Plant Protection & Quarantine Officer - Shafter, CA

Summary:

As a PPQ Officer / Plant Health Safeguarding Specialist,  you will serve in a vital role to safeguard U.S. agriculture and natural resources in coordination with state officials, other agencies, industry, and colleges, as a federal liaison for plant quarantine programs. The primary work includes import exclusion, complex treatments, export activities, permitting and compliance, as well as pest detection.

Duties:

• Duties are performed at Plant Inspection Stations, International Ports of Entry, and other geographical areas within the United States. The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Provide specialized inspection, regulation and clearance of propagative plant material, plant products and pest diagnostic identification services at plant inspection stations and other facilities.
• Interpret and enforce Federal and State domestic quarantines and regulatory orders restricting the inter/intra-state movement of plants, plant products, animal byproduct and other materials.
• Plan, conduct, and/or supervise various treatments such as disinfection, sterilization, fumigation, cold treatment, hot water treatment, and irradiation for plant and animal pests and diseases.
• Manage multiple program areas such as: post entry quarantine, biological control, gypsy moth, grasshopper/cricket, noxious weeds, boll weevil, or other pests.
• Review permits, conduct inspections, prepare and execute compliance agreements, enforce policies regarding quarantine, and identify inspection sites.
• Serve as accredited certifying officials regarding export certification for trade facilitation.
• Track the progress and submit reports regarding program operations in specific geographical area assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male 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/
• Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
• The incumbent will be required to travel to remote locations at various facilities and may be required to spend extended periods of time at these locations, usually not more than 30 days.
• The incumbent must also be able to travel on a routine basis and be willing to work at odd times, including overtime, weekends, holidays, and shifts.
• The incumbent may be required to maintain certification for the wearing of personal protective equipment, including respirators such as Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and maintain a valid pesticide certification.
• Work is done in offices and a variety of outdoor locations, including isolated rural areas. Employees may experience discomfort due to adverse weather conditions, high noise levels, pesticides and working around agricultural or industrial equipment.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major (24 semester hours/36 quarter hours), as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement, applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Experience with plant and plant pest (e.g., insects) collection and identification.
• Experience performing regulatory activities (e.g., inspections) related to agricultural quarantine, import, export, post-entry quarantine, biotechnology, or quarantine facilities and laboratory (e.g. soil, pathogens, insects, etc.) inspections.
• Experience with treatment technologies (e.g., cold treatments, irradiation, fumigations, herbicides, pesticides and associated equipment).
• Experience independently planning, coordinating, and conducting work for projects or programs throughout an area of responsibility and resolving most conflicts that arise.
• Experience using oral and written communication to advise, consult, inform and negotiate with other federal, state, or county officials and other stakeholders.

OR Completion of a Ph.D. or 3 years of graduate-level education leading to a doctoral degree in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS are required if:

• This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
• You are qualifying for the position based on education.
• You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
• This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level.

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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Additional information

• 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.
• First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
• Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
• This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit (union), specifically the National Association of Agricultural Employees
  (NAAE) / 1836.
• Worksite Information: This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements. Additional information regarding ad hoc, occasional, or reoccurring telework may be obtained at a later time from the hiring manager or program during the hiring process.