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Staff Scientist (Interdisciplinary)

Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
RISK MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATIONS

Summary

This position is located in the within the Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD). Risk Management and Innovations Staff (RMIS) handles technical evaluations for new food safety technologies.

This position is interdisciplinary and can be filled in one of the following disciplines: General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences, Microbiology, Consumer Safety, Chemistry or Food Technology

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Salary
$107,301 - $139,493 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
FSIS -26-MMP-13028514-TMP
Control number
880230000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted only from current permanent USDA employees with competitive status; and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates and permanent Farm Service County Office employees, Foreign Service Employee, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Certain Former Overseas, Foreign Service Employees, Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, and Reinstatement eligible candidates.

Duties

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  • Plans, develops, and drafts Agency policy, directives, notices, and industry guidance.
  • Identifies significant development related to the assigned program area, prepares analyses of the implications and recommends program modifications.
  • Develops, publicizes, and garners support for the program agenda by meeting with other Agency program officials, key executives within the Department and USDA, as well as external agencies and parties.
  • Serves as a scientist, as a lead of a project team, and as a technical professional with USDA.
  • Initiates, plans, and conducts projects, and surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of both operational and public health performance related to food safety policy implementation and modernization to develop recommendations to modify programs.
  • While developing policy documents and leading teams, identifies conflicts or problems, communicates them to leadership and resolves them, as needed.

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.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary or trial period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
  • If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying. One year of specialized experience (equivalent to GS-12) is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in, or related to, the work of the position to be filled.

A GS-13 Staff Scientist requires at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level. Your experience must include all of the following:

  • Serve as a Staff Scientist, lead of a project team, and technical professional;
  • Develop project plans, adjust resources to meet the needs of a project, and stay within timelines;
  • Analyze projects related to public health, which include the study, design, analyses, and interpretation of results;
  • Plan, develop, and draft policy, including directives, notices, or other correspondence designed to clarify and implement Agency policy with a focus on attention to detail and accuracy;
  • Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of professionals to include scientists, attorneys, policy writers, public health specialists, veterinarians, food inspectors, or compliance specialists to coordinate the work of and provide technical leadership to other employees throughout the Agency.
  • Apply independent judgment, sound reasoning, attention to detail, and subject matter expertise to analyze, develop, and implement complex regulatory policy.
  • Serving as a spokesperson and source of information for technical and non-technical audiences in order to advise on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based food safety programs, as well as animal and food science principles to produce safe meat, poultry, and egg products from farm-to-table that are properly labeled and packaged.

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.

Since this is an interdisciplinary scientific role, you must also prove you meet the Basic Education Requirement for at least one of the parent occupational series that you are applying to. Transcripts required.

Education

0401 Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences
Basic Requirements:
Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
or
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series 0401


0403 Microbiology Series
Basic Requirements:

Degree: microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent.

or

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Microbiology Series 0403



0696 Consumer Safety Series
Basic Requirements

The education must have been obtained at a college, university, or an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements.

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

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.

Experience: To meet specialized experience requirements, the applicant's work experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies necessary to perform at the grade level of the position. Qualifying experience involves enforcing laws and regulations to protect consumers from foods, drugs, cosmetics, fabrics, toys, equipment, and household products that are defective, dangerous, impure, unwholesome, ineffective, or improperly or deceptively labeled or packaged.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Consumer Safety Series 0696



1320 Chemistry Series
Basic Requirements:

Degree: physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics.

or

Combination of education and experience: course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Chemistry Series 1320



1382 Food Technology Series
Basic Requirements:

Degree: food technology, or dairy technology, microbiology, biology, chemistry, physics, or a related discipline or field of biological or physical science. The course work must have been comprised of at least 30 semester hours in the basic biological and physical sciences, and included at least 20 semester hours in food technology and closely related subjects, or 20 semester hours in subjects that can be applied directly to food technology.

or

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, including the course work specified, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Food Technology Series 1382

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): 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/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP 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/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact: USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of their own. To see more information visit CHCO Council.

For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.

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 how well you meet the qualifications and competencies listed in this vacancy announcement. Only those highly rated by the subject matter experts will be referred to the selecting official. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the preliminary resume and education reviewrequired for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Oral Communication
  • Project Management
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Technical Credibility
  • Written Communication

In addition to the online questionnaire, applicants for this position will be evaluated by one or more subject matter experts. If a panel is conducted, subject matter experts may review your resume and other application materials to determine your qualifications and assign a rating based on the required competencies. Please ensure that your resume does not simply list job duties, but also highlights accomplishments that demonstrate possession of the required competencies.

Preference will be applied to applicants who move forward after the pre-certificate evaluation. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Non-competitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and assessment questionnaire, this position requires a preliminary resume and education review to evaluate competencies and education required to perform the job.

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

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13028514

Food Safety and Inspection Service

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for protecting the public's health by ensuring the safety of the Nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products.

For more information on USDA and the Food Safety and Inspection Service, visit FSIS.

Agency contact information

Tiffany Pescini
Phone
612-852-7764
Email
tiffany.pescini@usda.gov
Address
Food Safety and Inspection Service
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US

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