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Agricultural Commodity Grader (Meat) (Relief Grader)

Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Marketing Service
Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Summary

This position is located with the Livestock and Poultry Program, Quality Assessment Division, Grading Services Branch, which is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering programs for the grading, certification, and inspection of QAD commodities. The incumbent typically serves as the sole grader for a shift or assignment; and is responsible for all phases of grading, inspection, and certification activities, including those involving complex or borderline determinations.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Salary
$67,970 - $88,356 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 10
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Intermittent
Travel Required
76% or greater - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
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
MP-13041816-26-LPH
Control number
881179500

Duties

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  • The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Monitors the plant and processing operations to assure that the plant remains in compliance with regulations.
  • Assigned to provide service in a large geographic area and is subject to TDY assignments or details to different geographical areas.
  • Maintains relations with plant management and employees.
  • Prepares and maintains a variety of reports and records.

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.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary 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/.
  • 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-10 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

  • Independently grading and/or inspecting primary products in the commodity group and performing difficult assignments such as: regularly making borderline grading decisions on a variety of products; or applying the full range of grading skills at an extremely fast pace requiring instant determinations.
  • Performing the full range of grading and/or inspection tasks involved in supplying grading services to producers or members of the trade in the commodity specialization.
  • Inspecting or evaluating more complicated processing equipment and procedures, and conditions of storage or transportation and advising industry employees on product quality control methods.
  • Serving as technical expert, performing final grading on reviews, making appeal determinations, resolving controversies, or providing broad technical guidance.
  • Inspecting complex formulations, processing procedures, and sanitation conditions in order to generate and review reports, ensure uniform application by staff, and make recommendations for improvement, as needed.
OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Agriculture, Mathematics, Engineering, Economics, Business, Science or related field.

OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.

OR LL.M., if related.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS are required if:
  • You are qualifying for the position based on education.
  • You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
  • This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-10 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that 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), 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. CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100 to receive selection priority.
  • 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 Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).
  • For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.
  • 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.
  • First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
  • Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses may be paid.
  • A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
  • Prolonged standing, walking, stooping, bending, twisting, and climbing; physical coordination and balance on ladders, elevated and non-elevated apparatus, and when required to get in and out of chilling/freezing, holding, and storage facilities.
  • Finger dexterity in at least one or both hands/fingers to perform digital examinations of commodities, and grasping/handling or moving equipment.
  • Normal or corrected vision in at least one eye for distance, depth perception, and color to detect abnormalities in product.
  • Work environment includes regular and reoccurring moderate discomforts working in and exposure to: freezing, humid, and/or hot temperatures dust; odors; and wet and/or slippery surfaces.
  • 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 here.

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 your experience, education, training, responses to the application questionnaire and the responses to all assessments required for this position demonstrated in your application package to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies listed below:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

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. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Additional Information - USA Hire Online Assessment
All applicants are required to complete the online USA Hire assessment to be considered for the position for this vacancy. Applicants will not be given the opportunity to complete the online USA Hire assessment outside of the assigned assessment window for this vacancy. The assessment window closes 48 hours after the posted closing date and time of the announcement.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13041816

Agricultural Marketing Service

You can make a difference! The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) needs bright, energetic and committed professionals to facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and to protect the health and care of animals and plants in the United States. We operate in domestic and global markets. Be part of an organization that protects the health and agriculture of the American people. Join our team!

To learn more about what it's like to work at the Agricultural Marketing Service, what the agency does, and the types of careers, please visit the AMS careers site.

Agency contact information

MRP Human Resources
Phone
612-336-3227
Email
MRP.Application.Help@usda.gov
Address
Agricultural Marketing Service
USDA APHIS MRPBS
250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410
Minneapolis, MN 55401
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Agricultural Marketing Service, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/careers

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