Agricultural Program Specialist

JOB SUMMARY: PLEASE READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS UNDER "HOW TO APPLY" BEFORE YOU BEGIN.RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL BE PAID.  THIS IS A BARGAINING UNIT POSITION (AFGE).  The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is an exciting and rewarding place to start, build and/or continue your career. Be part of our team and support the well-being of American agriculture and the American public.  Take part in delivering these essential and critical Agricultural Commodity programs (i.e., Production Flexibility, Price Support, Conservation, Compliance, etc.) as an Agricultural program specialist by providing production and marketing advice and guidance. As a team member located in one of our USDA/FSA Offices, you will receive on-the-job training intended to further develop your talent, skills, and abilities to successfully administer farm programs. FSAs diverse culture and benefits allow for a healthy balance between your career and home life. In addition to a generous salary, FSA offers a friendly and professional working environment with a diverse workforce, flexible hours/work schedules, and other family-friendly benefits such as: paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, retirement and supplemental savings plan, a wide array of health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans, flexible spending accounts, and long-term care insurance.AREA OF CONSIDERATION: RESTRICTED TO PERMANENT FSA FEDERAL/COUNTY EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA AND USDA CTAP CANDIDATES.

FARM SERVICE AGENCY (FSA) COUNTY EMPLOYEES:  Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply.
• Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• Meet education and/or experience requirements.
• Complete Occupational Questionnaire and submit resume/supporting documents.
• Financial disclosure will be required.

DUTIES:Back to top This position is assigned to the FSA NORTH DAKOTA STATE OFFICE, Production Adjustment Branch, located in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota. The selectee

• Administers and advises on all aspects of the Production Adjustment Program (PA) and other assigned programs [(Non-Insured Assistance Program (NAP), Crop Disaster Program (CRP), Emergency Board (EB) and Common Management Program (CM)] in the State, interpreting regulations and legal requirements and providing guidance to County Offices on complex, precedent-setting, or unusual situations. 
• Acts as a State Office Specialist for these programs, and serves as a resource to the supervisor, State Executive Director, and the State Committee for information and advice on a variety of program matters.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by Tuesday, September 04, 2012.   You may start at the GS-9 level if you have one of the following qualifications:Two full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in dairy science, agricultural marketing, domestic agricultural development, farm management, agronomy, or other agricultural specialty areas; OR
One year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-7 level in the Federal service. Experience that involved work which provided comprehensive technical support for a farm program that demonstrated knowledge of the laws and regulations governing agricultural stabilization and conservation programs and of the particular application of national policies and objectives at the State level; understanding of farming practices and customs in the United States, and of the economic needs of farm communities at the State level; knowledge of current State and Federal agricultural trends; and ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with representatives of public and private organizations, farmers associations, and others, and to interpret regulations, programs, and policies affecting them; OR
A combination of graduate education and experience as listed above.

You may start at the gs-11 level if you have one of the following qualifications:Three full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in dairy science, agricultural marketing, domestic agricultural development, farm management, agronomy, or other agricultural specialty areas; OR
One year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Experience in the agricultural field that involves work in reviewing and coordinating segments of a farm program which demonstrates knowledge of the laws and regulations governing agricultural stabilization and conservation programs, and of the particular application of national policies and objectives at the State level; understanding of farming practices and customs in the United States, and of the economic needs of farm communities at the State level; knowledge of current State and Federal agricultural trends; and the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with representatives of public and private organizations, farmers associations, and others, and to interpret regulations, programs and policies affecting them; OR
A combination of graduate education and experience as listed above.

You may start at the GS-12 level if you meet the following qualifications:One year of specialized work experience equivalent in difficulty and responsiblity to the GS-11 level. Experience in the agricultural field that involves work in developing, reviewing, administering, and coordinating programs which demonstrates knowledge of the laws and regulations governing agricultural stabilization and conservation programs, and of the particular application of national policies and objectives at the State level; understanding of farming practices and customs in the United States, and of the economic needs of farm communities at the State level; knowledge of current State and Federal agricultural trends; and the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with representatives of public and private organizations, farmers associations, and others, and to interpret regulations, programs, and policies affecting them.

THE SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION IS NOT QUALIFYING FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL. 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 evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume.   You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process.   Please refer to the "How to Apply, Alternative Methods for Submitting Your Application Materials" section, for instructions on submitting the transcript.  Note:  Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work.  An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS:  Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must meet the time-in-grade restriction.BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK: Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation. HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED: We will review your application materials to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic requirements on the information provided in the Occupational Questionnaire. The Occupational Questionnaire is used to evaluate your relevant personal, educational, and work experiences. The questions are related to the fundamental competencies, such as customer service, decision making, flexibility, interpersonal skills, learning, oral communication, planning and evaluating, self management, teamwork, and writing, required for the job for which you are applying. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your description of experience and/or education OR that your application is incomplete may result in receipt of a lower or ineligible rating.
Country: USA, State: North Dakota, City: Fargo, Company: Farm Service Agency.