This position is in the Office of Field Operations (OFO), Recall Management and Technical Analysis Staff (RMTAS) and is responsible for leading and coordinating the recall and technical analysis processes affecting domestic and international operations in support of FSIS' public health mission.
Summary
This position is in the Office of Field Operations (OFO), Recall Management and Technical Analysis Staff (RMTAS) and is responsible for leading and coordinating the recall and technical analysis processes affecting domestic and international operations in support of FSIS' public health mission.
Participate in investigating contamination incidents and foodborne illness outbreaks.
Leads recall actions taken on meat and poultry products, including coordinating recall committee activities, and interacting with other agency components to determine control and disposition of product.
Work with other FSIS program areas to develop and implement new programs, procedures, and inspection processes.
Keep abreast of research and other information concerning the development of new inspection methods and will collaborate with OPPD to develop policy to implement new changes.
Develop reports, make oral presentations at conferences, meetings, and forums on behalf of OFO.
Coordinates teams of inter/intra-agency personnel in factfinding, analyses, studies, and recommendations for resolution of immediate incidents affecting public health and food safety
Conducts technical analyses to identify, analyze, and make recommendations to resolve general wide-ranging problems related to public health and inspection methods
Participates in major projects and performs highly complex analytical studies to define and analyze program needs, develop, and implement new inspection procedures and methods.
Serves as an OFO point of contact for questions and inquiries regarding inspection activities including the FSIS recall process
Analyzes inspection data to identify trends and develops recommendations for improvements.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
U.S. Citizenship is required.
Selectee may be subject to satisfactory completion of one-year probationary or trial 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.
Must pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.
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: Applicants must meet one year at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade (e.g. one year at the GS-12 grade level for consideration for the GS-13 grade level).
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 level) that demonstrates:
Responsibility for providing authoritative guidance and advice to food inspection and industry personnel on complex, unusual or controversial matters covering a full range of inspection matters, regulations, policies, and procedures.
Applying laws and regulations associated with a compliance or inspection program for meat, poultry, or egg products.
Experience conducting investigations related to food safety issues.
Experience with recalls and/or food safety issues and emergencies.
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 has an individual occupational requirement that must be met in order to qualify. The education must have been obtained at a college, university, or an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained.
Consumer Safety Officer Series 0696:
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.
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.
This announcement may be used to fill additional like vacancies should any occur.
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.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 (if applicable) review required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Accountability
Interpersonal Skills
Oral Communication
Problem Solving
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.
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 requiresa 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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package. The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete: Our office is not responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes:Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; WorkExperience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of all relevant college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. 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 NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Current and former Federal employees:
Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND
Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages.
To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
Alternative Methods for Applying: If you are unable to apply using the internet, please fax your request for an application package along with your name and mailing address to HR: 1-833-840-9219.
Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.
Food Safety and Inspection Service
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Once you successfully complete the application process, you will receive a notification of receipt. Your application package will be reviewed to ensure you meet the basic eligibility requirements. The resumes and transcripts, when required, for all eligible applicants will be reviewed to determine if you are among the most highly qualified for the position. If you are found to be one of the top applicants, a further review may be completed of your online questionnaire and the documentation you submitted to support your responses and you will receive a notification of results. Applicants that are found among the most highly qualified may be referred to the hiring official for consideration, and you will receive a notification of referral. The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and as part of the selection process, applicants may be required to complete additional supplemental documents. Once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision. If interviews are conducted, Behavioral Event Interviews BEI will be used. Be sure to log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.
Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to fsis.fca@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package. The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete: Our office is not responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes:Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; WorkExperience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of all relevant college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. 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 NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Current and former Federal employees:
Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND
Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages.
To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
Alternative Methods for Applying: If you are unable to apply using the internet, please fax your request for an application package along with your name and mailing address to HR: 1-833-840-9219.
Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.
Food Safety and Inspection Service
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Once you successfully complete the application process, you will receive a notification of receipt. Your application package will be reviewed to ensure you meet the basic eligibility requirements. The resumes and transcripts, when required, for all eligible applicants will be reviewed to determine if you are among the most highly qualified for the position. If you are found to be one of the top applicants, a further review may be completed of your online questionnaire and the documentation you submitted to support your responses and you will receive a notification of results. Applicants that are found among the most highly qualified may be referred to the hiring official for consideration, and you will receive a notification of referral. The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and as part of the selection process, applicants may be required to complete additional supplemental documents. Once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision. If interviews are conducted, Behavioral Event Interviews BEI will be used. Be sure to log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.
Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to fsis.fca@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
