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

Supervisory Agricultural Commodity Grader (Specialty Crops)

Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Marketing Service
Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Summary

The selected applicant will serves as the Assistant Officer-in-Charge at an Specialty Crops Inspection Division area office and shares fully, with the Officer-in-Charge, the responsibility for carrying out the Division programs, including grading, inspection, certification, and audit-based activities covering fresh and processed fruits and vegetables and related products; and supervising office activities and personnel.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/12/2026 to 02/18/2026
Salary
$98,630 to - $128,221 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Philadelphia, PA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
76% or greater - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
MP-12883361-26-SC
Control number
857212500

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted only from current permanent AMS, Specialty Crops Programs employees with competitive status and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates.

Duties

Help
  • The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Assists the Officer in Charge in providing administrative and technical supervision to all personnel assigned to the office
  • Supervises the sampling, inspection and certification of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables and related products for quality, condition and grade.
  • Assigns subordinate personnel to perform services and coordinates the work in such a manner as to provide prompt, efficient, and timely service.
  • Assists in the establishment of performance standards of subordinates and evaluates their performance.
  • Plans work of subordinates, including supervisors, by reviewing area operations in light of changing workloads, types of inspection, volume of work, and priority of requests.
  • Receives and resolves complaints of subordinates.

Requirements

Help

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.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary 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/.
  • Selectee will be subject to a pre-employment medical statement and/or exam.
  • Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
  • Prior to an official offer, selectee will be required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) acknowledging/accepting that geographic mobility is a condition of employment. Failure to sign the MOU will result in withdrawal of the job offer.
  • All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.

Qualifications

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

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 grade level) that demonstrates:
- Applying grading standards to make borderline determinations and identify commodity defects.

- Performing final grading reviews, appeals, and providing technical guidance on complex inspection issues.

- Overseeing operational activities and supervising personnel in sampling, inspection, and certification.

- Developing new processes for program changes; and communicating decisions and guidance clearly in oral and written form to management, staff, and industry.

Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.


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

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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.
  • First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
  • This position involves Mobile Work: Mobile work is characterized by routine and regular travel to conduct work in customer or other worksites as opposed to a single authorized alternative worksite. Examples of mobile work include site audits, site inspections, investigations, property management, and work performed while commuting, traveling between worksites, or on Temporary Duty (TDY).

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.

Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements. Your resume must address experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Note: If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12883361

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.