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Agricultural Program Specialist

Department of Agriculture
Farm Service Agency
PRICE SUPPORT DIVISION

Summary

This position is located in the Farm Service Agency, Price Support Division, Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs.

This position serves as the program manager for assigned nationwide price support programs with full and independent responsibility for program planning, development, and implementation.

Overview

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Open & closing dates
05/06/2026 to 05/18/2026
Salary
$106,437 - $163,514 per year

Pay range above is according to 2026 Rest of United States Locality area, pay will be set dependent upon locality scale/location selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
FSA-26-12918654-MP-DAFP-SJ
Control number
868003300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted only from current permanent FSA employees with competitive status; CTAP/RPL eligible candidates, and permanent Farm Service County Office employees.

Duties

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  • Formulates program provisions, policies, and methods designed to accomplish the broad objectives of applicable statutory law in the most effective manner.
  • Provides technical direction to the State and headquarters specialists who participate in developing and implementing portions of the assigned program(s).
  • Analyzes legislation and determines its overall intent.
  • Considers options for program delivery, assesses each option’s potential effect on producers on a national scale and the potential impact on other program areas both within FSA and throughout USDA.
  • Based on extensive expertise in the assigned program(s) and a comprehensive understanding of agricultural practices, determines the best method to meet broad program objectives.
  • Provides expert and authoritative verbal policy, procedural interpretations, and technical direction to field offices and Agency managers who are responsible for carrying out program provisions.
  • Holds meetings, conferences, telephone calls, and other contacts as necessary organizations to carry out program responsibilities.
  • Provides program oversight on a national scale.
  • Develops methodology to assess program accomplishments and operational activities.
  • Visits State and county offices to review and evaluate their activities in carrying out assigned programs.
  • Provides detailed information and authoritative advice in person or through correspondence, telephone, or other approved media as a result of inquiries from the public, State, and local governments, interest groups, and other organizations.

Requirements

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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.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected, you may be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are unable to reimburse for any fees incurred.
  • Probationary and Trial Period – Successful completion of a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period unless previous federal service is creditable. Refer to Next Steps for more information.
  • 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 e-verify.gov.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts.

Basic Requirement:
GS-1145:

Education

Undergraduate Education: Major study -- economics, agricultural economics, marketing, business administration, animal or poultry science/husbandry, agronomy, soil science, or related curricula dealing with the production and distribution of farm products.

Graduate Education: Major study -- dairy science, agricultural marketing, domestic agricultural development, farm management, agronomy, or other agricultural specialty areas.

OR

Experience

General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Experience related to the production and marketing of agricultural commodities.

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience that demonstrated:

  • Knowledge of the laws and regulations governing agricultural stabilization and conservation programs and of the particular application of national policies and objectives at the State level;

  • Understanding of farming practices and customs in the United States, and of the economic needs of farm communities at the State level;

  • Knowledge of current State and Federal agricultural trends; and

  • Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with representatives of public and private organizations, farmers' associations, and others, and to interpret regulations, programs, and policies affecting them.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement

For the GS-13 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
  • Applying technology to analyze, evaluate and implement agricultural programs;
  • Experience in applying farming practices and customs;
  • Assisting senior team members in assessing the economic needs of farm communities at the national level;
  • Maintaining effective relationships with representatives of public and private organizations, farmers' associations, and others.

For the GS-14 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
  • Developing and/or coordinating programs related to natural resource conservation as well as applying technology to analyze and implement these programs;
  • Experience managing agency policies, plans, and procedures related to natural resource conservation;
  • Developing and/or recommending conservation and environmental policies and procedures to support short-range and long-range issues.
Experience cannot be substituted with education at the GS-13 and GS-14 grade levels.

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.

Time-in-Grade Requirement: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. You must meet this requirement by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

College Transcript: If qualifying based on education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript with course number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g., special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college to ensure proper evaluation.

Your education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited toward qualifications. You may verify accreditation by visiting the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs website. We will verify your education accordingly.

Foreign Education: You must submit verification that education completed in a foreign institution, was recognized by an accreditation body accepted by the U.S. Department of Education. You must include a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. Your transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

You may submit an unofficial copy of your transcript at the initial phase of the application process. However, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Please refer to the "How to Apply" section for instructions on submitting transcripts.

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, RPL, or ICTAP 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. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

Promotion Potential: 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.

Locality Pay: The salary for each location may vary depending on geographically defined locality pay areas. Locality tables may be found at Office of Personnel Management Salaries and Wages.

Telework: This position is not eligible for telework.

Incentives: Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.

Bargaining Unit: This is a non-bargaining unit position.

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.

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package. A rating will not be used; all applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, 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. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form. 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/12918654

Farm Service Agency

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is an exciting and rewarding place to start, build and/or continue your career. Be part of our team and support the well-being of American agriculture and the American public.

FSA's diverse culture and benefits allow for a healthy balance between your career and home life. In addition to a generous salary, FSA offers a friendly and professional working environment with a diverse workforce, flexible hours/work schedules, and other family-friendly benefits such as: paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, retirement and supplemental savings plan, a wide array of health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans, flexible spending accounts, and long-term care insurance.

USDA is a great place to start or continue your career.

Agency contact information

Sanderson Jones
Email
sanderson.jones@usda.gov
Address
Farm Service Agency
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US

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