Office of the Secretary

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is currently seeking an Economist. ASPE serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of HHS on policy development and is responsible for major activities in the areas of policy coordination, legislative development, strategic planning, policy research, evaluation, and economic analysis. Economists will join a fast-paced work environment to conduct and support the conduct of assigned segments of economic and policy analyses, review and provide comment on economic analyses prepared within the Department, and apply knowledge of economic theory, statistical/econometric techniques, computer programming and modeling to develop and conduct research and evaluation projects related to science and public health policy.

The Office of Science and Data Policy within ASPE is the departmental focal point for policy research, analysis, evaluation, and coordination of department-wide public health science policy and data policy activities and issues. The Office provides authoritative advice and analytical support to the ASPE and departmental leadership on public health science policy and data policy issues and initiatives, coordinates science and data policy issues of interagency scope within HHS, and manages interagency initiatives in science policy and data policy. The Office works closely with staff from across the Department on strategic plan development and implementation efforts. The Offices also carries out a program of policy research, analysis, evaluation, and data development in these issues.

Position Duties and Responsibilities (GS-13 level Economist)
• Conducts statistical and economic analyses of current and prospective Federal activities that affect science and public health.
• Develops, designs, and conducts policy-relevant research projects that include both quantitative and qualitative analyses, contributing to a range of science and public health topics to help inform recommendations about policy development and/or program improvement.
• Collaborates with multiple HHS agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, as well as counterparts in other Federal agencies and relevant stakeholders.
• Helps respond to requests from ASPE, Departmental leadership, and the White House for policy analysis and information on a variety of healthcare topics and initiatives.
• Participates in HHS policy discussions and attends meetings, providing input and developing memoranda and briefings, as needed.

Qualifications
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral
• A highly motivated analytic thinker who is willing to work on a variety of topics and works well on teams to achieve cross-cutting objectives
• Exceptional research skills, quantitative and/or qualitative
• Experience with data manipulation and statistical programs, such as SAS or Stata
• Interest in connecting and translating research to and for policy
• Knowledge of public health and related issues and the roles of HHS agencies, including FDA, NIH, CDC, and ASPR, and interest in applied policy issues

General Position Summary
ASPE staff includes analysts with backgrounds in health services research, medicine, public health, health policy, and economics. The Economist position is based at HHS Headquarters in Washington, DC. U.S. citizenship is required.

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability and genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.

How to Apply
An announcement for the ASPE Economist position will be posted at www.usajobs.gov. Search the site using the keyword “ASPE.” To be considered for the position, all applicants must apply online before the posting’s closing date.