Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Program Analyst (Recent Graduate)

Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located inthe Office of Planning, Analysis and Risk Management (OPARM), Enterprise Risk and Planning Staff (ERPS), Strategic Planning and Evaluation Branch (SPEB), which leads FSIS efforts related to strategic planning and evaluation, data analysis and advanced analytics, and enterprise risk management and internal controls.

IF YOU ARE A CURRENT STUDENT PROJECTED TO GRADUATE WITHIN 4 MONTHS OF THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/25/2022 to 01/29/2022
This job will close when we have received 150 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$54,727 to - $71,146 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Washington, DC
Location Negotiable After Selection, United States
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Recent Graduates
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12 - Upon conversion to a permanent position, Promotion Potential is GS-12.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
FSIS-22-MCE-11360807-KJL
Control number
632882600

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Recent graduate who has, within the previous two years, completed a qualifying Associate's, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, professional, vocational or technical degree or certificate program. Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation have up to six years after degree completion to apply.

Duties

Help
  • This position is in the Office of Planning, Analysis and Risk Management (OPARM).
  • OPARM leads FSIS efforts related to strategic planning and evaluation, data analysis and advanced analytics, data science and enterprise risk management, and internal controls.
  • As a Pathways Recent Graduate, your duties will include, but are not limited to the following:
  • Conducting evaluations of programs to help an organization achieve public health objectives and ensure programs are managed in compliance with laws.
  • Assisting and supporting strategic planning, performance measurement, metric development, enterprise risk management, coordinating, and reviewing management programs and operations.
  • Exploring data collection options to develop performance assessment methods, reports, and tracking systems for monitoring performance results.
  • Assisting with and coordinating evidence and evaluation activities in compliance with applicable laws.
  • Participating in the development of strategic and annual plans, performance monitoring, capacity assessments, learning agendas, and evaluation plans.
  • Performing program analyses, evaluation studies, data analyses, and data visualization for Agency wide programs.
  • Collaborating on the development of findings and recommendations to improve process and program effectiveness and efficiency.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Satisfactory Background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year trial period.
  • Direct Deposit- Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/
  • Service in the Pathways Program confers no right to further employment in either the competitive or excepted service.
  • A USDA Pathways Programs Participant Agreement must be completed before the Student Trainee's Entrance-On Duty (EOD).
  • All USDA Recent Graduates must be at least 16 years of age at the time of their appointment.

Qualifications

To Be Eligible For An Appointment Under The Recent Graduates Program You Must Meet The Following Requirements:

A. You must be a recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, some associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution such as an accredited technical or vocational school; a 2- or 4-year college or university; a graduate or professional school (e.g., law school, medical school); or a post-secondary home school curriculum. Note: Certificate program is defined as post-secondary education in a qualifying educational institution equal to at least one academic year of full-time study that's part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.

B. Veterans who were precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their 2-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty; however, eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed 6 years from the date on which the degree or certificate was obtained. The date of release or discharge from active duty should be later than the date the degree or certificate was obtained.

In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements above, applicants must possess the experience requirements as follows:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include performing three of the following tasks: conducting evaluations for large programs; developing strategic plans and associated metrics; gathering and analyzing data; presenting recommendations to leadership; conducting detailed analyses of complex functions and work processes; and/or applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations. OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond one full year of graduate level education. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

To view qualifying educational requirements and/or combination of education and specialized experience click on the following link: Administrative and Management Positions.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by 01/31/2022 the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

If Using Education To Qualify: To use your education as a basis for meeting the minimum qualification requirements (MQR) for this position, you MUST submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements. If specific course work is required to fulfill the MQR, you must supply transcripts from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken to receive credit for that course work. See the "Qualifications" section of this announcement for more details.

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, candidates are to ensure these requirements are met.

If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation demonstrating that you meet the eligibility and MQR for this position, your application will be deemed incomplete & any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information or you will be ineligible for further consideration.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 80 out of a possible 100.

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). It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. See more information at: CHCO Council.

Please click Veterans Policy for further information about veteran specific hiring options.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

Recent Graduates may be terminated for reasons related to misconduct, poor performance, or suitability.

Recent Graduate appointments are intended to last for 1 year. Recent Graduates who satisfactorily complete the USDA Recent Graduates Program requirements and meet all eligibility requirements for conversion as outlined in 5 CFR 362.305 may be non-competitively converted to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service under 5 CFR 315.713(b). Program requirements include:

a. Must be a U.S. citizen prior to conversion.

b. Successfully completed all the requirements of the USDA Recent Graduates Program.

c. Demonstrated successful job performance consistent with the applicable performance appraisal program established under the agency's approved performance appraisal system that results in a rating of record (or summary rating) of at least Fully Successful or equivalent and a recommendation for conversion by the first-level supervisor; and

d. Met the OPM qualification standard for the competitive service position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.

For more information on the Pathways Programs, please visit https://www.dm.usda.gov/employ/student/seo-pathways-programs.htm

This vacancy will close at 11:59 pm ET on the closing date or when we reach 150 applicants.

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.

Once the application process is complete, qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. The categories for this announcement are defined as: Best-Qualified, Well-Qualified, and Qualified. Your resume and supporting documentation will then be used to determine if you are qualified for this job. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligible within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):


  • Creative Thinking
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Written Communication


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 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 and including removal from 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" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11360807.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.