Summary
This position is in the Farm Service Agency, Tennessee State Office, located in Nashville, Tennessee.
About the position: The selectee is a key member of the State Executive Director's staff responsible for planning, developing, and implementing the outreach programs.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted only from current permanent USDA employees with competitive status; and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates and permanent Farm Service County Office employees, and Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.
Duties
- Provides Farm Service Agency program information and guidance.
- Assists with program planning, implementation and development of State Office Policies and operating procedures.
- Assures policies are adapted as necessary to deliver the outreach programs.
- Assures programs are planned and administered to provide for equal opportunity for minority and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
- Analyze program requirements, formulate objectives and develop plans to implement outreach of agency farm programs.
- Develop and expand outreach assistance, information and counseling strategies to communicate agency management goals, requirements and procedures to groups and individuals.
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.
- 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 E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date 07/01/2024 of the announcement including time in grade, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
Specialized experience for the GS-9 level:
- Two 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master's or equivalent graduate degree (i.e., LLB, JD, LLM, PhD, etc.), from an accredited college or university with a major in human resources, social or behavioral sciences, or in such fields as business or public administration, political science, government, management, journalism, marketing, public affairs, or other fields related to the position such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock, ranch management, or rural sociology -OR-
- 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 defined as basic knowledge of and skill in applying outreach regulations, policies, and procedures to assist in identifying barriers and assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural outreach efforts. And basic knowledge of agriculture, and farm lending, credit, credit risk factors, and lending principles, and financial security programs for minority and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers -OR-
- A combination of education and experience as listed above.
Time in grade for the GS-9: 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 level:
- Three full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree (i.e., LLM, etc.) from an accredited college or university in human resources, social or behavioral sciences, or in such fields as business or public administration, political science, government, management, journalism, marketing, public affairs, or other fields related to the position such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock, ranch management, or rural sociology -OR-
- Specialized experience is defined as experience that demonstrates knowledge and skill in applying outreach policies and procedures to implement, review, and evaluate agricultural outreach initiatives as well as identify barriers and recommend actions to remove such barriers. Knowledge of agricultural production methods and techniques and the agricultural, economic, social, and credit needs and problems of farmers, and of programs and services available to meet those needs -OR-
- A combination of education and experience as listed above.
Time in grade for the GS-11: 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 level: One full-time year of specialized public outreach experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience that demonstrates knowledge and skill in applying public affairs, outreach, policies, and precedents to formulate, implement, and evaluate an effective agricultural outreach and public affairs program including comprehensive public awareness and marketing campaigns using a broad array of communications techniques and delivery methods. Knowledge of agricultural production methods and techniques, and the agricultural, economic, social, and credit needs and problems of farmers, and programs and services available to meet those needs.
Time in grade for the GS-12: 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: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0300/miscellaneous-administration-and-program-series-0301/
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
College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit with your application package evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution was appropriately accredited by an accredited body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. Education standards. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process; however, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Please refer to the "How to Apply" section for instructions on submitting the transcript.
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:
- Administration and Management
- Customer Service
- Oral Communication
- Problem Solving
- 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/12447480
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 you are using education 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, you will be required to submit official transcripts 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) 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.
- Current permanent FSA County employees:
- Must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade -AND-
- Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
- Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 months w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation SF-50s for each period. Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level.
- Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP & RPL 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 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 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 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. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s 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.
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 to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
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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