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Foreign Service Officer Trainee

Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Foreign Service Officer Trainee

APHIS, IS will hold a Foreign Service Officer Informational Webinar on October 21, 2024 at 8:00pm, ET via Zoom. You must register for this event if you would like to join. Please register now to join us. The webinar presentation will be posted APHIS International Services website, www.aphis.usda.gov/aphisoverseas immediately following the webinar. Click "Learn more about this agency" for additional position information.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/17/2024 to 11/01/2024
Salary
$61,965 to - $139,786 per year
Pay scale & grade
FP 4 - 5
Location
Many 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
75% or less - Once onboard, you will be expected to travel for training and to move to your assigned post.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - 5 years (trainee), with the intent to commission into a career Foreign Service Officer position.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
4 - In the Foreign Service, Class 1 is the highest and the entry level of this position is class 5 (GS-11 equivalent).
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
DE-12549096-25-IS-AC
Control number
814258000

This job is open to

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Videos

Duties

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  • 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:
  • Analysis of plant, insect, and/or animal health conditions, government policies, and regulatory processes affecting the agricultural market and import/export interests of U.S. stakeholders.
  • Compilation, review, and analysis of technical reports on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, pests, and diseases and their effects.
  • Compilation, review and analysis of economic, market, technical and data relating to production, trade, consumption, prices and other factors affecting the safeguarding of U.S. agriculture.
  • Addresses specific phytosanitary concerns with host countries. When trade issues focus on animal or plant health and quarantine matters, the incumbent's role may include negotiations in conjunction with the APHIS programs.
  • Manages international phytosanitary trade issues with APHIS programs. Plans, coordinates, or conducts analyses relevant to trade issues and designs and participates in the development of recommendations for courses of action.
  • Participates in identifying disciplines and multi-disciplinary mixes for risk assessment/hazard evaluation of plant or animal health issues in order to instill a proactive approach to U.S. goals in international trade.
  • Prepares briefing memoranda, correspondence, briefing books, market profiles and other background information for APHIS, USDA, and other entities on a variety of subjects.
  • Prepares oral/written briefings as required, with thorough analysis of political, policy options and strategies.
  • Provides analytical information/advise on plant health issues in conjunction with APHIS goals and strategies.
  • Participates in the identification, monitoring and removal of technical, sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to agricultural trade.
  • Assists in coordinating Departmental objectives in the World Trade Organization (WTO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), U.S. CODEX, and other international organizations.
  • Investigates, researches, prepares, and gives advisories identifying pest alerts, new regulations and other updates affecting all entities of export/import trade.
  • Develops effective working relationships with international and domestic agricultural industry representatives, trade associations, cooperators, and other APHIS stakeholders.
  • Coordinates/facilitates duties related to the import/export of animals and/or plants and their byproducts. Works with APHIS programs to determine the absence of infectious, contagious or communicable disease or parasitism.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • You must successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
  • Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
  • This position requires you to obtain and maintain a world-wide medical clearance issued by the U.S. Department of State as a condition of employment.
  • The Assessment Center will be virtual. You must be able to attend via Zoom and/or Microsoft Teams using your own computer equipment and software. Positions will not be offered to those that are unable to attend the Assessment Center.
  • Foreign Service Officers (FSO) must retire at the age of 65, with at least 5 years of service in the Foreign Service. The training program is 6 - 18 months in length. Overseas tours of duty for FSOs are generally 3 years.
  • Foreign Service Officers are obligated and expected to serve abroad for substantial portions of their careers. A member of the Foreign Service may not be assigned to duty within the U.S. continuously exceeding eight years.
  • Members of the Foreign Service are expected to serve worldwide based on the needs of the Agency, including situations when family members may not be able to accompany the employee. Selectees are required to sign a world-wide availability agreement.
  • Non-Federal or Non-APHIS employees: If the Foreign Service Officer training program is not successfully completed there will be NO placement rights within APHIS.
  • Current Gov employees should work with losing agency supervisor, prior to starting this Foreign Service Training Program, to see if reinstatement rights to their current unit are available if they are unsuccessful at achieving commissioning.
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance as a condition of employment.
  • The ability to speak, read, and write a foreign language is preferred, but not required at time of application. There is a foreign language requirement prior to commissioning within 5 years of start date.

Qualifications

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

In addition to meeting the Basic Education requirements for the job series for which you are applying, as described in the Education section of this vacancy announcement, you must also meet the Minimum Qualification requirements for the grade level(s) for which you are applying:

For the Veterinary Medical Officer, FP-0701-05 (GS-11 equivalent) level: Applicants that possess the Basic Education Requirements for the 0701 series, as described in the Basic Education Requirement section of this announcement, qualify for the 0701 position at the FP-05 level.

For the Veterinary Medical Officer, FP-0701-04 (GS-12 equivalent) level you must possess one of the following: 6 years of specialized experience, one year that was equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service (FP-05/GS-11) that provided you with the ability to perform the duties of the position at this level. This experience must be documented in your resume/application for this position. Examples of qualifying specialize experience include:

  • Participating in analyzing plant, insect, and/or animal health conditions, along with related government policies and regulatory processes, and determining the effect of such conditions.
  • Participating in compiling, reviewing, and analyzing technical reports on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, pests, diseases and the economic, market, and technical data relating to production, trade, consumption, prices and other factors affecting the safeguarding of U.S. agriculture.
  • Assisting with planning, coordinating, or conducting analyses relevant to trade issues and with designing and developing solutions for the successful management of these issues.
  • Participating in the identification, monitoring, and removal of technical, sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to agricultural trade.
  • Participating in investigating, researching, preparing, and providing advisories identifying agricultural health alerts, new regulations and other updates affecting all entities of export/import trade.
  • Participating in determining and implementing agricultural capacity building and development activities to enhance trade and food security objectives.
OR - A Master's degree in a Veterinary program that followed your DVM from an accredited college or school in an area of specialization including, but not limited to: animal science; avian medicine; food safety; Infectious diseases; veterinary clinical sciences; pathology; biomedical sciences; veterinary anatomy; veterinary preventative medicine; comparative biological sciences; epidemiology; veterinary parisitology; molecular veterinary biosciences; public health; microbiology; immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology; wildlife; zoological animal medicine; or sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer. Applicants must submit copies of college transcripts to document this degree.

For the Entomologist, FP-0414-05 / Plant Pathologist, FO-0434-05 (GS-11 equivalent) level you must possess one of the following: 6 or more years of specialized experience, at least one year of which was equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service, FP-06 (GS-09 equivalent), that provided you with the ability to perform the duties of this position at the FP-05 (GS-11 equivalent) level. This specialized experience must be documented in your resume/application for this position. Examples of qualifying specialize experience include:
  • Participating in determining plant, insect, and/or animal health conditions;
  • Participating in identifying disciplines and multi-disciplinary mixes for risk assessment/hazard evaluation of plant or animal health issues related to international trade;
  • Participating in identifying phytosanitary trade issues and providing input as needed;
  • Preparing and providing advisories identifying pest alerts, new regulations and other updates affecting export/import trade;
  • Participating in agricultural capacity building and development activities to enhance trade and food security objectives.
OR - A Master's degree in plant pathology/entomology; or a related scientific discipline.
OR- Equivalent combinations of education and experience as described above are qualifying for this job series at this grade level.

For the Entomologist and Plant Pathologist, FP-0414/0434-04 (GS-12 equivalent) level you must possess: 12 or more years of specialized experience, at least one year of which was equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service, FP-05 (GS-11 equivalent), that provided you with the ability to perform the duties of this position at this level. This specialized experience must be documented in your resume/application for this position. Examples of qualifying specialize experience include:
  • Participating in analyzing plant, insect, and/or animal health conditions, along with related government policies and regulatory processes, and determining the effect of such conditions.
  • Participating in compiling, reviewing, and analyzing technical reports on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, pests, and diseases and the economic, market, and technical data relating to production, trade, consumption, prices and other factors affecting the safeguarding of U.S. agriculture.
  • Assisting with planning, coordinating, or conducting analyses relevant to trade issues and with designing and developing solutions for the successful management of these issues.
  • Participating in the identification, monitoring, and removal of technical, sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to agricultural trade.
  • Participating in investigating, researching, preparing, and providing advisories identifying agricultural health alerts, new regulations and other updates affecting all entities of export/import trade.
  • Participating in determining and implementing agricultural capacity building and development activities to enhance trade and food security objectives.
OR - A related Master's Degree and 6 or more years of specialized experience, at least one of which was at the GS-11(FP-05) level.
OR - A PhD degree in a discipline related to entomology or plant pathology.

Education

This is an interdisciplinary announcement. This means that applicants may qualify for either the 0701 job series as a Veterinary Medical Officer; the 0414 job series as an Entomologist; or the 0434 job series as a Plant Pathologist to serve as a Foreign Service Officer Trainee, dependent on the selectee's educational background and qualifications. Selectees will be placed in the job series/title for which they meet the Basic Education and Minimum Qualification requirements.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT for Veterinary Medical Officer in the 0701 job series: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA website has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools. AVMA website: https://www.avma.org OR:
Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education must meet one of the following requirements: a) Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG);
b) Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT);OR
c) Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. An AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college must have accepted the final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g., residency or graduate program).

In addition, graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below:
a) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE.
b) Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing; OR
c) Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing. Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must submit test results with their application. Results of more than one test or testing session cannot be combined to meet the standard.

Waiver Provision: English language proficiency assessments may be waived for qualified job applicants whose native language is English (i.e., the official or common language of an individuals country of birth is English) who submit a diploma or other official documentation as proof of graduation from a high (secondary) school where the entire curriculum and educational programs were taught in the English language for the entire 3 or 4 years of full-time attendance.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT for Entomologist in the 0414 job series: A degree in entomology; or a related discipline of the biological or physical sciences that included at least 16 semester hours in entomology.
OR
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major that included 16 semester hours in entomology, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education qualify at this level.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT for Plant Pathologist in the 0434 job series: A degree in Plant Pathology; or a another directly related scientific discipline that included at least 20 semester hours in basic botany or plant science, and 10 semester hours in plant pathology.

NOTE: Graduate Level Education must have been in plant pathology or in one of the recognized related subject-matter fields or have followed a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on these fields or one of the recognized related subject-matter fields, such as those dealing with particular types of pathogens, diseases of particular kinds of crops, or chemical or biological controls. Graduate study in related fields such as microbiology, entomology, plant physiology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, or chemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on plant pathology or entomology. A CV or additional documentation from the university may be needed to determine the subject matter of capstone, dissertation or related field coursework if it is not identifiable from the transcript that they are related to the required fields above.

Additional information

Selectees will have a strong background in science and upon successful completion of a training program, will be APHIS Foreign Service Officers Career Candidates ready to serve at overseas posts. The training program lasts from 6-18 months. Appointees will be onboarded remotely from their current home location and may be expected to travel to the APHIS office in Washington Metropolitan area for parts of their Training. Trainees that complete all medical and security clearances, fulfill all training requirements, and gain approval by APHIS management, will be posted overseas at US Embassies representing the interests of the USDA abroad. Applicants should be interested in and enthusiastic about living in a foreign country for extended periods of time.

  • The hiring supervisor will use this applicant inventory to fill future vacancies for the APHIS Foreign Service Officer Trainee positions. The applicant inventory will remain in effect for two years.
  • These are excepted service appointments in the Foreign Service not to exceed 5 years. During the first 5 years you will be a "Career Candidate". After your first 3 years you will be reviewed by a Commissioning board for permanent tenure. If not nominated and approved for commissioning within 5 years you will be removed from the Foreign Service position. In order to become a career Foreign Service Officer within your first 5 years, you must be able to pass a speaking, reading, and writing language proficiency exam. Language training is part of the position.
  • This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series/position titles listed. In addition to the specialized experience requirements, applicants must submit proof that they meet the educational requirements for at least one of the series described in the announcement. Applicants may only be appointed to job series/position titles for which they meet all experience and educational requirements.
  • Veterans Preference does not apply to Career Candidate Trainee positions. However, the fact that an applicant is a veteran or disabled veteran will be considered as an affirmative factor in the selection of candidates for appointment as Foreign Service Officer Career Candidates. Veteran documentation will be needed prior to appointment.

The Assessment Center is scheduled to be held virtually from January 27th-31st, 2025. Invitations to the Assessment Center will be emailed to selected candidates in December 2024. Invited candidates are responsible for having computer systems capable of attending the virtual meetings in Zoom and/or Microsoft Teams, required for the assessment. APHIS will not reimburse any costs associated with the candidate's Assessment Center participation. If you need Reasonable Accommodation for the Assessment center, those requests need to be submitted no later than Dec 16.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants who meet basic and minimum qualifications and are among the top scoring individuals will be invited to attend the Assessment Center. Scoring for this first assessment will be based on the applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies:

  • Risk Assessment and Analysis
  • Technical Knowledge
  • Oral Communication
  • Written Communication
  • Customer Service
  • Interpersonal Skills
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.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a highly competitive vacancy with a limited number of openings available. Applications will be rated based on the information provided in the resume and responses to the occupational questions to determine the level of knowledge, skill and ability related to the job requirements.

Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to the position and grade level for which you are applying and demonstrates possession of any specialized experience required. Current employment cannot be reviewed by assessors, so your resume and application must cover all relevant experience.

For more information regarding APHIS' Foreign Service, please see the link below: APHIS Foreign Service | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (usda.gov)

The Assessment Center is scheduled to be held virtually from January 27th-31st, 2025. Invitations to the Assessment Center will be emailed to selected candidates in December 2024.

ASSESSMENT CENTER (AC) PROCESS: This is a multi-phase assessment process. The top scoring applicants from this initial USAJOBS assessment will be invited to participate in a one day long, mandatory AC for further evaluation. There are 42 seats currently available in the AC. In the event top scoring candidates decline invitations, the candidate with the next highest score will be invited until all available seats are filled.

The Assessment Center will include tests of the candidates' skills in a series of written, group, and oral exams. Successful candidates will demonstrate the skills, abilities, and qualities deemed essential to the work of the Foreign Service as per the following Foreign Service Job Competencies:
  • Management & Supervision
  • Critical Thinking & Analysis
  • Organizing & Executing Tasks
  • Technical Expertise
  • Communication & collaboration
  • Intra/Interpersonal Savvy
Assessment Center Scores will be used to place finalists in quality categories based on OPM and APHIS Category Rating Procedures. Category definitions by score: Best Qualified 92-100%, Well Qualified 85-91%, Qualified 70-84%. All applicants that pass the AC will be notified and retained for 2 years. Selections and appointments will be made as International Service has need of candidates, starting with those in the BQ category. Any applicant that does not pass any part of the assessment will be notified via e-mail as we move forward with the next step in the process.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12549096

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