Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligibles, Farm Service Agency permanent county employees, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Certain Former Overseas, Foreign Service Employees, Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, and Reinstatement.

• Lead the development of major changes in direction for performance standard-based food safety and consumer protection regulations.
• Implement instructions to field staff and other regulatory programs based on new or revised regulations.
• Manage the resolution of complex regulatory issues.
• Plan the development, clearance, and publication of new regulations to accomplish program changes.
• Analyze issues and developments affecting the meat, poultry, and egg products industries that may require changes to FSIS operations.
• Develop and implement regulatory actions ranging from simple rule changes to complex rulemakings.
• Draft, review, or guide the writing of directives and notices for FSIS program personnel.
• Identify and resolve conflicts or problems during document development to ensure consensus among management officials.
• Investigate regulatory initiatives and systems used by other agencies and organizations.
• Propose improvements to FSIS regulatory development processes, including the use of graphics and improved readability in documents.
• Develop guidelines for the use of new regulatory strategies.
• Keep FSIS management informed of regulatory and strategic initiative progress through briefing papers and presentations.
• Coordinate with FSIS staff responsible for public affairs and congressional relations regarding regulatory initiatives.
• Design regulatory controls to accomplish specific purposes without conflicting with existing regulations.
• Work with the Office of the General Counsel to define and resolve legal issues.
• Consult with FSIS decisionmakers, State regulatory officials, Federal Register personnel, and other stakeholders to resolve regulatory problems and differences of opinion.

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.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary or trial period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• 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/.
• False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
• If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

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.

Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-13 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 level. (Must submit your non-award SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade.)

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

GS-14: Specialized experience for a GS-0343-14 Program Analyst must demonstrate one year of specialized experience (equivalent to GS-13) experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. This experience must include all of the following:

• Researching and analyzing complex or technical issues by examining statutes, regulations, legislative history, case law, program data, and other relevant sources to develop well-supported conclusions that inform policy and regulatory development.
• Experience includes drafting policy and regulatory documents that explain and interpret complex legal and technical issues for leadership, program personnel, and external stakeholders. This may include policy memoranda, instructions for program staff, industry guidance, petition responses, and Federal Register documents such as proposed rules, final rules, and notices, or comparable legal or policy writing that demonstrates the ability to produce clear, precise, and well-supported written products.
• Experience also includes reviewing and analyzing stakeholder input, for example evaluating public comments on proposed rules or notices, determining the feasibility of suggested revisions, and preparing legally supportable responses.
• Experience leading and collaborating with subject matter experts is required to develop policy approaches, integrate legal and technical analysis, resolve issues, and build consensus on the content of regulatory or policy documents. This includes facilitating discussions, identifying areas of disagreement, and guiding teams toward resolution.
• Experience managing multiple regulatory or policy projects is also required, including planning work, establishing schedules, meeting milestones, coordinating reviews, navigating clearance processes, and ensuring timely publication.
• Experience resolving legal issues, for example working with the Office of the General Counsel to ensure the legal sufficiency of policy and regulatory documents, is also required.

Specialized experience must be thoroughly outlined and supported in your résumé.

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.

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 how well you meet the qualifications and competencies listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, online assessments, and the result of the preliminary resume reviewrequired for this position. Applicants who complete the online assessment and are highly rated by the subject matter experts (SME) will be referred to the selecting official. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Decision Making
• Influencing / Negotiating
• Self-Management
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Written Communication

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

In addition to the online questionnaire, applicants for this position will be evaluated by one or more subject matter experts. If a panel is conducted, subject matter experts may review your resume to determine your qualifications and assign a rating based on the required competencies. Please ensure that your resume does not simply list job duties but also highlights accomplishments that demonstrate possession of the required competencies.

Your application 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, complete the online assessment, and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

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.


To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12929887

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 complaint 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 fsis.fca@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; 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); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.

• Your application may be disqualified if you include any of the information listed here: What should I leave out of my resume?

If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of all relevant 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 and 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 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.

Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA and 30% Disabled Veterans: DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, that shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty, you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veterans' Preference must be verified prior to appointment.

If claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference you must provide the DD-214 or certification requirements (see above), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference.

Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment: Letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).

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), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority or an interchange agreement with another merit system not listed above, see the requirements for that authority and submit the required supporting documentation. Go to USAJOBS Hiring Path for Special Authorities or Special Hiring Authority for more information.

Next steps