Summary
This position is designed as a SES, Career-Reserved or General. USDA structures its SES positions into position levels. This is a position level two with a salary range of $198,538 - $210,220 per year. Exceptions to the salary cap may be considered in certain circumstances. SES employees are also eligible to receive bonuses and performance-based awards. Visit http://www.opm.gov/ses/ for additional information and benefits for SES employees.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from all qualified candidates.
Duties
- Overseeing development and interpretation of federal legislation, regulations, and policy guidance and monitoring of State and local program operators.
- Assessing and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of programs and developing plans for enhancing program performance.
- Overseeing technical assistance and training, and supporting nutrition education, and support for local/regional food systems.
- Leading national program response to unanticipated events, such as natural disasters, public health emergencies and other disruptions requiring program action or modification consistent with Congressional and Administration direction.
- Determining resource needs and allocating personnel, funding, and material to achieve overall work objectives.
- Duties include a variety of responsibilities, some carried out independently and others in concert and coordination with other FNS executives.
- Serving as the Deputy Administrator for Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs within Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and performs many and varying assignments under the direction of the FNS Assistant Administrator.
- Leading administration of programs such as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Veterans Preference is not applicable in the Senior Executive Service.
- Initial appointments are required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
- Background Investigation required.
Qualifications
The application process used to recruit for this position is the RESUME BASED method. Although applicants cannot address the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) separately, evidence of each must be clearly demonstrated in the five (5) page resume and throughout the rest of the application package to include the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQ) narratives.
Resume-Based Process: Applicants must show possession of the ECQs and MTQs via their resume. Your resume must reflect that you possess the ECQs and MTQs as well as give a synopsis of your accomplishments.
A sample 5-page executive level resume and ECQ narratives can be viewed at this link http://www.opm.gov/ses/references/GuidetoSESQuals_2012.pdf
To apply for this position you need only submit a resume which CANNOT exceed FIVE (5) pages using 1 inch margins and a 12 point font. Any information submitted in excess of five (5) pages WILL NOT be considered. You must submit a resume which provides evidence of how you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs). Additional information about the SES and Executive Core Qualifications can be found on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) SES Website.
As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership, managerial, and supervisory experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below. This experience should reflect management of a program or organization of significant scope and complexity. Please ensure that you communicate you experience in a manner that is clear, concise, and emphasizes your level of responsibility, the scope and complexity of operations managed, program accomplishments, policy initiatives undertaken, and level of contacts. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-15 grade level in the federal service or its equivalent with state and local government, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations. As such, your resume should demonstrate all of these qualifications.
Failure to meet the basic qualification requirement and address all Executive Core and Mandatory Technical Qualification factors will result in your resume being disqualified.
EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQS): The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions.
1. Leading Change: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. (Competencies: creativity and innovation, external awareness, flexibility, resilience, strategic thinking, vision)
2. Leading People: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organizations vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. (Competencies: conflict management, leveraging diversity, developing others, team building)
3. Results Driven: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. (Competencies: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, entrepreneurship, problem solving, technical credibility)
4. Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. (Competencies: financial management, human capital management, technology management)
5. Building Coalitions: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. (Competencies: partnering, political savvy, influencing/negotiating)
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required by law to review the executive core qualifications of each new career appointee to the Senior Executive Service (SES) prior to appointment. For additional information on ECQs, please review the detailed information provided by OPM at the following link: Executive Core Qualifications.
MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should corroborate your possession of the Mandatory Technical Competencies (MTQs) listed in this announcement .
A separate narrative addressing the MTQs will not be accepted.
MTQ 1: Demonstrated expertise strategically leading national programs/initiatives involving oversight of State and local level program operators and leveraging partnerships to achieve policy objectives.
MTQ 2. Demonstrated analytical and strategic thinking ability, including the ability to make important judgments and develop options and recommendations which serve as a basis for decisions by senior level Executive Branch appointees and members of Congress. Superior ability to express ideas, conclusions, and recommendations effectively and forcefully, and to present such matters clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
MTQ 3. Executive-level experience demonstrating ability to lead a senior staff and managers responsible for a range of program functions, including policy development and execution, oversight, technical assistance and training, and program support and innovation. Demonstrated ability to coordinate with appropriate officials within and outside a large organization to achieve desired outcomes in these areas.
Education
No education requirement.
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 on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education (if applicable). Your application will be rated and ranked by an Executive Merit Staffing Board (EMSB) Panel, using only the information submitted within the application package. Applicants who do not demonstrate in their application sufficient possession of the ECQs & MTQs will be determined ineligible for further consideration. Unless you have already been certified by a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, your ECQs must be certified by a QRB after selection and before appointment can occur.
As part of the Resume Based recruitment method, the EMSB Panel conducts a structured interview for all applicants, both competitive and non-competitive, who are determined to be in the top category from the EMSB Rating Panel. Based on the Panel's evaluation, applicants who are determined Best or Well Qualified will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.
A sample 5-page executive level resume and ECQ narratives can be viewed here.
To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12387998
Veteran's Preference does not apply to the Senior Executive service (SES).
Once a candidate has been identified for selection, reference checks may be completed. The Department's appointing official(s) will make a final approval of the selection, and in competitive cases, OPM's Qualifications Review Board (QRB) must certify the ECQs before final appointment can occur. If OPM approval is required for the ECQs, the candidate is required to assist in the development of the QRB template for submission to the QRB. Verification of performance, suitability and security information from reference checks will be taken into consideration when making offers of employment.
Required Documents
Your resume should contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement. It is recommended that you include the following information:
1. 5-page ECQ/TQ based Resume. DO NOT submit Executive Core Qualifications or Technical Qualifications in lieu of a resume.
2. Current or former career SES members must provide an SF-50 showing current status or reinstatement eligibility.
3. Applicants who have successfully completed an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Programs must submit a copy of their certification.
4. Current or former Federal civilian employees, please provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).
5. If this position has a positive education requirement, you must submit a copy of your transcript or a separate course listing showing the college name, course title, department, hours earned (quarter or semester), and grade. If you have completed any part of your education outside the U.S., you must submit the evaluation of your foreign education that has been prepared by an accredited organization. The National Association for Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) can provide a list of who can evaluate your foreign education. For additional information, visit DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
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
ONLY SUBMIT THE MATERIALS REQUESTED BY THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Complete Resume
- Other supporting documentation as required. Please see the "REQUIRED DOCUMENTS" section and review the applicant checklist link to determine if there other documents you are required to submit.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin. Failure to submit the required documentation by 11:59 pm EST of the closing date will result in loss of consideration. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday).
Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon on the closing date of the announcement in order 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 us if you are requesting this.
It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume. Please be sure to include and address all ECQs and MTQs in your resume and application package. A sample 5-page resume that incorporates ECQs can be viewed at this link (indexed at pages 29-37): Guide to SES Qualifications
NOTE: 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.
Candidates who do not submit complete application packages as indicated in this announcement will not be considered. Please be sure to remove all PII (e.g. SSN, DOB, etc.) from all documentation. Spell out Acronyms the first time used.
Next steps
Applicants who meet the mandatory requirements Executive Core Qualifications, and Mandatory Technical Qualifications will be considered qualified for this position. Rating and ranking to determine the best qualified will be conducted by a panel of senior executives and will be based upon consideration of the degree to which applicants meet the mandatory requirements as described in the announcement.
The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) of the selectee are subject to prior approval by the Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Review Board (OPM QRB). Unless you have already been certified by an OPM QRB in the past, your ECQs must be certified by an OPM QRB before your appointment can occur. When reviewing the ECQ Statements, the QRB is looking for experience as well as specific challenges, actions, and results.
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