Agricultural Program Specialist (DETAIL/TEMP PROMOTION NTE 1 YEAR) Job in Location Negotiable After Selection

Vacancy No. FSA-25-12796230-MP-DAFP-SJ Department Farm Service Agency
Salary $105,383.00 to $137,000.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/8/2025 Close Date 9/12/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Location Negotiable After Selection


Summary

The incumbent of this position serves as an Agricultural Program Specialist in the Safety Net Division under the Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs (DAFP).

PLEASE NOTE: This is a full time, detail/temporary promotion opportunity. Initial action will be not to exceed one year but may be terminated earlier or extended as needed in compliance with policy. The maximum appointment length may be extended up to 5 years. Please see the Additional Information section for more details.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to FSA Nationwide permanent agency employees.

Duties

  • Direct the assembly and dissemination of automated systems and related procedures for assigned programs administered by the Division as well as by other FSA staffs and USDA agencies as assigned.
  • Review and evaluate program activities in the field, prepare appropriate reports, and develop recommendations to correct deficiencies or improve operations.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with producers, the trade, and other related groups, both domestic and international, and other divisions and offices of FSA to obtain policy and program recommendations.
  • Provide direction and assistance to State offices with respect to assigned program operations and procedures.
  • Provide national focal point for handling requests for interpretations, changes, and modifications in assigned program areas.
  • Analyze audit and investigation reports pertaining to assigned programs, draft responses, and take corrective action as necessary
  • Assist in the assembly and dissemination of automated systems and related procedures for assigned programs administered by the Division as well as by other FSA staffs and USDA agencies as assigned.

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.
  • 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.
  • 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/.

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 have one year of specialized experience 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). You must include an SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one) that supports meeting this requirement with your application package

This is a full time, detail/temporary promotion opportunity. Initial action will be not to exceed one year but may be terminated earlier or extended as needed in compliance with policy. The maximum appointment length may be extended up to 5 years. Position may be made permanent without further competition as per agency policy

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 work 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-13 level.: To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level or higher in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through federal service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as:
  • Developing contract and application maintenance policies, program plans, procedures and/or software requirements;
  • Providing guidance on farm program policy and procedures to field offices and other Agencies;
  • Interpreting laws and regulations governing farm programs to serve as an adviser on the application of national policies and objectives at the State and/or county level.
For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp.

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

There is no education substitution for the GS-13 level.

Additional information

  • Locality Pay: The salary for each location may vary depending on locality. Locality tables my be found at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/.
  • 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.
  • This is a full time, detail/temporary promotion opportunity. Initial action will not exceed one year but may be terminated earlier or extended as needed in compliance with policy. The maximum appointment length may be extended up to 5 years. If you are a current permanent USDA employee employed at the "same or higher grade level or equivalent"; you will be considered for a detail opportunity.
  • Current permanent USDA employees applying for a Temporary Promotion or Detail will have statutory return rights back to a permanent position.
  • Positions may be made permanent without further competition per agency policy.
  • Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.

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.

Benefits

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:

  • Customer Service
  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competence
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: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12796230

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 (mm/yyyy - mm/yyyy); 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/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 & 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 a acceptable substitute.
    • Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).
  • 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

Sanderson Jones
Address
Farm Service Agency
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US

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 SM.FairChanceFBC@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

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