Surveillance Analyst

Summary

This position is located in the Surveillance Branch within the Division of Enforcement. The Branch is responsible for the development, management, and evaluation of the Commission's market surveillance program.

Duties

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Conduct in-depth market, trading, economic, statistical, and data analyses of a wide variety of commodity derivatives market data, including futures, options, swaps, digital assets, and prediction markets, along with related cash market products.

Analyze trading by individuals and groups of traders in relation to price movements, price relationships, open interest, and volume of trading, applying sophisticated economic and statistical techniques to determine whether such activity represents basic supply and demand forces or potential artificial market disruption.

Analyze elements of proof in market abuse and market/price manipulation cases, evaluate results, and prepare detailed reports incorporating tabular data and graphical data analysis for use by Commission Enforcement staff.

Build and assist in the development of business intelligence dashboards in tools like Tableau or Allium to drive insights from complex datasets.

Participate in the development of software prototypes to advance and automate surveillance techniques in support of the Branch's mission in a rapidly expanding and innovative industry.

Strategic and Advisory Duties:

Serve as a trusted advisor, translating analytic findings for attorney teams and senior leadership.

Guide the successful completion of major projects, including reviewing output from data science professionals and other analysts to support tool development and an increased understanding of covered markets.

Support the development of the agency's AI and data analytics strategy.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship
• Background/Security Investigation
• May be required to serve a one-year probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency (knowledge, skills and abilities) in the following areas:

1. Responsible and Ethical AI Use

Knowledge and skills to apply AI in ways that protect personal/professional security, mitigate harm, and ensure mindful, informed, and productive interaction. This includes understanding bias, privacy, governance, and compliance

2. Identifying Data Limitations

Ability to recognize AI's constraints, assess data quality, and evaluate outputs for accuracy, completeness, and relevance

3. Data Analysis

Skills in selecting, preparing, managing, and analyzing data to meet project goals, including statistical methods, visualization, and domain-specific analytics.

4. Machine Learning (ML) Competencies

Understanding of ML concepts, algorithms, and applications, plus the ability to research, develop, and deploy generative AI tools and methodologies

5. AI Logic Competencies

Knowledge of symbolic/logic-based AI, reasoning processes, and strategic decisions about when and how to apply these approaches.

6. AI Literacy and Problem Solving

Foundational understanding of AI capabilities, limitations, risks, and when human.

7. Workflow Automation and AI Agent Orchestration

Skills to design processes where AI handles repetitive tasks, and to manage multi-step AI agent workflows

8. AI Output Evaluation

Critical review of AI results for factual accuracy, logic, and alignment with objectives

Qualifications

CT-13 Level: To qualify for the CT-13 level you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS/CT-12 level). Specialized experience is defined that through which one has gained experience:

Expert knowledge of economic and statistical theories and in-depth trading techniques relating market, trading, and economic analysis of commodity derivatives markets including futures.

Strong market intuition and quantitative skills.

Skills in executing, maintaining, or improving trading strategies.

Ability to analyze trading by individuals and groups of traders in relation to price movements, price relationships, open interest, and volume of trading,

CT-14 Level: To qualify for the CT-14 level you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS/CT-13 level). Specialized experience is defined that through which one has gained experience:

Expert knowledge of economic and statistical theories and in-depth trading techniques relating market, trading, and economic analysis of commodity derivatives markets including futures, options, swaps, or prediction markets, discussing trading and market situations with market participants and trading venues, and identifying trading behaviors and intentions.

Ability to work individually or as a member of a team to isolate and/or define critical problem areas and use ingenuity to adapt, extend, or synthesize existing theories, principles, or techniques to carry out difficult analyses

Communication skills to clearly convey findings in written and oral form, including graphical information, and the ability to educate and build consensus within a team environment.

Ability to interpret and apply the Commission's regulations for economic and statistical analyses.

Skills in maintaining or improving automated trading systems.

Skills in executing, maintaining, or improving trading strategies.

Education

There is no Education Requirement for the position.

Additional information

This is a Bargaining Unit Position located in the National Treasury Employee Union (NTEU) Chapter 337.

Relocation: Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Probationary Period:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• Your performance and conduct;
• The needs and interests of the agency;
• Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary/trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

More than the number of positions listed may be filled through this vacancy announcement.

The overall salary range is provided for informational purposes as it represents the full range that is applicable to current employees in this occupation/grade. A new hire's direct and overall experience are critical factors in determining a salary offer, therefore, it is important that your resume fully reflects all of your work experience. Note that the upper end of each range is typically applicable only to candidates with significant years of work experience and qualifications Please review the CFTC Compensation Program website for additional information.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.