Location: Richmond,VA, USA
Summary
This position is in the Farm Service Agency, Virginia State Office, located in Richmond, Virginia.
About the position: The selectee plans, administers and reviews all aspects of the farm program activities.
Learn more about this agency
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Overview
* Accepting applications
* Open & closing dates
12/03/2024 to 12/10/2024
* Salary
$62,579 - $117,972 per year
* Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 12
* Help
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
* Richmond, VA
* Remote job
No
* Telework eligible
Yes-as determined by the agency policy.
* 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
12
* Job family (Series)
* 1145 Agricultural Program Specialist
* Supervisory status
No
* Security clearance
Not Required
* Drug test
No
* Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
* Trust determination process
* Credentialing
* Suitability/Fitness
* Financial disclosure
No
* Bargaining unit status
Yes
* Announcement number
FSA-25-12621885-MP-VA-JLF
* Control number
821824900
Help
This job is open to
* Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of this agency.
* Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees who meet the definition of a surplus or displaced employee.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from current permanent Farm Production and Conservation competitive status employees (Farm Production and Conservation; Farm Production and Conservation Business Center; Farm Service Agency; Farm Service Agency County; Natural Resources Conservation Service; and Risk Management Agency); and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates.
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Duties
* Provide technical leadership, consultation, and oversight.
* Analyze and interpret provisions on current and proposed national program policies, procedures and regulations to determine their applicability to and impact on program administration in the State.
* Attend meetings and develop and maintain contacts with various governmental agencies, producers and trade organizations.
* Provide technical guidance and assistance as needed with programs' and automated applications.
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Requirements
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.
* Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
* 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
* Successful completion of a Public Trust background investigation.
* Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instruction on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement 12/10/2024 including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined.
Individual Occupational Requirement
1. 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-
2. Experience:
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.
Examples of qualifying experience include:
* Agricultural extension works as a subject-matter specialist, county agent, or assistant or associate county agent.
* Teacher of vocational agriculture.
* District director, State program specialist, or county office employee performing duties in the operational phases of farm programs such as production adjustment, price support, and conservation.
* Experience at the county, district, or State government levels in the operational phases of farm programs of the type carried out through such agencies as the Soil Conservation Service, Farmers Home Administration, or related programs.
In addition to meeting one of the Individual Occupational Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered:
Specialized experience for the GS-9:
* One full-time year of specialized work experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-7 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that demonstrates knowledge of the laws and regulations governing agricultural stabilization and conservation programs to assist in the determination of the 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; Experience communicating with representatives of public organizations, farmers' associations, and others, to provide agricultural program information affecting them -OR-
* Two full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master's or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in dairy science, agricultural marketing, domestic agricultural development, farm management, agronomy, or other agricultural specialty areas -OR-
* A combination of graduate education and experience as listed above.
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 GS-7 grade level.
Specialized experience for the GS-11:
* One full-time year of specialized work experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience which demonstrates knowledge of the laws and regulations governing agricultural stabilization and conservation programs to assist in applying 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; Experience working with representatives of public organizations, farmers' associations, and others, to interpret agricultural regulations, programs, and policies affecting them -OR-
* Three full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in dairy science, agricultural marketing, domestic agricultural development, farm management, agronomy, or other agricultural specialty areas -OR-
* A combination of graduate education and experience as listed above.
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 GS-9 grade level.
Specialized experience for the GS-12:
* One full-time year of specialized work experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that demonstrates knowledge of the laws and regulations governing agricultural stabilization and conservation programs to serve as an advisor on the 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; Experience maintaining relationships with representatives of public organizations, farmers' associations, and others, to interpret agricultural regulations, programs, and policies affecting them.
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 GS-11 grade level.
For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: Agricultural Program Specialist Series 1145
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
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements for the GS-9 or GS-11:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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 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.
* 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.
* This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Current USDA policy includes telework for an 8-hour workday, 4 days per week; other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and/or the position and its associated duties. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor.
* Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.
Read more
* Benefits
Help
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 your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:
* Technical Competency
* Planning and Evaluating
* Oral Communication
* Written Communication
* Customer Service
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. 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. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred.
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.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. 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:
* Benefits
Help
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.
* Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, 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: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience 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); 4) other qualifications.
* If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your 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 Federal employees:
* Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) (must be within 18 months) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade. Please note it may be necessary to submit more than one SF-50 to verify you meet this requirement -AND-
* Most recent performance appraisal 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.
* Current permanent FSA County employees:
* Must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) (must be within 18 months) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade -AND-
* Most recent performance appraisal 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), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
* How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.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 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.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.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click Apply and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOB's 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. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50's or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Agency contact information
Jennifer Falkner
Email ...@usda.gov
Address Farm Service Agency
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Learn more about this agency
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
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 compliant 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 ...@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
* Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
* Reasonable accommodation policy
* Financial suitability
* Selective Service
* New employee probationary period
* Signature and false statements
* Privacy Act
* Social security number request
* Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
* Criminal history inquiries
* Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
* Financial suitability
* New employee probationary period
* Privacy Act
* Reasonable accommodation policy
* Selective Service
* Signature and false statements
* Social security number request
Help
Required Documents
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, 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: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience 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); 4) other qualifications.
* If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your 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 Federal employees:
* Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) (must be within 18 months) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade. Please note it may be necessary to submit more than one SF-50 to verify you meet this requirement -AND-
* Most recent performance appraisal 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.
* Current permanent FSA County employees:
* Must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) (must be within 18 months) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade -AND-
* Most recent performance appraisal 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), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.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 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.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.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click Apply and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOB's 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. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50's or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Read more
Agency contact information
Jennifer Falkner
Email ...@usda.gov
Address Farm Service Agency
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Learn more about this agency
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
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 compliant 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 ...@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
* Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
* Reasonable accommodation policy
* Financial suitability
* Selective Service
* New employee probationary period
* Signature and false statements
* Privacy Act
* Social security number request
Read more
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
* Criminal history inquiries
* Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
* Financial suitability
* New employee probationary period
* Privacy Act
* Reasonable accommodation policy
* Selective Service
* Signature and false statements
* Social security number request
Share
Help
Overview
* Accepting applications
* Open & closing dates
12/03/2024 to 12/10/2024
* Salary
$62,579 - $117,972 per year
* Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 12
* Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
* Richmond, VA
* Remote job
No
* Telework eligible
Yes-as determined by the agency policy.
* Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
* Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
* Ap