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Supervisory Consumer Safety Officer

Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce (IATC)

Summary

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce (IATC) Seafood Inspection Program, with 1 vacancy in Silver Spring, MD; Long Beach, CA; Seattle, WA; Gloucester, MA; or St. Petersburg, FL.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/05/2026 to 02/11/2026
Salary
$147,945 to - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
ZP 5
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Long Beach, CA
Saint Petersburg, FL
Gloucester, MA
Silver Spring, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Up to 10% of domestic or foreign travel may be required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes - If selected, required to complete OGE Form 450 financial disclosure.
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NMFS IATC-26-12878519-DE
Control number
856577100

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Duties

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This position is also announced under vacancy number NMFS IATC-26-12878518-ST, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

As a Supervisory Consumer Safety Officer, you will perform the following duties:

  • Serve as the Division Chief to plan, manage, and oversee the activities of the Seafood Inspection Program.
  • Promote seafood safety and quality and facilitate U.S. seafood commerce and trade through the effective operation of the Seafood Inspection Program and development of related recommendations as a member of the Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce senior leadership team.
  • Ensure the efficient delivery of seafood inspection services through development of division-level technical guidelines and procedures, prioritization of resources, and management of staff and facilities across a national program.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). This system replaced the Federal GS pay plan and structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band.

The ZP-5 is equivalent to the GS-15.

Key Requirements:

  • Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  • This position requires a Moderate Risk Security Clearance.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  • Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
  • More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information.
  • Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)

Additional Considerations:

  • A one year supervisory probationary period may be required (probationary period can be served concurrently).
  • Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) is not authorized.
  • Payment of relocation incentives OR recruitment incentives may be authorized. Note: Relocation incentives are for current federal employees only.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, for those required to serve a 1-year probationary period, we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

  • Your performance and conduct;
  • Needs and interests of the agency;
  • Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of then Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

  • A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:

To qualify for the 0696 series:
EDUCATION:

A. Degree: A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in quality assurance or a related degree that included at least 30 semester hours in one or a combination of the following: consumer laws, biological sciences, food science, chemistry, pharmacy, physical sciences, food technology, nutrition, medical science, engineering, epidemiology, veterinary medical science, legal investigations, law enforcement, or related scientific fields that provided knowledge directly related to consumer safety officer work.

The 30 semester hours may include up to 8 semester hours in statistics, or course work that included the principles, theory, or practical application of computers or computer programming.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: Courses consisting of at least 30 semester hours in the fields of study described in paragraph A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

AND

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

This experience need not have been in the federal government. 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; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

To qualify at the ZP-5 or GS-15 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-4 or GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

  • Leading programs or activities responsible for food safety, food quality, or seafood commerce;
  • Building effective working relationships with stakeholders, federal or state agencies, non-federal organizations, or international counterparts; and
  • Managing effective teams, tracking budgets, developing procedures, and planning activities to meet organizational priorities.

Education

Substitution of education for specialized experience is not applicable to this vacancy.

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.

Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty.

  • Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation

Additional information

Salary for selectee's pay may be set at any point within the pay band except for intervals 4 and 5 ($192,332 - $197,200) which is reserved for supervisory performance or for current supervisors within CAPS who already have a salary within intervals 4 and 5.

Payment of relocation incentives OR recruitment incentives may be authorized. Note: Relocation incentives are for current federal employees only.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of the American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

ICTAP and CTAP Candidates: Eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

  1. Copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
  2. Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;
  3. Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

  1. Copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
  2. Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
  3. Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

NOAA participates in e-Verify, an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

The Federal Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents).

Additionally, a Job Knowledge Test will be used in order to assess technical and professional expertise directly relevant to the requirements of this announcement. This assessment measures the specialized knowledge and skills accumulated over time, which are critical for successful performance in this position.

We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored Job Knowledge Test and place you in one of the three pre-defined categories. The categories are "gold", "silver" and "bronze". However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored Job Knowledge Test, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. The scored Job Knowledge Test will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

  • Human Capital Management
  • Partnering
  • Planning and Evaluating

CATEGORY RATING:
Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. Within each category, those entitled to Veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed. The quality categories are Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Preference eligible with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (Gold) depending on the position and grade level of the job. For more information on Category Rating, please go to Category Rating.

Your responses to the application questions will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume and supporting documents. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Candidates placed in the "Gold" category will be identified first for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

If referred, all relevant documents submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12878519

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