Agricultural Economist (Commodities Analyst)

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of the Chief Economist (OCE), World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB). The incumbent serves as a Senior Agricultural Economist (Commodities Analyst) responsible for leading major analytical components of USDA's market outlook program.

Monitors agricultural markets and conducts economic analyses on supply, use, and price forecasts for crops and livestock.

Evaluates changing agricultural policies, programs, and economic conditions affecting commodity supply and demand; and performs studies covering a wide range of domestic and global agricultural issues.

Leads assessments on evolving supply and demand conditions among major producing and consuming countries and analyzes how these shifts influence global agricultural trade patterns.

Independently evaluates how international supply, demand, exchange rates, and price relationships affect U.S. crop and livestock producers under current and alternative structures and technologies.

Leads planning, directing, and guiding commodity outlook analyses for major crop or livestock products, ensuring analytical rigor and consistency across outlook efforts.

Leads shaping and coordinating commodity outlook activities, providing strategic direction, mentoring, and ensuring high quality, policy relevant economic insights.

Serves as a lead authority in commodity outlook work, capable of initiating analytical approaches, overseeing complex evaluations, and representing the outlook function in internal and external engagements.

Communicates complex agricultural data and analysis—both in written products and verbal presentations—in clear, accessible formats that distill key insights for a wide range of users.

Delivers timely, objective information that supports reliable agricultural supply and demand estimates and informs decision making across programs and policy areas.

Leads engagement with diverse audiences—including senior decision makers, agricultural specialists, economists, and public stakeholders—to clearly explain agricultural estimates and analysis to both technical experts and non specialists.

Consistently produces high quality economic analysis under tight deadlines and efficiently manages multiple, concurrent analytical tasks for assigned market areas.

Independently develops, monitors, and maintains well structured market analysis data, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and consistency across publications, datasets, and analytical workflows.

Provides thorough and constructive reviews of colleagues’ work, helping maintain organizational standards and contributing to clear, reliable, and well coordinated market outlook products. Mentors junior outlook staff within WAOB and across USDA.

You must be a US Citizen or US National. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. If selected, you may be required to serve a probationary as applicable to appointment type. Refer to Next Steps section for additional information.