KEY REQUIREMENTS



• U.S. Citizenship

The duties described are for the full-performance level.  At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.

The duties may include, but are not limited to:

Serves as the first level manager for program administration which may include special projects involving large-scale resources and a high degree of logistical planning at a local and statewide level.

Implements regulatory, survey, control and/or eradication programs; represents PPQ in cooperative programs; implements survey, treatment, and/or inspection programs in order to facilitate exports of agricultural products.

Schedules inspections and other program activity for the work unit, much of which is at remote locations.  This work includes passenger and carrier inspections, regulated cargo inspections, export certifications, regulatory activity, surveys, and cooperative program work.

Plans and manages the technical approach for inspections, treatments, survey/eradication programs, and quarantine applications.

Plans and organizes the work of subordinate employees; administers overtime within the existing budget and negotiated labor-management agreements; ensures accomplishment of agency mission by efficient scheduling of official travel and approved leave by subordinate employees.

Gathers data to prepare annual budgets and is expected to operate within the allocation received; ensures supplies, equipment, and facilities are sufficient for program needs.

Directs, assigns, and adjusts work for the local work unit according to changing circumstances; evaluates and reviews the work of the subordinates; evaluates the organization's success in meeting program objectives; performs physical reviews of trap lines, aerial application sites, and mapping reports and other activities related to domestic operations.

To qualify, you MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENT
A.  Degree:  biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a closely related discipline appropriate to the position.

Selective Placement Factor:  The qualifying degree must have included at least 20 semester hours in coursework such as agronomy, cell biology, botany, entomology, forestry, horticulture, mycology, nematology, plant pathology, soil science, or other closely related courses.  Applicants who do not possess or fail to submit documentation of completion of this requirement will be found not qualified.

OR
B.  Combination of education and experience:  courses equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including the Selective Placement Factor, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE:
Applicants can qualify by meeting the EDUCATION requirements specified below and/or the SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE requirements.

EDUCATION
GS-11:  Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in agronomy, cell biology, botany, entomology, forestry, horticulture, mycology, nematology, plant pathology, soil science, or a closely related discipline.

TRANSCRIPTS are required if:

This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.

You are qualifying for the position based on education.

You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.

This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.  For more information on submitting transcripts, click: Transcripts

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11/12 GRADE LEVELS:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to the next lower level in the Federal Service.  This experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors.

Examples of qualifying experience include, but are not limited to:

• 
  Leading and managing people by displaying proficiency in accountability, conflict management, developing others, human capital management and leveraging diversity.


• Implementing regulatory, survey, control and/or eradication programs.


• Implementation of survey, treatment and/or inspection programs on order to facilitate exports of agricultural products.


• Plan, organize and lead/coordinate programs special projects.


• Manage resources within an existing budget.


• Assess, select and apply remedies suited to the assigned problem or situation.


• Devise strategies to overcome significant resource or environmental problems.


• Recommend and justify appropriate resource management strategies.


• In depth experience in working with agriculture industries.


• Understanding of international agriculture work plans and the responsibilities of a plant protection and quarantine program.  

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL:
Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements.  The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level.  To learn more about combining education and experience for this series, click the following:

Combining Education and Experience for Professional and Scientific Positions

THERE IS NO EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION FOR THE GS-12 GRADE LEVEL.

Special Conditions:

U.S. Citizenship.

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with the Selective Service.

DD214 (Member 4 copy) or other veterans' documents required to receive veterans' preference.

As a condition of employment, a background investigation may be required for this position.

Subject to satisfactory completion of one year trial period.

Must maintain a security clearance level sufficient to perform the essential functions of this position.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.  Your resume must support the following:

1.  You meet the specialized experience requirements described in Qualifications above; and

2.  You are proficient in the following skills or competencies. Please provide sufficient detail in your resume to demonstrate your specific experience in each of the areas identified below.  Please note you are not required to provide specific narrative responses to the skills and competencies described in this section.

• Knowledge of Federal plant protection and quarantine programs - knowledge of a broad spectrum of plant protection and quarantine programs, applicable laws and regulations pertaining to plant pests and the importation and exportation of plant and animal byproducts.


• Conflict Management - Encourages creative tension and difference of opinions.  Anticipates and takes steps to prevent counterproductive confrontations.  Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.  


• Influencing/Negotiating - Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate or change their behavior; works with others toward an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions.  


• Human Resources Management - Manages workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations and staffing needs.  Ensures that staff members are appropriately selected, utilized, appraised, rewarded and developed and that they are treated in a fair and equitable manner.  Takes action to address performances problems.    


• Flexibility - Is open to change and new information; adapts behavior or work methods in response to new information, changing conditions or unexpected obstacles; effectively deals with ambiguity and changing priorities.  

3.  Your resume includes dates of employment and a detailed description of each position you held. Failure to do so may impact your rating and may remove you from consideration.

Category rating procedures will be used to rank and select eligible candidates.  The following quality categories will be used:  Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified.  Within each quality category, veterans' preference eligible will receive selection priority over non-veterans.

 

Your final category placement will be based on the information provided in your resume and supplemental documentation submitted with your application package.

 

If, after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your demonstrated abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully.  Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you.

To preview questions please click here.

Eligibility for employee benefits depends on your type of appointment and your tour of duty (work schedule). Generally, you must be hired on a permanent basis and have a regular full or part-time work schedule. For more information on potential benefits, go to: Federal Employee Benefits

Salary:
Range for GS-11:  $57,408 to $74,628 (incl. 14.16% locality pay)
Range for GS-12:  $68,809 to $89,450 (incl. 14.16% locality pay)

OTHER INFORMATION:

For information regarding CTAP eligibility for displaced Federal employees click: Career Transition Assistance Programs

More than one selection may be made if another vacancy occurs within 90 days of the issuance of the certification of eligibles.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact:  USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

For information on filing a complaint of discrimination, click: Filing a Complaint

A complete on-line application will require the submission of the following:

• Resume


• Supporting Documentation which may be required (See links under Required Documents for more information)

For instructions on using the on-line system click: APPLYING ON-LINE
For instructions on submitting documents click: SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

Click on the following links to see if the supporting documentation is applicable to you:

College Transcripts or List of Coursework - MUST be English (Key Requirement and/or Education Substitution)

Foreign Degree Evaluation (Key Requirement and/or Education Substitution)

DD-214 (Member 4 Copy) and other Veterans' documents (Veterans Preference)

ICTAP/CTAP eligibility documentation (Displaced Employees)

Critical Submission Requirements and Reminders

Help in applying online is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time at the number listed in the Contact information section.

All application materials and supplemental documentation will be accepted until midnight Eastern Time on the closing date.

Application and supporting documentation will not be accepted via e-mail.

Due to the high volume of applicants, we are unable to confirm receipt of supporting documentation. If faxing, you should retain confirmation of a successful fax transmission including the number of pages successfully transmitted as proof of submission.

If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the human resources office.  If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must fax and/or upload both the old document and the new document.

Applicants who cannot apply on-line must request a hard copy application packet from the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy announcement.  Resumes and/or supporting documentation alone will not be considered without the inclusion of a hard copy application packet.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

You may check the status of your application on-line 24 hours a day through USAJOBS. Status updates will be available after 2-3 weeks. For instructions on checking your application status click : Checking My Application Status No additional correspondence will be sent.