Customer Specialist (Produce) Job

Vacancy No. DLATrpSpt-25-12750691-MP Department Defense Logistics Agency
Salary $95,488.00 to $129,494.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/24/2025 Close Date 7/1/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Colton, ORSpanaway, WA


Summary

The incumbent of this position will act as a field representative. The position may be filled at either of the below locations (their respective GS-12 annual salaries included):

  • Clackamas, Oregon: $95,488 - $124,140
  • Spanaway, Washington: $99,606 - $129,494
Regular, frequent day & overnight TDY/travel will be required between sites in the Northwestern U.S. The incumbent will primarily work out of their home when not traveling.

Duties

  • Acts as a senior team member within a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Cell or Segment Support team and is located in the field involving extensive travel.
  • Identifies customer needs, solves, or coordinates the timely resolution of customer orders/support problems, and acts as a customer advocate and liaison with Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) personnel.
  • Develop customer service improvements and associated implementing guidance.
  • Analyzes and makes customer service decisions based on information contained in generated reports and metrics, and in conjunction with Leads, develops operational changes to improve customer satisfaction.
  • Serves as a logistical expert and senior technical advisor for Subsistence management and is intricately familiar with the operations and programs of the fresh fruit and vegetables (FF/V) mission.
  • Monitor and report on customer support issues resulting from produce contractor performance issues.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Tour of Duty: Flexible
  • Security Requirements: Non-Critical Sensitive
  • Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
  • Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
  • Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
  • Bargaining Unit Status: No
  • Pre-Employment Physical: Required

Qualifications

To qualify for a Customer Specialist (Produce) your resume and supporting documentation must support:

A. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. To qualify at the GS-12 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including time-in-grade (General Schedule (GS) positions only), time-after-competitive appointment, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes:
  • Familiarity of subsistence supply, warehousing, transportation, quality assurance, and logistics functions
  • Identifying customer needs by analyzing national produce industry, assessing various product characteristics, growing conditions, growing areas, and seasonality of product.
  • Applying marketing principles to support analysis of major program issues, industry operations, trade, business practices and customer requirements.
  • Planning, scheduling, and conducting studies to identify and recommend ways to improve work operations.
  • Effectively communicating orally and in writing to document study findings, prepare briefings, develop correspondence, and make recommendations to internal and external personnel.
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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Physical Demands
Employee's duties and responsibilities require daily walking, standing, stooping, and possibly lifting heavy boxes and crates containing fresh fruits & vegetables (FF&V), and driving long distances. The work requires above average resistance to fatigue.

Work Environment
Work requires extensive travel, and the necessity to be outside in extreme weather conditions. Work will require visiting warehouses, refrigerated facilities, packing houses, cold storage areas in schools and on military bases that are dusty, dirty, and slippery.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

Additional information

For Important General Applicant Information and Definitions go to: http://www.dla.mil/portals/104/documents/careers/GenAppInfoDef.pdf

Reemployed Annuitants: This position does not meet criteria for appointment of Reemployed Annuitants. The DoD criteria for hiring Reemployed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/140025_vol300.PDF

Information for Veterans is available at: https://www.dla.mil/Careers/Programs/. As of 23 December 2016, Military retirees seeking to enter federal service in the Department of Defense now require a waiver if they would be appointed within 180 days following their official date of retirement.

Drug-Free Workplace:The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has established a Drug-Free Federal Workplace Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for DLA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with DLA for a period of six months. This policy extends to random testing for the use of illegal drugs by employees who occupy testing designated positions defined as sensitive in Section 7(d) of Executive Order 12564. The Defense Logistics Agency's Drug Free Workplace Plan's drug testing panel includes testing for the following illegal substances: marijuana, cocaine, opiates (codeine/morphine), 6-Acetylmorphine (heroin), phencyclidine, amphetamines (amphetamine/methamphetamine), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone. ADVISORY: By using cannabidiol (CBD) products you are risking a positive drug test result for marijuana.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): If you are an eligible ICTAP applicant you may apply for special selection over other candidates for this position. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at a score of 85 or higher for this position. ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.

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.

Review our 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.

The assessments for this job will measure the following Competencies:

  • Customer Service
  • Problem Solving
  • Oral and Written Communication
Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation may be completed and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. The rating you receive is based on your responses to the assessment questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the competencies required for this position. If your resume and/or supporting documentation is reviewed and a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Required Documents

To apply for this position you must provide a complete Application Package. Each Application Package MUST include:

  1. Your Resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for the qualifications and referred for selection consideration if eligible. IMPORTANT NOTE: Ensure that your resume does not contain any specialized characters, fonts, typefaces or formatting (e.g. tables, macros, etc.). It is also recommended that you convert/save your resume as a PDF prior to attaching to your application.
  2. Applicable documents to support the eligibility(s) for which you are applying. Please review the following link for a listing of the additional documents you will need to provide: Supporting Documents.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Military Reserve/National Guard Preference, and eligible Technicians receiving disability retirement: In order to receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the "Priority Placement Program, DoD MR/NG or Technician Disability Retirement" eligibility. If you are claiming preference and are determined to be among the Best Qualified for the position, you may be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant. To be eligible as a MR/NG or technician receiving disability retirement, you must submit the following supporting documents with your application package:

"Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist" and copies of the appropriate documentation, such as the notification letter you received showing you are no longer eligible for military or NG membership (through no fault of your own) and that you have completed at least 15 years of technician service and a minimum of 20 years of service creditable for non-regular retirement.
-or-
"Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist" and copies of the appropriate documentation, such as the notification letter you received that states you are no longer eligible for Reserve membership due to a service-connected disability.

NOTE: By using either of these eligibilities, you certify that you have not obtained permanent Federal employment, nor have you accepted or declined a PPP job offer.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP): In order to receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the "Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP)" eligibility. If you are claiming MSP and are determined to be among the Best Qualified for the position, you may be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant. To be eligible as a MSP, you must submit the following supporting documents with your application package: Spouse's Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders; Marriage Certificate or License; Signed Self-Certification Checklist (must be certified within 30 days); Veterans' Preference documentation (e.g., DD-214, VA Letter, Statement of Service, if applicable); Transcripts (if applicable). These documents must provide acceptable information to verify: Residency within the commuting area of your sponsor's permanent duty station (PDS); proof of marriage to the active duty sponsor; proof of military member's active duty status; and other documentation required by the vacancy announcement to which you are applying. NOTE: Previous federal employees must also submit the following additional documentation: SF-50s (e.g., LWOP, highest grade held, overseas appointments, etc.), SF-75 information, and documentation of performance rating of record (dated within the last 12 months).


Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP): In order to receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the "Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP)" eligibility. If you are claiming RGP and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant. Information and required documentation for claiming MSP may be found at the General Applicant Information and Definitions link below. To be eligible as a RGP, you must submit the following supporting documents with your application package: a signed Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD3145-1 (whs.mil)); a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) effecting the placement in retained grade status; or a copy of the notification letter you received regarding the RIF or classification downgrade.

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
  • You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12750691.

Agency contact information

Michael Comport
Address
DLA Troop Support
700 Robbins Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
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 and qualifications requirements, and you will receive a notification. A review may be completed of your online questionnaire and the documentation you submitted to support your responses. 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, DLA uses a technique called Behavior Based Interviewing (BBI). Be sure to check your USA Jobs account for your notification updates.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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