Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligibles, Farm Service Agency permanent county employees, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, Reinstatement, and VRA eligible candidates.

• Plans and directs the full range of day-to-day food inspection, ensuring public health by verifying the implementation of food safety systems.
• Coordinates inspection activities amongst personnel including completion of inspection tasks to ensure completion of duties and scheduled tasks.
• Supervises personnel in completion of assigned tasks.
• Determines if corrective actions taken by establishments are adequate to resolve product contamination.
• Identifies corrective measures necessary to meet regulatory requirements.
• Communicates with stakeholders to interpret and clarify regulations, policies, procedures, and practices.
• Provides training and information to employees on job tasks, policies, procedures, and practices.
• Reviews and rates job performance of employees for award submissions, quarterly reviews, and annual reviews.
• Serves as the Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of an establishment when required.
• Fosters working relationships between internal and external stakeholders to improve collaboration.

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. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
• Should be able to read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in the English language.
• Successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination.
• 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.
• Training as a condition of employment (TCOE) is required. You must begin the training within 90 days of the effective date of your selection, and you must successfully complete it within 12 months of the effective date of your selection.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements (including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education) by the closing date of the announcement, as defined below.

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.

Time in grade: Applicants must meet one year at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade (e.g. one year at the GS-10 grade level for consideration at the GS-11 grade level.)

For the GS-11 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-10 level) that demonstrates:

• Experience that provides knowledge of slaughter, processing, and inspection of meat, poultry, or egg products. Experience may include applying either the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), or the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) and/or the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) to ensure safety and wholesomeness of meat, poultry, and egg products intended for human consumption and enforce/implementation of regulatory requirements.
• Skill to tactfully communicate with internal and external stakeholders (such as Noncompliance records, emails, verification reports, verbal/written communication to advise establishment personnel/colleagues/supervisors/consumers/academia to notify or inform about food safety or personnel, comments during work unit meetings).
• Skill or ability to lead a team, supervise and/or provide direct oversight of the work of others or subject matter (related to food safety or ingestible items)

For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

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.

THIS POSITION REQUIRES A PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL. Position Requirements.

Applicants must:

• Be physically and medically able to efficiently perform the essential job functions, without being a direct threat to themselves and others.
• Have full range of motion to perform rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level.
• Be able to stand and walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks, and climbing stairs and ladders.
• Be able to lift, carry, push and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
• Have manual dexterity of the upper body, including arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in both hands.
• Have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye.
• Have the ability to distinguish shades of color. Any significant degree of color blindness (more than 25 percent error rate on approved color plate test) may be disqualifying.
• Individuals with some hearing loss and/or requiring hearing amplification will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

If you are a current FSIS employee and a non-competitive applicant (reassignment, change to lower grade, or non-competitive re-promotion) wanting consideration for this position, you must complete the on-line application process and/or apply using the new online self-service Reassignment System at: OHR Portal/My Systems.

All applicants (including FSIS employees) must provide a copy of their Notification of Personnel Action (Form SF-50) that includes tenure and career-conditional/career status, and preferably includes position title, series and grade.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You must complete the entire application process. In addition to the assessment questionnaire, this position requires the completion of a USA Hire online assessment which measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Oral Communication
• Technical Competence
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership
• Problem Solving
• Writing
• Self-Management
• Managing Human Resources

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.

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 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. Non-Competitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need to meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

**REMINDER** Applicants - Be sure that experience/education as described on your resume contains accurate and sufficiently detailed information to clearly demonstrate that you have the listed competencies. All information used to evaluate your application must be received by the closing date of the announcement. Once the position is closed, no additional information will be accepted.

NOTE: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. 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 preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12933286

When we complete our selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional Federal agencies. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application materials, and assessment results shared with additional Federal agencies to be considered for employment. There is no guarantee of further consideration.

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete.

Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, 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: 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: Do Not Include In Your Resume & Application

You must submit the documents below if you claim any of the following:

• Current and former Federal employees:

1. A non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND
2. Most recently completed performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan; it is not an acceptable substitute.

Other required documents may include:

• 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.

• 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, VRA, 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.

• 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 mos. 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.

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

• If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority, such as Peace Corps & AmeriCorps VISTA or Military Spouses, 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

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