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The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is a small but dynamic foreign affairs agency with approximately 135 Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) in 93 offices in 171 countries around the world. Overseas, FSOs are responsible for supporting FAS efforts at agricultural trade promotion; trade policy; trade capacity building and food security. FSOs can expect to spend about a third of their career serving in USDA/FAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., in positions throughout the agency.
Successful applicants to this announcement will enter FAS as Foreign Service Trainees to work and train in Washington, D.C. for an average of 18 to 36 months, followed by assignment to an overseas post. Candidates demonstrating the necessary competencies and achievement will be commissioned into the Foreign Service and can look forward to professional careers with increasing rank and responsibility which averages 25 years.
To access the "Guide to the Foreign Service Officer Selection Process" for more information about the Foreign Service Officer Trainee position and the assessment process please click here: https://www.fas.usda.gov/about-fas/careers
NOTE: The Foreign Agricultural Service will host a Public Information Session on Tuesday, November 14, 2017 from 1:00 - 2:30 PM, EST at Patriots Plaza III, 355 E Street SW, Auditorium B, 1st Floor, Washington, DC. For those not in the Washington, DC area, you can dial in to virtually access the meeting (audio only) at 1-888-844-9904, Code 3206162. The panel will discuss the Foreign Service Officer selection process, the Foreign Service personnel system, and the lifestyle of a Foreign Service Officer.
The trainee positions are term appointments, not-to exceed 18 months, which can be extended every year for up to a total of four years, if needed. A term appointment does not confer competitive status.
This announcement may be used to fill 7-15 vacancies in Fiscal Year 2018, (pending budget and/or funding availability).
Salary Information: First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range.
This is a multi-level assessment process. The highest ranking/best qualified applicants will be invited to participate in a one-day Applicant Assessment Forum in Riverdale, MD. Travel and transportations costs to attend the Applicant Assessment Forum will be at the applicant's expense.
11/06/2017 to 11/06/2017
$66,510 - $103,369 per year
GS 11 - 12
75% or less - Must be available for worldwide assignments
No
Term
Full-Time
12
No
FAS-DE-2018-0002
482406100
This position serves as a Foreign Service Officer Trainee and will undertake training which will include being assigned to work in Washington, DC. Foreign Service Officer Trainees are responsible for participating in the development of their training plan, attending and performing work as directed by the supervisor, and working toward developing a strong FAS knowledge base and learning job related skills throughout the training period. The training period may be up to 4 years.
Under the general supervision of the Area Director, the incumbent performs some or all of the following:
Special Conditions:
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-9 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 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, one of the following three areas:
. market development (market expansion-type activities); or
. capacity building (includes building food and market systems, expanding trade through food assistance, or enhancing agricultural development); or
. trade policy (negotiating and enforcing agreements; resolving technical, sanitary, or phytosanitary barriers; pursuing the development of rules-based international systems)
OR
- Experience assisting with or performing professional work in market and economic analysis and interpretation.
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 in agricultural marketing, economics, agricultural or applied economics, agricultural business, or another field of study directly related to this position 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.
Combination of Specialized Experience and Qualifying Education: Applicants may qualify for the GS-11 level based on a combination of specialized experience and education, as listed above. 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 or more of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service and 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:
. market development (market expansion-type activities),
. capacity building (includes building food and market systems, expanding trade through food assistance, or enhancing agricultural development), and
. trade policy (negotiating and enforcing agreements; resolving technical, sanitary, or phytosanitary barriers; pursuing the development of rules-based international system
AND
. Experience performing professional work in market and economic analysis and interpretation.
NOTE: There is no substitution of education allowed at the GS-12 level.
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/
NOTE: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree or college course work. If you are using your degree to qualify for the position, you must submit a copy of your college transcript. If selected, an official college transcript will be required before you can report for duty.
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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
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 using category rating. The category rating procedure is used to rank and select eligible candidates. 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 that they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies:
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if (a) you meet the minimum qualification requirements and (b) your 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 rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. 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 and including removal from the Federal Service.
Assessment Process
This is a multi-level assessment process. The highest ranking/best qualified applicants will be invited to participate in a one day Applicant Assessment Forum in order to receive further consideration.
The Assessment Forum will include written, 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: interpersonal skills, intellectual skills, leadership skills, customer service skills, and communication skills.
The Assessment Forum is tentatively scheduled to take place on January 29 - February 9, 2018 in Riverdale, MD. Travel and transportation costs for participation in the Assessment Center will be at the applicant's own expense.
Applicants must pass each portion of the assessment process. If you do not pass all of the exams in the Assessment Center, you will not be considered for the position. Those that pass all of the exams in the Assessment Center will be referred to the selecting officials on a certificate of eligibles for further consideration. The certificate of eligibles is valid for 3 months.
Qualified applicants who are eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran’s preference eligibles.
The following documents are required in order for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin.
The following instructions outline our application process.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required.
You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application” to continue.
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. We expect to make a final job offer within 40 days after the closing date of the announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/482406100. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.