose to apply to more than one of the following job occupations-Economist, Mathematical Statistician, Information Technology Specialist, and Administrative Professional. Applicants must address all five factors individually to receive consideration under the program. This must be done for each occupation for which you are applying. Responses must be either typed in at least a 10-point font or written in black or blue ink.

Economist

1. Ability to plan, organize, and complete projects under tight deadlines while working effectively as a team member.
2. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
3. Ability to apply advanced economic theories and concepts, econometrics, mathematical economics, or forecasting in economic research and analysis.
4. Ability to apply probability and statistics in economic research and analysis
5. Ability to use data sets and statistical software applications such as Eviews, Minitab, SAS, SPSS, SUDAAN, and TSP in economic research and analysis.

Information Technology

1. Ability to plan, organize, and complete projects under tight deadlines while working effectively as a team member.
2. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
3. Ability to analyze complex requirements and design documents.
4. Ability to program in languages such as Java/J2EE, C++, or SAS and knowledge of database management systems such as SYBASE or Oracle.
5. Knowledge of software development methodology and techniques such as object-oriented software engineering, rational unified process (RUP), or capability maturity model (CMM).

Mathematical Statistician

1. Ability to plan, organize, and complete projects under tight deadlines while working effectively as a team member.
2. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
3. Knowledge of and ability to apply Advanced Mathematical Statistics and Probability Theory to concrete problems (e.g. distribution theory including the normal, binomial, beta, and gamma).
4. Ability to utilize statistical software applications such as MathLab, SAS, SPSS, and SUDAAN.
5. Ability to perform data analysis using regression, logistical regression, residual plots, and other diagnostics against data sets.

Administrative Professional

1. Ability to plan, organize, and complete projects under tight deadlines working effectively as a team member.
2. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
3. Ability to solve complex problems using analytical skills and tools.
4. General knowledge of administrative organizations and management practices.
5. Ability to utilize current and emerging technologies.

VIII. PERMANENT POSITION LOCATIONS:

Upon successful completion of the program:

• Economist positions will be in our Washington, D.C., and/or regional locations.
• Mathematical Statistician, Information Technology Specialist, and Administrative Professional positions will be in our Washington, D.C. location.

IX. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT:

The Federal government is an equal opportunity employer. Hiring and advancement in the Government are based on qualifications and performance, regardless of your race, color, marital status, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.

The Department of Labor welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities and will reasonably accommodate the needs of those persons.

Male applicants between the ages of 18 and 25 are eligible for appointment only after registering with the Selective Service System.

Last Modified Date: March 2, 2004

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Phone: 1-800-827-5334
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