Surveillance Analyst

Commodity Futures Trading Commission•Washington, DC

14h

About The Position

This position is in the Surveillance Branch within the Division of Enforcement. The Branch develops, manages, and evaluates the Commission's market surveillance program. The analyst examines commodity derivatives market data—including futures, options, swaps, digital assets, and prediction markets—and related cash market products. The work includes analyzing trading activity and market behavior, assessing potential market disruption or manipulation, preparing reports for Commission Enforcement staff, developing business intelligence dashboards, and contributing to software prototypes that automate surveillance techniques. The role also serves as an analytical advisor to attorney teams and senior leadership, helps guide major projects, reviews work by data science professionals and other analysts, and supports development of the agency's AI and data analytics strategy. Candidates are evaluated on competencies that include ethical AI use, identifying data limitations, data analysis, machine learning, AI logic, AI literacy and problem solving, workflow automation and AI agent orchestration, and evaluation of AI outputs. The announcement describes qualification requirements at CT-13 and CT-14 levels. CT-13 requires at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS/CT-12); CT-14 requires at least one year equivalent to GS/CT-13. There is no education requirement. This is a bargaining-unit position in NTEU Chapter 337. Relocation expenses will not be paid. A one-year probationary period may be required.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Background/security investigation.
Selective Service registration for males born after 12/31/1959.
CT-13: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS/CT-12, including expert knowledge of economic and statistical theories and trading techniques for commodity derivatives market analysis, strong market intuition and quantitative skills, experience executing, maintaining, or improving trading strategies, and ability to analyze trader activity in relation to price movements, price relationships, open interest, and trading volume.
CT-14: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS/CT-13, including expert knowledge of economic and statistical theories and trading techniques for commodity derivatives markets; experience discussing trading and market situations with market participants and trading venues and identifying trading behaviors and intentions; ability to isolate or define critical problem areas and adapt, extend, or synthesize theories, principles, or techniques for difficult analyses; written and oral communication skills, including communicating graphical information and building team consensus; ability to interpret and apply Commission regulations for economic and statistical analyses; and skills maintaining or improving automated trading systems and executing, maintaining, or improving trading strategies.
Competencies include responsible and ethical AI use; identifying data limitations; data analysis; machine learning; AI logic; AI literacy and problem solving; workflow automation and AI agent orchestration; and critical evaluation of AI outputs.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

Responsibilities

Conduct in-depth market, trading, economic, statistical, and data analyses of commodity derivatives and related cash market data.
Analyze trading by individuals and groups in relation to price movements, price relationships, open interest, and trading volume to assess supply-and-demand forces or potential artificial market disruption.
Analyze elements of proof in market abuse and market or price manipulation cases; evaluate results and prepare detailed reports with tabular and graphical analysis for Commission Enforcement staff.
Build and assist in developing business intelligence dashboards using tools such as Tableau or Allium.
Participate in developing software prototypes to advance and automate surveillance techniques.
Translate analytical findings for attorney teams and senior leadership.
Guide major projects, including reviewing output from data science professionals and other analysts to support tool development and understanding of covered markets.
Support development of the agency's AI and data analytics strategy.