What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Economist position at California Department of Industrial Relations?
Job Description And Duties
***Please ensure application is complete with detailed job description/tasks performed, employment beginning and ending date information, and hours worked per week.***
The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA or DOSH) is seeking an Lead Economist (Research Specialist III) to serve as Cal/OSHA’s economic expert. Cal/OSHA is the agency responsible for protecting employees’ safety and health throughout California. This is a unique opportunity to use data-driven research and statistical analysis in the interest of this critical mission.
Under the general direction of the Research Data Manager in the Research Data Unit, the Research Data Specialist III serves as the economic expert for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). The incumbent is responsible for developing macroeconomic and econometric models, conducting simulation studies, and performing rigorous statistical and analytical analyses. Utilizing tools such as R, Python, SQL, and other software languages, the incumbent develops models and conducts macroeconomic analyses to inform policy decisions. The primary focus of this role is to create macroeconomic models that assess the economic impacts of changes in rulemaking and regulations. This process requires the development of innovative analytical approaches, a deep understanding of macroeconomic modeling, econometric techniques, and the legislative and rulemaking procedures. The incumbent will be the department's expert on macroeconomic theory, practice, and analysis. In addition, the role requires conducting ad-hoc econometric and trend analyses using data from both government and non-government sources. The Lead Economist will guide and mentor junior team members, sharing expertise in economic theory, statistical methods, and applied data analysis. Please review the attached Duty Statement for details.
Partial telework schedules will be considered, with some in-person work required. If you are applying to the Sacramento location, please note that travel to the Cal/OSHA headquarters in Oakland may be required several times per month.
***There is only one position that may be filled in either Oakland or Sacramento. If you are interested in more than one location, please submit a complete application for each specific job control.***
This posting may be used to fill future vacancies in accordance with 2 CCR
Research Data Specialist III:
https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Exams/ExamBulletin.aspx?ExamControlId=2363
Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click her e to visit the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website.
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .
Working Conditions
This job is located at:
Cal/OSHA Research Data Unit
1515 Clay Street. Suite 1901
Oakland, CA 94612
***There is only one position that may be filled in either Oakland or Sacramento. If you’re interested in more than one location, please submit a complete application for each specific job control.***
The incumbent works in a high-rise air-conditioned building with natural and artificial light and temperature control and occupies a cubicle workspace. The incumbent is required to work extensively on the computer as necessary for email communication, accessing software platforms, drafting documents, data entry and other purposes.
Special Requirements
Directions:
Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Final Filing Date: 12/12/2025
Who May Apply
Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.
Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).
How To Apply
Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:
Address for Mailing Application Packages
You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:
Department of Industrial Relations
Cert Mailing Address Sacramento
Attn: Personnel Recruitment & Hiring Unit
2180 Harvard Street Suite 160
Sacramento , CA 95815
Address for Drop-Off Application Packages
You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:
Department of Industrial Relations
Cert Drop Off Address Sacramento
Personnel Recruitment & Hiring Unit
2180 Harvard Street Suite 160
Sacramento , CA 95815
08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Required Application Package Documents
The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.
***Please ensure application is complete with detailed job description/tasks performed, employment beginning and ending date information, and hours worked per week.***
The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA or DOSH) is seeking an Lead Economist (Research Specialist III) to serve as Cal/OSHA’s economic expert. Cal/OSHA is the agency responsible for protecting employees’ safety and health throughout California. This is a unique opportunity to use data-driven research and statistical analysis in the interest of this critical mission.
Under the general direction of the Research Data Manager in the Research Data Unit, the Research Data Specialist III serves as the economic expert for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). The incumbent is responsible for developing macroeconomic and econometric models, conducting simulation studies, and performing rigorous statistical and analytical analyses. Utilizing tools such as R, Python, SQL, and other software languages, the incumbent develops models and conducts macroeconomic analyses to inform policy decisions. The primary focus of this role is to create macroeconomic models that assess the economic impacts of changes in rulemaking and regulations. This process requires the development of innovative analytical approaches, a deep understanding of macroeconomic modeling, econometric techniques, and the legislative and rulemaking procedures. The incumbent will be the department's expert on macroeconomic theory, practice, and analysis. In addition, the role requires conducting ad-hoc econometric and trend analyses using data from both government and non-government sources. The Lead Economist will guide and mentor junior team members, sharing expertise in economic theory, statistical methods, and applied data analysis. Please review the attached Duty Statement for details.
Partial telework schedules will be considered, with some in-person work required. If you are applying to the Sacramento location, please note that travel to the Cal/OSHA headquarters in Oakland may be required several times per month.
***There is only one position that may be filled in either Oakland or Sacramento. If you are interested in more than one location, please submit a complete application for each specific job control.***
This posting may be used to fill future vacancies in accordance with 2 CCR
- 249.3
Research Data Specialist III:
https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Exams/ExamBulletin.aspx?ExamControlId=2363
Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click her e to visit the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website.
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .
Working Conditions
This job is located at:
Cal/OSHA Research Data Unit
1515 Clay Street. Suite 1901
Oakland, CA 94612
***There is only one position that may be filled in either Oakland or Sacramento. If you’re interested in more than one location, please submit a complete application for each specific job control.***
The incumbent works in a high-rise air-conditioned building with natural and artificial light and temperature control and occupies a cubicle workspace. The incumbent is required to work extensively on the computer as necessary for email communication, accessing software platforms, drafting documents, data entry and other purposes.
Special Requirements
Directions:
- The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be double spaced and not to exceed 2-pages. Use Arial font, size 11 or larger.
- Each response should include the corresponding question number to clearly indicate which question is being answered.
- Describe a Past Macroeconomic Analysis: Could you provide a detailed description of a past macroeconomic analysis you conducted? Include key groups affected and why, methods and modes of analysis, data sources used, results and recommendations, and any presentations or white papers you created.
- Handling Ambiguous Requests for Economic Analysis: How do you approach vague or unclear requests for economic analysis? Describe your process for clarifying the requirements, identifying what needs to be done, and verifying your analysis with reliable sources.
- Influencing and Convincing Others with Your Analysis: As an expert and leader, how do you effectively influence others or persuade them of the validity of your model or analysis? Please provide a detailed example showcasing your approach and techniques.
Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Final Filing Date: 12/12/2025
Who May Apply
Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.
Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).
How To Apply
Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:
Address for Mailing Application Packages
You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:
Department of Industrial Relations
Cert Mailing Address Sacramento
Attn: Personnel Recruitment & Hiring Unit
2180 Harvard Street Suite 160
Sacramento , CA 95815
Address for Drop-Off Application Packages
You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:
Department of Industrial Relations
Cert Drop Off Address Sacramento
Personnel Recruitment & Hiring Unit
2180 Harvard Street Suite 160
Sacramento , CA 95815
08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Required Application Package Documents
The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:
- Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
- Resume is required and must be included.
- Statement of Qualifications - Please see Special requirements section of the posting for instructions on the Statement of Qualifications.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.
Salary : $8,392 - $10,505
