Farm Service Agency - Urban Agricultural County Program Technician - Albuquerque, New Mexico

County Program Technician (PT)  

For more information and to apply online visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/761263300

Program Technicians are employed in Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Service Centers throughout the nation. As a PT, you will work directly with farmers and ranchers in your county and state by helping implement FSA programs. Good communication skills, both orally and in-writing, are necessary as you will explain the programs and policies to producers through correspondence and in-person interactions. You will perform a wide variety of duties as a Program Technician depending on the program area(s) in which you specialize. This position requires a high degree of initiative and judgment in planning and carrying out assigned tasks and resolving problems encountered.

Some major responsibilities include: 

• Explaining program provisions, benefits, and options to producers and other interested individuals/groups, 

• Completing or assisting applicants in the completion of forms, 

• Entering program data into the correct software applications,  

• Initiating necessary contact to obtain required information and documents, 

• Calculating and initiating program payments to producers, 

• Collecting payments from producers, 

• Establishing and maintaining office records, reports, and files, 

• Conducting outreach efforts to increase program awareness and participation, 

• Noting discrepancies in program records and taking appropriate action to correct errors, obtaining missing data, etc, 

• As necessary, advising program participants about available appeal procedures. 

FSA's 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 and work schedules, and other family-friendly benefits such as: 

• Earned annual leave 

• Earned sick leave 

• Paid holidays 

• Health, Vision, Dental, & Life Insurance Benefits 

• Flexible Spending Accounts for Health and Dependent Care 

• Pension Plan & Retirement Savings Account 

Annual Salary Range: $$33,906.00 to $61,292.00

Qualifications: 

** Specialized experience is defined as experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and is typically in or related to the work of the position being filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least 1 year in the next lower grade level. 

When self-qualifying at any grade(s) above the lowest advertised grade, applicants should also ensure they are indicating the lowest grade they are willing to accept the advertised position at. It is imperative applicants understand they can NOT be considered for any grade(s) lower than what is indicated in the Lowest Acceptable Grade field when completing the preferences section. 

Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date in the announcement, including the following specialized experience and/or education, as identified below: 

You may start at the CO-03 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

• Successful completion of one year of education above high school in an accredited business, secretarial or technical, junior college, college or university in any field in which high school graduation or the equivalent is a prerequisite may be substituted for experience. OR
• Six months general experience related to office work, or equal background in the operations of a farm or ranch that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position.

You may start at the CO-04 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

• Successful completion of two years of education above high school in an accredited business, secretarial or technical, junior college, college or university in any field in which high school graduation or the equivalent is a prerequisite may be substituted for experience.

OR

• One year general experience of progressively responsible clerical, office work, or equal background in the operations of a farm or ranch that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position.

You may start at the CO-05 level if you have one of the following qualifications: 

• Successful completion of four years of education above high school in an accredited business, secretarial or technical, junior college, college or university in any field in which high school graduation or the equivalent is a prerequisite may be substituted for specialized experience.

OR 

• One-year specialized experience applying office methods and procedures to provide clerical and limited technical support to any farm or agricultural program. 

You may start at the CO-06 level if you have one of the following qualifications: 

• One-year specialized experience applying office methods and procedures to provide clerical and limited technical support to process and service farm or agricultural programs. 

You may start at the CO-07 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

• One year specialized experience applying office methods and procedures to provide clerical and limited technical support to independently perform a full range of farm program processes. Experience that shows your ability to perform progressively more complex, responsible, or difficult duties: and that shows your ability to learn the specific work of this position.

College Transcript Requirement: 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.