This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/473366000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Program Staff, Institute of Youth, Family & Community, Division of Community and Education, located in Washington, DC.
The mission of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), an agency in the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension to solve societal challenges. NIFA staff provides national leadership and support for science, extension, and education programs and other cooperative activities in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences disciplines. NIFA's vision is to catalyze, transformative discoveries, education and engagement to address agricultural challenges. NIFA is committed to identifying and meeting research, education, and extension priorities as legislated by the Congress and enable the public and private partners to address challenges of Food Security, Climate Variability and Change, Water, Sustainable Bioenergy, Childhood Obesity Prevention, and Food Safety facing agricultural enterprise.
As National Program Leader you will be responsible for performing critical tasks in four broad areas which include the following: Initiate, network and collaborate with partners and stakeholders to identify mission-relevant problems, opportunities and issues requiring Federal attention. Conceive, formulate, and execute programs and activities to respond to existing or emerging problems, opportunities, priorities and issues for development, Apply science-based knowledge to evaluate policy and develop and implement programs in collaboration with universities and other partners. Lastly evaluate and assess the quality, outcomes and impacts of these programs. All the areas involve work in capacity building, competitively awarded, and targeted programs.
This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion procedures on<NIFA-M17N-0016>. Disabled Veterans, candidates with 3 or more years of active duty military service, and candidates eligible for special hiring authorities can apply to the Merit Promotion announcement if they meet criteria for the above and include supporting documents.
06/29/2017 to 07/20/2017
$94,796 - $161,900 per year
GS 13 - 15
1 vacancy in the following location:
Occasional travel - Occasional
Yes—Relocation will be authorized
Permanent
Full-Time
15
0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences
No
NIFA-S17N-0017
473366000
Major Duties may include, but are not limited to:
US Citizens and Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.
• If you are newly hired, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" system. Federal law requires the use of E-VERIFY to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Under this system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.
• Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including the following specialized experience and/or education, as identified by grade level.
In order to be found minimally qualified, you must meet one of the following basic education requirements AND the specialized experience requirement.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-101-SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelors or higher degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Combination of education and experience: that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
OR
Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-0401-General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series:
Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelors or higher degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Specialized Experience
At the GS-13:
Qualifying experience for the GS-13 level includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-12 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience includes (1) initiating collaborations with partners on emerging biological or social science issue related to education; (2) disseminating or explaining information relating to research, education and/or extension project results, policy or guidelines; and (3) collecting and analyzing data on impacts of research, education or extension programs.
At the GS-14:
Qualifying experience for the GS-14 level includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-13 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.For this position, specialized experience includes (1) networking and collaborating with stakeholders on emerging biological or social science related issues and opportunities relevant to agricultural production; (2) writing and publishing research papers in referred journals and presenting at professional meetings; (3) formulating recommendations and evaluating impacts of research, education or extension programs; and (4) managing biological or social science research, education or extension programs.
At the GS-15:
Qualifying experience for the GS-15 level includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-14 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience includes (1) participating in and/or leading interagency or academic working groups and task forces related to biological or social science; (2) engaging in high level, multi-organization discussions regarding organizational policies and guidelines in biological or social science; (3) integrating knowledge and information across disciplines to address problems and opportunities in biological or social science; (4)providing vision, direction, and perspective for the U.S. agricultural industry; (5) disseminating the results of research to a variety of audiences, including through peer-reviewed publications and presentations to academic, policy officials, and other professional groups.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Managements (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures using category rating. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of two or three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants quality of experience and the extent they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies
Scientific Competence
Partnering
Planning and Evaluating
Communication - Oral and Written
Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect
Technical Competency
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply Online" button to the right.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
• Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
• If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit http://www.naces.org/members.htm. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
• If claiming veterans preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veterans preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veterans preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
• If claiming 10-point veterans preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/
• Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/473366000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about