Plant Protection and Quarantine Officer (Plant Health and Trade Compliance Officer)

If selected you will serve as primary liaison for the Agency on operational activities and work with state officials, and others interested in activities affected by Agency plant quarantine programs. You will perform specialized duties that provide a comprehensive approach to biosecurity, minimizing the risk of biological and economic damage caused by exotic, non-native plant and animal organisms to agriculture, natural resources, and U.S. trade initiatives for overall plant health activities.

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.

Promotion potential : GS -11

The duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Manages multiple program areas and/or a multi-faceted program, anticipating and providing solutions for problems in program areas without the direction of the supervisor.
• Provides recommendations to the supervisor and staff on design and development of guidelines, operational standards and procedures.
• Plans, coordinates, and conducts all aspects of operational activities, including special programs, newly emerging programs, or operational functions, including pest survey programs and treatments.
• Interprets and enforces Federal and State domestic quarantines and regulatory orders restricting the interstate and intrastate movement or shipment of plants, plant products, animal byproduct.
• Identifies or verifies identification of noxious weeds and plant pests, such as plant pathogens, insects and nematodes, and plant pest hosts and geographical distribution.
• Provides technical assistance in program operations by tracking program progress and providing reports.
• Participates in public awareness activities, and information-sharing meetings, as well as training and technology transfers to public and private stakeholders.
• Serves as accredited certifying official regarding export certification which includes interpreting foreign quarantine regulations to facilitate international trade.
• Provides specialized inspection, regulation, and clearance of high-risk propagative plant material, plant products, and pest diagnostic identification services.

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, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement you will also need to meet the following:

FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Professional knowledge of pertinent regulations, policies, and procedures of agricultural quarantine principles and biological and scientific principles, techniques of collection and identification.
• Researched, interpreted and applied regulations for the importation of agricultural commodities/food products.
• Assisted in conducting risk analysis regarding potential threats to agricultural, economic and/or health interests.
• Experience in multiple program areas and/or multifaceted programs, such as post entry quarantine, gypsy moth, biological control, grasshopper/Mormon cricket, etc.

OR

1 year of graduate-level education biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND 1) have a class standing in the upper third of the graduating class, 2) membership in a national scholastic honor society (excluding Freshman honor societies), or 3) must meet certain GPA requirements. GPA requirements: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcripts or as computed based on 4 years of education, or courses completed during the final 2 year of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, e.g., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9).

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. This means 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 to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics):
 

• Attention to Detail
• Botany
• Compliance Inspection
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Pest Control
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Teamwork

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 and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official 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. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12592880