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FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICER (TRAINEE)

Department of Agriculture
Foreign Agricultural Service
FOREIGN SERVICE TRAINEE
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Summary

The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is a small but dynamic foreign affairs agency with approximately 90 offices around the world. Overseas, Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) are responsible for supporting FAS efforts in agricultural trade promotion; market intelligence, trade policy; trade capacity building and food security. FSOs can expect to spend about a quarter of their career serving in USDA/FAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., in positions throughout the agency.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/16/2024 to 10/16/2024
Salary
$68,405 to - $128,956 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 12
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
76% or greater - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - 18 Months These are term appointments not to exceed 18 months, although trainee appointments may be extended up to a total of four years.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
DE-12530582-24-FAS-IS
Control number
809398700

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Duties

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  • FSO Trainees undergo comprehensive training while stationed in Washington, DC, where they participate in and complete all components of their training program under the guidance of their supervisors.
  • The duties described represent the expectations at the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments may entail a narrower scope, require less autonomy, and involve less complexity.
  • Administer market development and credit guarantee programs; develop and implement agricultural trade missions and trade shows; and cultivate productive working relationships with domestic agricultural industry groups.
  • Coordinate and devise a global agricultural commodity analysis strategy, furnishing timely dependable market insights on production, consumption, trade, stock, and price data.
  • Conduct analyses of market conditions, governmental policies, and commercial practices to furnish policy makers with actionable insights supporting USDA export programs, trade policies, and market access endeavors.
  • Draft various documents including correspondence, briefing materials, market profiles, and background information pertinent to agricultural trade.
  • Identify, monitor, and contribute to removal or mitigation of agricultural tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade, along with technical, sanitary, and phytosanitary barriers. Provide support for market access initiatives through policy analysis.
  • Participate in the monitoring of USDA trade capacity building and food assistance programs and contribute to the formulation of strategies to administer these initiatives.
  • Implement development activities aimed at advancing trade and food security objectives.

Requirements

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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.
  • 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/
  • Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
  • In accordance with Office of Government Ethics regulations concerning conflict of interest, the incumbent will be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of their effective date of appointment and annually thereafter.
  • Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
  • Selectees will be required to meet a minimum medical qualification standard issued by the State Department.
  • Selectees will be required to sign a Worldwide Availability Agreement and a Service Agreement.
  • Foreign Service Officers are obligated to serve abroad and expected to serve abroad for substantial portions of their careers.
  • Foreign Service Officers are expected to serve anywhere in the world (worldwide), even in cases where family members cannot go to post due to political instability and/or other concerns.
  • FAS employees selected for this position will be given a Term Not to Exceed competitive service appointment for the duration of the training period. *See additional information.

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.

FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: In order to qualify for this position at the GS-09 level applicants must possess one of the following:
1. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service OR
2. Have qualifying education OR
3. Have a combination of specialized experience and qualifying education.

Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-09 level based on specialized experience applicants must possess one year or more of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal service that has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed in order to successfully perform the duties of the position at the GS-09 level. Specialized experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors, be paid or unpaid, and is typically gained in the same field as the position being filled or another very closely related field. Applicants qualifying for the GS-09 level based on experience must provide evidence of the following type of specialized experience in their resume. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating:

Experience assisting with professional work in one of the following three areas:

  • Demonstrates basic understanding of economic and trade policies, and can conduct simple analyses under supervision; or
  • Displays foundational knowledge of marketing and consumer trends, can assist in data collection and basic trend analysis; or
  • Has basic skills in conducting statistical analysis, can perform simple data analysis tasks under supervision; or
OR

Education: In order to qualify for the GS-09 level based on education applicants must have successfully completed a master's degree (or equivalent) or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, in a field of study directly related to the duties of this position, such as economics, business, food and agriculture sciences, development, public policy, international relations, communications, law, or other directly related fields of study from an accredited university. Applicants qualifying for the GS-09 level based on education must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

OR

Combination of Specialized Experience and Qualifying Education: 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 the GS-09 grade level. Only graduate education beyond the first full-time year may be combined with experience. Applicants qualifying for the GS-09 level based on a combination of experience and education must show evidence of their experience in their resume and they must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: In order to qualify for this position at the GS-11 level applicants must possess one of the following:
1. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service OR
2. Have qualifying education OR
3. Have a combination of specialized experience and qualifying education.

Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11 level based on specialized experience applicants must possess one year or more of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the Federal service that has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed in order to successfully perform the duties of the position at the GS-11 level. Specialized experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors, be paid or unpaid, and is typically gained in the same field as the position being filled or another very closely related field. Applicants qualifying for the GS-11 level based on experience must provide evidence of the following type of specialized experience in their resume. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating:

Experience assisting with or performing professional work in two of the following three areas:
  • Shows proficiency in analyzing economic and trade policies independently, and can conduct simple analyses under supervision; or
  • Exhibits proficiency in analyzing marketing and consumer trends, can independently conduct thorough trend analyses, identify emerging patterns, and develop innovative strategies; or
  • Shows proficiency in statistical analysis techniques, can independently conduct statistical analyses, interpret results, and draw conclusions; or
OR

Education: In order to qualify for the GS-11 level based on education applicants must have successfully completed at least three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree such as economics, business, food and agriculture sciences, development, public policy, international relations, communications, law or other directly related fields of study from an accredited university. Applicants qualifying for the GS-11 level based on education must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

OR

Combination of Specialized Experience and Qualifying Education: 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 the GS-11 grade level. Only graduate education beyond the second full-time year may be combined with experience. Applicants qualifying for the GS-11 level based on a combination of experience and education must show evidence of their experience in their resume and they must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: In order to qualify for this position at the GS-12 level applicants must possess one year of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service that has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position at the GS-12 level. Specialized experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors, be paid or unpaid, and is typically gained in the same field as the position being filled or another very closely related field. Applicants must provide evidence of the following type of specialized experience in their resume in order to qualify for this position at the GS-12 level. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating:

Experience performing professional work in all of the following three areas:
  • Possesses advanced expertise in analyzing economic and trade policies, and can lead complex analyses, develop strategic initiatives, and provide expert guidance; and
  • Demonstrates advanced expertise in analyzing marketing and consumer trends, can lead comprehensive trend analyses, identify emerging patterns, and develop innovative strategies; and
  • Possesses advanced skills in statistical analysis, can lead complex statistical analyses, develop models, and provide expert interpretation of findings,

NOTE: There is no education substitution for experience allowed at the GS-12 level.

Education

TRANSCRIPTS are required if:

  • You are qualifying for the position based on education.
  • You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in colleges or universities outside of the United States may be used to meet qualification requirements. To be eligible, applicants must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received at an accredited educational institution in the United States. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

EDUCATION ACCREDITATION: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be creditable toward meeting the minimum qualification requirements. To verify your college/university accreditation, please visit: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation.

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 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 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.
  • Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
  • This is a term appointment not to exceed 18 months. (Appointment may be extended up to 4 years without reannouncing). For more details click: Term Appointments.
  • Selectees, who successfully complete the training, will be converted to a Foreign Service Officer excepted service position. A selectee, who does not successfully complete the training program, will have return rights to their same or like position in FAS.

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. 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 knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies:

  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Customer Service
  • Oral Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Written Communication
  • Leadership
  • Problem Solving
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you (a) meet 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 scheduled for the online written exercise 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.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12530582

This is a multiple hurdle assessment process. Applicants in the best qualified category will be invited to complete a Written Exercise. Applicants should review the information below in its entirety and are responsible for monitoring their email for additional hurdle information and responding by the deadline listed in the notification.

Written Exercise: The Written Exercise will be virtually proctored and is tentatively scheduled for the week of December 4, 2024. Applicants who pass the Written Exercise will then be invited to participate in a one-day online Applicant Assessment Forum in order to receive further consideration.

Assessment Forum: The Assessment Forum will be virtual and is tentatively scheduled to convene January 13-24, 2025. It will include real-time advocacy, group, and oral exams. The successful applicant will demonstrate the following dimensions that reflect the skills, abilities, and personal qualities deemed essential to the work of the Foreign Service: written and oral communication skills, analytical skills, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, and client services skills. Applicants must pass each portion of the assessment process to be eligible for potential selection. If you do not pass the Written Exercise and the Assessment Forum, you will not be considered qualified. Those who pass the Written Exercise and the Assessment Forum will be referred to the selecting officials on a certificate of eligibles for further consideration.

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