Director, Economics and Trade

POSITION TITLE: Director, Economics and Trade

VACANCY NUMBER: 006-2023-DET        

SALARY: $140,000 to $175,000 per year; commensurate with qualifications and relevant experience

POSITION INFORMATION:  Administratively Determined, Full-Time, Term-Appointed Position. 

One or more vacancies may be filled under this announcement. (The initial term of appointment is one year and is generally renewed annually, by mutual agreement. The position is not covered by provisions of 5 USC that apply to Executive Branch employees regarding appointment, termination, competitive service selection, and pay related rules and regulations.)

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: Open to all qualified U.S. Citizens

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:  

(1) All candidates must be available to begin work in-person in Washington, DC on or before January 2, 2024, earlier start is preferred.

(2) Applicants must be eligible for a Top Secret//SCI security clearance. A previous or current active clearance is not a prerequisite for applying for or initiating employment.

OPEN & CLOSING DATES: Monday, October 2, 2023 to Monday, October 30, 2023

Applications may be reviewed and considered as received.

CONTACT: Email: Opportunities@uscc.gov

ABOUT THE COMMISSION

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission is a Congressional advisory commission, mandated to monitor, investigate, and report to Congress on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.

The Commission’s full mandate is posted at https://www.uscc.gov/charter.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direction of the Executive Director, the position is responsible for leading, managing, and developing a small team of 3–6 policy research staff (analysts, fellows, and research assistants), specifically overseeing the unclassified and classified research, policy analysis, writing & editing, and policy recommendation development work in Economics and Trade subject matter areas for each member of the assigned research team. Also contributes to the broader staff as one of 4-6 peer directors providing cross-functional coordination and leadership across the Commission staff.

1.      Lead and manage a diverse team developing policy-relevant analysis within the Commission’s mandate. Lead the team’s efforts to: generate ideas; research and draft the Commission’s Annual Report; prepare issue briefs and staff papers; develop hearings; draft talking points and editorials, etc.

2.      Develop and mentor junior and mid-career policy analysts to build subject matter expertise and produce substantive and effective written and oral assessments of issues in the team’s portfolio.

3.      Collaborate with peer analytic team(s) to ensure research in support of the Commission’s mandate is comprehensive and coordinated across all relevant issue areas.

4.      Ensure the team’s analytic work is: accurate, timely, and well written; satisfies the requirements of Commissioners and Congress; reflects the Commission’s positions; are relevant to Congressional policy-making; and meet professional and tradecraft standards.   

5.      Serve as a subject matter expert for Commissioners, to Congressional staff, and in support of the Commission’s advice to Congress, in the subject areas assigned to your team (see areas of expertise identified in the requirements and qualifications listed below).

6.      Develop and sustain a professional network with officials in the U.S. government who create or carry out China-related strategy, policy, or plans; regulators involved in executing economic or trade relations with China; and China analysts in the U.S. government, private sector, and academia.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

1.      An established record of policy-relevant professional experience on issues related to U.S.  economics and trade relations with China and their implications for U.S. national security.

2.      Experience supervising and leading people and teams in conducting research and analysis.

3.      Strong and demonstrated ability to present information clearly and concisely through both written and oral communication.

4.      Advanced research, analytical, and evaluative skills, including the ability to mentor and develop in analysts the skills necessary to synthesize and analyze large amounts of disparate data on emerging and/or controversial issues and clearly communicate their implications to a policy audience.

5.      Expert knowledge of three or more of the following areas.

a.      The overall state of China’s domestic economy;

b.      China’s financial system, including its banking system and capital markets, and their regulation;

c.      China’s evolving policy and regulatory landscape, including market access for foreign companies, protection of intellectual property rights, data security, food and product safety, energy, and technology development;

d.      China’s economic diplomacy and statecraft, including its participation in international economic governance and standards organizations;

e.      Trade policies and practices of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, as well as which agencies within these jurisdictions are responsible for determining, implementing, and supervising, and conducting trade policies relationships;

f.       U.S.-China bilateral trade and investment flows, and their impact on U.S. national security, industries, and workers;

g.      China’s adherence to U.S.-China bilateral trade and investment commitments, its obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization, and other multilateral agreements;

h.      Trade laws, regulations, procedures and goals of the U.S. Congress and Executive Branch, especially those pertaining to the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, as well as to the control of exports and regulation of securities issuance and trading; and

i.       The overall composition of international trade, and the application of economic principles in U.S. bilateral and multilateral trade, financial, and economic relations.

j.       China’s defense industry and military-civil fusion policy and programs: research, development, and acquisition (RDA) of defense weapons, materiel, and equipment in China; the ecosystem of state-owned enterprises, nominally private industry, military offices that oversee the development of arms and armament, and the research institutions involved in the RDA process.

k.      Advanced developing technologies, dual-use technologies, and their relationship to key defense, military, law enforcement, and surveillance applications.

6.      Professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, to include ability to effectively utilize original language sources of electronic and print information, and guide the use of such resources by other analysts, in developing policy-relevant original research and analysis.

HIGHLY DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

(Not required, but may be considered in the selection process)

1.      Experience working in or engaging with Congress on matters related to economics and trade policy.

2.      Experience living and/or working in China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, or in a U.S. government department or agency that conducted, oversaw, or regulated economic or trade relations with China.

3.      Academic degree(s) in a relevant field, such as Economics, Political-Economy, Asian Studies, International Relations, or Political Science.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit a complete application package containing all of the below required documents in one PDF file via email to Opportunities@uscc.gov. Incomplete application packages or information not received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date will not be considered.

1)     Cover letter, to include:

a.      Position title;

b.      Vacancy number;

c.      Brief statement outlining your interest in the Commission and this position and how you heard about the position;

d.      Concise pitch on how you meet the requirements and qualifications set out in this vacancy; 

e.      Your salary requirements;

f.       Name and contact information for two professional references, one of which must be a current or recent past supervisor.

2)     Resume

3)     Current Writing Sample

The writing sample can be on any topic; writing relevant to the position being sought is strongly preferred; writing and editing must be your own work (a published piece where you were one of several authors/editors is less useful). Prefer a sample 3-10 pages in length.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER APPLYING

After submitting your application package, you will receive an email confirming receipt of your application materials. Please note this email confirmation is not automated and may take 2–3 business days to receive. You will be contacted via email if we wish to schedule an interview or require additional information. All applicants will be notified once the position has been filled.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED

The Commission will conduct an internal evaluation based on applicants’ submitted application packet. The Executive Director and appropriate staff will interview the top candidates. The Chairman and/or Vice Chairman may interview the final candidates. The final hiring decision will be made by the Executive Director, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman.

Interviews will consist of at least two parts: 1) interview(s) with the Executive Director and appropriate staff; and 2) a writing test.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Commission actively seeks a diverse applicant pool and values having a variety of views, backgrounds, and experiences on the team. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of that individual’s protected characteristics, including: race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and childbirth), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, uniformed service, or sexual orientation.

The Commission will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities as appropriate. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

The Commission participates in the E-Verify Program established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). If you are hired by the Commission, the Commission will verify with the DHS and the SSA that you are eligible for employment in the United States.

Benefits. As federal government employees, Commission employees are eligible to participate in federal employee benefits programs, to include: health insurance; dental and vision insurance; life insurance; and a retirement plan (FERS), including the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), a 401k-like retirement savings program. Employees accrue and may use annual and sick leave in accordance with Commission policies and procedures. For more information, please visithttps://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/.