This is a public notice flyer to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. Applications will NOT be accepted through this flyer. Interested applicants should review the "How to Apply" section of this flyer for more information on how to be considered.
USDA is seeking qualified applicants for inclusion in the USDA's Digital Service (DS) Fellow Experience Program (FEP) which will be critical to helping achieve the mission and vision of the Department.
Summary
This is a public notice flyer to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. Applications will NOT be accepted through this flyer. Interested applicants should review the "How to Apply" section of this flyer for more information on how to be considered.
USDA is seeking qualified applicants for inclusion in the USDA's Digital Service (DS) Fellow Experience Program (FEP) which will be critical to helping achieve the mission and vision of the Department.
Salary listed is the general base pay. Actual pay is determined by duty location. See additional information for details.
Pay scale & grade
GS 14 - 15
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - 4 years. Initial appointments may be for up to a 2-year period. Additional 1-year extensions may be made; however, the appointment cannot exceed a total of 4-years.
The USDA Digital Service is seeking diverse, talented senior practitioners across the following three tracks:
Digital Service Experts (2210 Information Technology Management Series) - who have leadership experience in human centered product management, software engineering, and data science.
CX Strategists (0301 Miscellaneous- Administration and Program Series) - who have leadership experience in CX/UX research, and human centered service, content and product design.
Procurement Strategists (2210 Information Technology Management Series) - who have leadership experience in developing requirements for, and selecting vendors who have agile software development and human centered design experience.
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/.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
For new employees whose initial appointment is for one year or more, the first year of the appointment to the FEP will serve as the trial period.
This position is subject to a Fellow Experience Program (FEP) Agreement which must be signed prior to appointment.
Program selectees must be 18 years of age or older.
Qualifications
The USDA Fellow Experience Program (FEP) is an opportunity for career professionals as well as individuals who have completed formal education (an associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying institution in an area of study related to a specialty/program area occupation) to gain exposure to public service or to broaden professional career experience in a specialty area.
Applications for the USDA Digital Service Fellows Program will be accepted from members of the public with highly specialized and valued skillsets at the GS-14, GS-15, or equivalent grade level to gain public administration experience, assist in critical initiatives, and bring experienced practitioners into the agency. This program is being administered under Tier 3 of the USDA Fellows Experience Program (USDA FEP).
Agencies will apply the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) qualification standards for specific series when evaluating candidates. Candidates must meet qualification requirements established at 5 CFR 338 and OPM qualification standards for the occupational series of the position to be filled. Fellows may be appointed to any series and grade level being advertised, provided they meet the established qualification requirements.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
The USDA's Fellow Experience Program (FEP) allows USDA to hire Fellows through a time-limited appointment in the Excepted Service under the Schedule A hiring authority, as specified in 5 CFR 213.3102(r) for a period of less than or greater than 1-year up to a maximum of 4-years. Initial appointments are not automatically made for a 4-year term but for a determined period that takes into consideration developmental assignments, exposure to diverse program areas, completion of project(s) and/or meets workforce planning objectives. Additional 1-year extensions may be made; however, the appointment cannot exceed a total of 4-years.
An appointment in the FEP confers no rights to further Federal employment in either the competitive or excepted service upon expiration of the appointment and does not provide noncompetitive conversion to another appointment in the federal service. Current permanent competitive service employees who are selected for Schedule A(r) opportunities will be given an excepted, term position, and will have no return rights. Fellows interested in remaining with USDA at the end of their fellowships must compete and be selected for competitive service vacancies.
Veterans' preference applies in making excepted service appointments.
Duty Location: If selected, candidates who live in the Washington, DC local commuting area will be expected to report to the Washington, DC office and may be offered telework.
Salary: The salary ranges vary according to the geographic area locality adjustments; therefore, rates advertised represent base pay only, as pay will depend upon the selectee's duty location. Please see OPM's 2024 General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay Tables.
Candidates may be eligible for workplace flexibilities, such as telework, remote work, and alternative work schedules as determined by their supervisor and consistent with agency policy.
Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as an RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements, OPM qualification requirements, and all selective factors, if applicable.
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.
Applications will NOT be accepted through this flyer.
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.
Job announcements will list all application requirements. Typically, you will need to provide a resume and any other applicable document(s), such as prior SF-50s (a form that shows current or previous federal employment), DD214 (a document related to previous military service if applying for veteran's preference), or a portfolio of work.
Prepping Your Submission
Are you excited to apply? So are we! As you prepare your application, below are a few best practices we recommend reviewing to make sure you are set up for success.
Your resume and application materials will be evaluated by people, not automated screening tools. Be explicit in your resume and include all relevant work experiences and details. Do not assume the reader has expert knowledge or context of your job history. For example, don't just list your tech skills or the design approaches and methodologies you use. Instead, share a summary of the project or initiative you led or contributed to, the approach you used, and the outcomes you achieved. Below are some additional general recommendations you can use when preparing your resume for the application process:
A resume will be required for all applicants.
Make sure your resume is concise (e.g., no more than 3-5 pages).
When you're preparing your application, be sure to reference the Qualifications & Evaluation sections of the job announcement to help you best frame your experience.
For your most relevant, recent, or longest held position(s), provide key bullet points about your responsibilities, accomplishments, and impact of your work. For each prior position, you can list fewer points focusing on the information that is most relevant to the job for which you are applying.
Don't be afraid to use technical terminology if it's relevant to your current or past roles or to the role for which you are applying. Do avoid acronyms and abbreviations.
Quantify as applicable. For example, "successfully led the development and launch of [product or service] that enabled users to do [x] and/or saved our organization [y amount]."
The USDA Digital Service Fellows Program will be accepting applications via USAJobs. Each track will have its own job announcement that will include key language about the position and how to apply. When positions become available and job announcements are live, the links will be available on our website: Apply To Be a Fellow | USDA.
Please make sure to read the announcements in full before submitting your application. If you wish to apply for multiple tracks, you may do so - you will just need to submit an application for each track that interests you and looks to be a good match for you background and skillset.
Departmental Administration
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Multiple positions may be filled through the USDA Digital Service Program. Please monitor the agency website for available positions: Apply To Be a Fellow | USDA.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Job announcements will list all application requirements. Typically, you will need to provide a resume and any other applicable document(s), such as prior SF-50s (a form that shows current or previous federal employment), DD214 (a document related to previous military service if applying for veteran's preference), or a portfolio of work.
Prepping Your Submission
Are you excited to apply? So are we! As you prepare your application, below are a few best practices we recommend reviewing to make sure you are set up for success.
Your resume and application materials will be evaluated by people, not automated screening tools. Be explicit in your resume and include all relevant work experiences and details. Do not assume the reader has expert knowledge or context of your job history. For example, don't just list your tech skills or the design approaches and methodologies you use. Instead, share a summary of the project or initiative you led or contributed to, the approach you used, and the outcomes you achieved. Below are some additional general recommendations you can use when preparing your resume for the application process:
A resume will be required for all applicants.
Make sure your resume is concise (e.g., no more than 3-5 pages).
When you're preparing your application, be sure to reference the Qualifications & Evaluation sections of the job announcement to help you best frame your experience.
For your most relevant, recent, or longest held position(s), provide key bullet points about your responsibilities, accomplishments, and impact of your work. For each prior position, you can list fewer points focusing on the information that is most relevant to the job for which you are applying.
Don't be afraid to use technical terminology if it's relevant to your current or past roles or to the role for which you are applying. Do avoid acronyms and abbreviations.
Quantify as applicable. For example, "successfully led the development and launch of [product or service] that enabled users to do [x] and/or saved our organization [y amount]."
The USDA Digital Service Fellows Program will be accepting applications via USAJobs. Each track will have its own job announcement that will include key language about the position and how to apply. When positions become available and job announcements are live, the links will be available on our website: Apply To Be a Fellow | USDA.
Please make sure to read the announcements in full before submitting your application. If you wish to apply for multiple tracks, you may do so - you will just need to submit an application for each track that interests you and looks to be a good match for you background and skillset.
Departmental Administration
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Multiple positions may be filled through the USDA Digital Service Program. Please monitor the agency website for available positions: Apply To Be a Fellow | USDA.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
