This position is designed as a SES, Career-Reserved. USDA structures its SES positions into position levels. This is a position Level Two. Exceptions to the salary cap may be considered in certain circumstances. Visit http://www.opm.gov/ses/ for additional information and benefits for SES employees.
Summary
This position is designed as a SES, Career-Reserved. USDA structures its SES positions into position levels. This is a position Level Two. Exceptions to the salary cap may be considered in certain circumstances. Visit http://www.opm.gov/ses/ for additional information and benefits for SES employees.
As the Deputy Administrator of Plant Protection and Quarantine, you serve a vital leadership role through safeguarding U.S. agriculture and natural resources against the entry, establishment, and spread of economically and
environmentally significant plant pests, diseases, and noxious weeds, and facilitating the safe trade of agricultural products. Major duties and responsibilities are but not limited to the following:
Participates fully with the Administrator and Associate Administrators in the formulation and administration of broad national policies and objectives of APHIS;
Plans and develops overall objectives, policies, and procedures for broad, goal oriented PPQ regulatory, control, and eradication programs;
Provides executive direction essential to implementing program and policy objectives involving difficult and important decisions and determinations regarding the conduct, coordination and integration of regulatory and control programs;
Directly supports the Administrator, APHIS, and other key Agency officials, and carries out a critical role in interacting with and supporting the Office of the Secretary and the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs;
Ensures APHIS adherence to environmental laws and polices such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, etc. and consistency of regulation;
Keeps the Administrator, APHIS, and other officials fully informed of program and related considerations having significant bearing upon the planning, development, and administration of the overall plant protection and quarantine programs;
Provides leadership and direction in evaluating the effectiveness of program operations in terms of adherence to operating plans and time schedules, the maximum utilization of resources, the qualitative value of the end product, or results;
Evaluates, coordinates, and consolidates program requests in terms of budgetary planning, systems, and develops recommendations; and
Collaborates with USDA and other Agency Officials in coordinating activities to fulfill the requirements for integrated programs as set forth in broad agency and departmental planning systems.
Veterans Preference is not applicable in the Senior Executive Service.
Initial appointments are required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
Background Investigation required.
This position requires a Top-Secret security level clearance.
Qualifications
The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. DO NOT submit Executive Core Qualifications in lieu of a resume.
To apply for this position you need only submit a resume which CANNOT exceed FIVE (5) pages using 1 inch margins and a 12 point font. Any resumes submitted in excess of five (5) pages WILL NOT be considered. You must submit a resume which provides evidence of how you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Mandatory Technical Qualifications. Failure to meet the basic qualification requirement and address the Mandatory Technical and Executive Core Qualification factors within your resume will result in your application being disqualified.
As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-15 grade level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations.
MANDATORY EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQS):The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions.
1. Leading Change: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. (Competencies: creativity and innovation, external awareness, flexibility, resilience, strategic thinking, vision)
2. Leading People: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organizations vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. (Competencies: conflict management, leveraging diversity, developing others, team building)
3. Results Driven: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. (Competencies: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, entrepreneurship, problem solving, technical credibility)
4. Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. (Competencies: financial management, human capital management, technology management)
5. Building Coalitions: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. (Competencies: partnering, political savvy, influencing/negotiating)
Additional information about the SES and Executive Core Qualifications can be found on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) SES Website. You are strongly encouraged to review OPMs Guide to SES Qualifications: GUIDE (opm.gov) for guidance and a sample of a resume-based method resume.
MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (TQ):
1. Describe your experience that demonstrates a broad knowledge of plant pests and diseases and incorporation into regulatory or industry control, eradication or safeguarding programs. Examples might include: knowledge of developing, advising or leading policy and programs on plant health; skills in applying principles to prevent and control plant disease or pest outbreaks; or ability to incorporate principles of risk assessment into planning and evaluating programs.
2. Demonstrate your depth of experience that demonstrates your ability to maximize communication, collaboration, and consensus building to support programs, policy development, and/or policy implementation to meet strategic goals or outcomes for plant health and safeguarding. Include any examples of success garnered through cooperative relationships and activities with multiple domestic and/or international stakeholders with varying and competing interests.
Education
Degree: biological science, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
Additional information
Consideration for competitive selection for this position is open to all persons within the area of consideration who meet the basic qualifications. Race, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religion, marital or family status, disability, and other non-merit factors will not be considered.
1. This position is covered under the post-employment restriction of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). This law also requires the selectee to file an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (Standard Form 278), within 30 days of appointment.
2. Applications sent in U.S. Government postage-paid envelope and submitted through Federal Agency courier services will not be considered.
3. The 1993 Hatch Act Reform Amendments prohibit oral and written political recommendations for Federal jobs.
4. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System before they can be employed by an executive agency of the Federal government. This requirement does not apply to Agency employees appointed before November 8, 1985.
5. All application forms are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and become the property of USDA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency at 202-260-8128. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.
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.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education (if applicable). Your application will be rated and ranked by an Executive Resources Board (ERB) Panel, using only the information submitted within the application package. Applicants who do not demonstrate in their application sufficient possession of the ECQs & MTQs will be determined ineligible for further consideration. Unless you have already been certified by a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, your ECQs must be certified by a QRB after selection and before appointment can occur.
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.
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.
Your resume should contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement. It is recommended that you include the following information:
1. 5-page ECQ/TQ based Resume. DO NOT submit Executive Core Qualifications or Technical Qualifications in lieu of a resume.
2. Current or former career SES members must provide an SF-50 showing current status or reinstatement eligibility.
3. Applicants who have successfully completed an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Programs must submit a copy of their certification.
4. Current or former Federal civilian employees, please provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).
5. If this position has a positive education requirement, you must submit a copy of your transcript or a separate course listing showing the college name, course title, department, hours earned (quarter or semester), and grade. If you have completed any part of your education outside the U.S., you must submit the evaluation of your foreign education that has been prepared by an accredited organization. The National Association for Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) can provide a list of who can evaluate your foreign education. For additional information, visit DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
ONLY SUBMIT THE MATERIALS REQUESTED BY THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Complete Resume
- Other supporting documentation as required. Please see the "REQUIRED DOCUMENTS" section and review the applicant checklist link to determine if there other documents you are required to submit.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin. Failure to submit the required documentation by 11:59 pm EST of the closing date will result in loss of consideration. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday).
Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon 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 us if you are requesting this.
It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume. Please be sure to include and address all ECQs and MTQs in your resume and application package. A sample 5-page resume that incorporates ECQs can be viewed at this link (indexed at pages 29-37): Guide to SES Qualifications
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Candidates who do not submit complete application packages as indicated in this announcement will not be considered. Please be sure to remove all PII (e.g. SSN, DOB, etc.) from all documentation. Spell out Acronyms the first time used.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA APHIS MRPBS
250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410
Minneapolis, MN 55401
US
Next steps
Applicants who meet the mandatory requirements Executive Core Qualifications, and Mandatory Technical Qualifications will be considered qualified for this position. Rating and ranking to determine the best qualified will be conducted by a panel of senior executives and will be based upon consideration of the degree to which applicants meet the mandatory requirements as described in the announcement.
The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) of the selectee are subject to prior approval by the Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Review Board (OPM QRB). Unless you have already been certified by an OPM QRB in the past, your ECQs must be certified by an OPM QRB before your appointment can occur. When reviewing the ECQ Statements, the QRB is looking for experience as well as specific challenges, actions, and results.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Your resume should contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement. It is recommended that you include the following information:
1. 5-page ECQ/TQ based Resume. DO NOT submit Executive Core Qualifications or Technical Qualifications in lieu of a resume.
2. Current or former career SES members must provide an SF-50 showing current status or reinstatement eligibility.
3. Applicants who have successfully completed an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Programs must submit a copy of their certification.
4. Current or former Federal civilian employees, please provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).
5. If this position has a positive education requirement, you must submit a copy of your transcript or a separate course listing showing the college name, course title, department, hours earned (quarter or semester), and grade. If you have completed any part of your education outside the U.S., you must submit the evaluation of your foreign education that has been prepared by an accredited organization. The National Association for Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) can provide a list of who can evaluate your foreign education. For additional information, visit DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
ONLY SUBMIT THE MATERIALS REQUESTED BY THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Complete Resume
- Other supporting documentation as required. Please see the "REQUIRED DOCUMENTS" section and review the applicant checklist link to determine if there other documents you are required to submit.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin. Failure to submit the required documentation by 11:59 pm EST of the closing date will result in loss of consideration. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday).
Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon 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 us if you are requesting this.
It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume. Please be sure to include and address all ECQs and MTQs in your resume and application package. A sample 5-page resume that incorporates ECQs can be viewed at this link (indexed at pages 29-37): Guide to SES Qualifications
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Candidates who do not submit complete application packages as indicated in this announcement will not be considered. Please be sure to remove all PII (e.g. SSN, DOB, etc.) from all documentation. Spell out Acronyms the first time used.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA APHIS MRPBS
250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410
Minneapolis, MN 55401
US
Next steps
Applicants who meet the mandatory requirements Executive Core Qualifications, and Mandatory Technical Qualifications will be considered qualified for this position. Rating and ranking to determine the best qualified will be conducted by a panel of senior executives and will be based upon consideration of the degree to which applicants meet the mandatory requirements as described in the announcement.
The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) of the selectee are subject to prior approval by the Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Review Board (OPM QRB). Unless you have already been certified by an OPM QRB in the past, your ECQs must be certified by an OPM QRB before your appointment can occur. When reviewing the ECQ Statements, the QRB is looking for experience as well as specific challenges, actions, and results.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
