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Job Title: Food Safety Ombudsman
Department:Department Of Agriculture
Agency:Departmental Administration
Sub Agency:Departmental Management
Job Announcement Number:ES-2012-0004
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SALARY RANGE:
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$96,690.00
to $125,695.00 / Per Year
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OPEN PERIOD:
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Wednesday,
January 25, 2012 to Wednesday, February 01, 2012
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SERIES & GRADE:
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GS-1801-14
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POSITION INFORMATION:
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Full-Time
- Temporary NTE 1 year
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PROMOTION POTENTIAL:
14
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DUTY LOCATIONS:
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1
vacancy(s) - Location Negotiable After Selection, US
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WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
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Applications
will be accepted from all United States citizens.
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JOB SUMMARY:
The
United States Department of Agriculture's overarching mission is to provide
leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based
on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.
With USDA you'll have the flexibility and freedom to explore a world of
possibilities through a wealth of exciting and challenging career
opportunities. By joining USDA, you can hone your career skills while helping
to secure the U.S. future and make a real difference in the lives of
Americans and people around the world.
The
Office of the Secretary is seeking a motivated and highly-qualified candidate
for an exciting full-time, temporary position.
THIS
IS A TEMPORARY POSITION NOT TO EXCEED ONE (1) YEAR.
THE DUTY LOCATION WILL BE DETERMINED UPON SELECTION. AS A RESULT, THE SALARY
RANGES VARY ACCORDING TO THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA LOCALITY ADJUSTMENTS.
THEREFORE, RATES SHOWN ABOVE ARE ONLY A GUIDE AND WILL DEPEND UPON THE
SELECTEE'S DUTY LOCATION.
The Office of the Secretary directs and coordinates the work of the
Department, provides policy direction for all areas of the Department's
responsibilities including research, educational and regulatory activities,
nutrition, conservation, and farm programs, forestry, and international
agriculture and maintains relationships with organizations and others in the
development of programs and maintaining liaison with the Executive Office of
the President and members of Congress on all matters pertaining to
Departmental policy.
CONCURRENT ANNOUNCEMENT: This vacancy is also being announced as
vacancy announcement number ES-2012-0005. Please review that announcement if
you are currently employed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and
wish to be considered under merit promotion procedures. Note: Applicants must
apply separately for each announcement in order to be considered under both
procedures.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
·
U.S. Citizenship.
·
Background Investigation.
DUTIES:
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The
primary purpose for this position is to respond to employee concerns related
to the humane handling and slaughter of animals and other duties pertaining
to the food safety mission as assigned by the Under Secretary. The incumbent
performs the following duties:
-Independently establishes a process to collect and resolve confidential
complaints and concerns of employees about programs, policies and procedures
that may threaten the effectiveness of the food safety mission and are not
being addressed in a timely manner in other forums.
-Recommends cross-cutting improvements in programs, policies and procedures
to decision-making officials to minimize the recurrence of problems.
-Develops an annual report to the Under Secretary and the Mission
Administrator summarizing problems, resolutions, and recommendations.
-Reviews complaints, obtains and impartially reviews patterns of relevant
facts, identifies options for resolution, and collaborates with concerned
parties and decision-making official(s) for long-term resolution.
-Refers complaints or concerns covered by existing regulations to the
appropriate internal or external forum.
-Represents the Under Secretary or other senior-level officials to the
National Partnership for Reinvention (NPR).
-Plans, designs, and carries out an employee ombudsman program aimed at
identifying and facilitating resolution of substantive and administrative
program management issues raised by or of concern to employees and citizens
as potentially threatening food safety effectiveness.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
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At the GS-14 level:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the
next lower grade level in the Federal service. Qualifying experience
for GS-14 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-13
which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped
the applicant with the competencies to perform successfully the duties of the
position. For this position, specialized experience is experience monitoring
and analyzing substantive administrative and program issues pertaining to
food safety effectiveness and the humane handling of animals to assure
compliance with the humane slaughter law.
NOTE: We recommend that your application clearly show your possession
of the specialized experience qualification requirement.
There
is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.
All
qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this
announcement.
Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background
investigation and the granting of a federal suitability or security
clearance.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Applicants
will be evaluated on their demonstration of the possession of the following
competencies as described in the online assessment questions. You do not need
to respond separately to these competencies. Your answers to the online
questions will serve as responses to the competencies. Applicants
answers will be validated against information provided in their resumes,
including their paid or volunteer experience, education, training, and
certifications.
1. Knowledge of food safety policies, structure, functions and practices of
the United States' meat and poultry industries sufficient to respond to
concerns related to the humane handling and slaughter of animals and to the
effectiveness of the food safety mission.
2. Ability to identify trends in issues and problems and plan and implement
an Ombudsman strategy that substantively influences administrative program
management policies and procedures resulting in improved employee morale and
enhanced mission effectiveness.
3. Knowledge of conflict resolution methodologies, techniques and approaches
to negotiate collaborative solutions to novel, sensitive or highly
controversial issues.
4. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative relationships with staff at
all levels and with a wide variety of management officials and others in the
private and public sector to effectively influence acceptance and
implementation of recommendations and resolve highly controversial issues.
Applicants will be rated using the Category Rating system. If you meet the
eligibility and qualification requirements for this position, you will be
rated on your possession of the competencies listed above. Based on the
extent and quality of your experience paid and unpaid), education, and
training in relation to these competencies, you will be placed into one of
the following three categories:
Best
Qualified
Applicants with a background that demonstrates a superior level of possession
of all competencies.
Well Qualified
Applicants with a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of
possession of the competencies.
Qualified
Applicants possessing the specialized experience described above and any
education or selective factor if also required.
Application of Veterans Preference for Delegated Examining: Category rating
and selection procedures place those with veterans
preference above non-preference eligibles within
each category. Preference eligibles who meet the
eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable
service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest
quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or
professional at the GS-9 level or higher. This position is not a scientific
or professional position.
To preview questions please click here.
BENEFITS:
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The
Federal government offers a number of exceptional benefits to its employees.
This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered:
http://www.usajobs.gov/ResourceCenter/Index/Interactive/Benefits
OTHER INFORMATION:
Recruitment/relocation
incentives will not be authorized.
Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement.
Background Investigation: Employment is contingent upon satisfactory
completion of a background investigation and the granting of a federal
suitability or security clearance.
If you are a displaced Federal employee, you may be entitled to receive
special priority consideration under the Interagency Career Transition
Assistance Program (ICTAP) or the Career Transition Assistance Program
(CTAP). Eligible ICTAP/CTAP employees within
the commuting area must (1) submit documentary evidence of eligibility (a
separation notice; a 'Notice of Personnel Action' (SF-50) documenting
separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury
compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability
annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard
Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456), (2)
submit all required documents specified in the announcement, and (3) be rated
in the Well Qualified definition as described above in the "how you will
be evaluated" section.
All Federal employees are required by PL 104-134 to have Federal salary
payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have
registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do
so under Selective Service law, if selected.
The US Department of Agriculture participates in E-Verify and will provide
the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9
to confirm work authorization.
HOW TO APPLY:
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ONLINE APPLICATION:
Application to this announcement requires the online submission of basic
applicant information and responses to competency questions and submission of
supporting documentation (described in the required documents section below).
All application materials will be accepted until midnight Eastern Time
on the closing date. Help
in applying online is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. at the number listed in the Contact information section.
NOTE: Our online application system is 100% compatible with the
following web browsers: Netscape; IE versions 5.5 and above and Safari 1.0
and above on Mac. If you are using any other web browser to complete
your application you may experience errors, missing text or you may be unable
to complete your application on-line.
STEP
ONE (On-line Resume):
You must create a user account and at least one Federal resume at USAJOBS. The
information you provide in your Federal resume will become part
of your application and will automatically be transferred to our system when
you apply on-line.
1. Begin the application process by clicking on the [Apply Online]
button at the bottom of the announcement.
2. Log into your USAJOBS account (if you are not already logged in) or
create one (if you do not have one established).
3. Select the resume you would like to submit and click on [Apply for
this position now!]. You will now be automatically transferred to our system
where you will complete the application process.
STEP
TWO (Personal Information and Competencies):
1. Once you have been transferred, follow the
on-screen prompts to complete your application. Be certain to read the
on-screen instructions thoroughly before continuing. First, you will be asked
to complete or update your information on file.
2. After completing or updating your information, you will be asked to
respond to questions specific to this vacancy. You must respond to all
questions in order to save or proceed with the application process.
3. Once you have answered all the vacancy
questions click on [Finished].
STEP
THREE (Faxing Supporting Documentation):
The next step of the application process is to fax all the required
supporting documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this
vacancy announcement. You do not need to have all of your supporting
documentation submitted in order continue with the online portion of the
application process. Please carefully follow the instructions below to
ensure your supporting documents are properly faxed and received. All
required documents must be received by midnight Eastern Time on the closing
date of the vacancy announcement.
FAX INSTRUCTIONS:
1. After answering all vacancy related questions, you will be taken to
a page containing a list of fax cover sheets for all required supporting
documents.
2. If you have previously faxed supporting documentation the status of
those documents will indicate Received. There is no need to
resubmit documents which show a status of received unless you are submitting
an updated copy.
3. You must use a separate cover sheet for each type of supporting
documentation. Choose the document cover sheet(s) you would like to print by
selecting the appropriate check boxes in the Selected Documents
column.
4. Click the Print Cover Sheets button. A window will pop up
containing the fax cover sheet(s) you selected. Print the coversheet(s). NOTE:
You must be connected to a printer in order to print the coversheets.
5. Once you have reviewed the list of documents and printed any
required fax cover sheets click on [Done]. You will be moved forward in
the application process.
6. Before faxing your document(s), take care to ensure the document is
legible and all information is complete and signed, if necessary. Fax
only documents which are clear and legible. Original documents with light or
faded print and/or dark or patterned backgrounds will not be legible upon
receipt. Illegible faxed documents cannot be used for qualification or
verification purposes.
7. Place the corresponding cover sheet on top of the document and fax
the cover sheet and document together to the fax number specified on the
cover sheet.
NOTE: If you are faxing more than one document, EACH DOCUMENT MUST
BE FAXED SEPARATELY under its corresponding cover sheet to the fax number
specified on the cover sheet. DO NOT FAX ALL DOCUMENTS UNDER ONE COVER
SHEET.
8. Be sure to save these cover sheets in the event you need to re-fax
your supporting documents. Each fax transmission includes a unique
identification number, which ensures your document is processed correctly.
9. You will receive an e-mail confirming the fax has been successfully received
by Human Resources. This EMAIL CONFIRMATION is our official receipt of
submission. The fax confirmation generated by the fax machine is NOT
your official receipt of submission.
Your application will be considered incomplete and YOU WILL BE FOUND
INELIGIBLE if you fail to submit the required documentation as specified
under the required documents section by midnight Eastern Time on the closing
date of the vacancy announcement.
STEP
FOUR (Review and Submit Application):
The final step of the application process is to review and submit your
complete online application package.
1. Review the personal information, core questions, vacancy questions
and resume for accuracy and completeness.
2. Once you are satisfied with your application click on [Finished] to
submit your application.
If you do not click on [Finished] your application will not be submitted and
you will not receive consideration.
3. Once you have submitted your application you will be redirected back
to USAJOBS where you may view your application status, continue to browse for
open positions and/or apply for additional positions. You may return at
any time until midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement
to update or make changes to your
application.
APPLICANTS
WHO DO NOT APPLY ONLINE:
You are strongly encouraged to complete the on-line portion of the
application process via USAJOBS. If you cannot apply on-line, call the
number listed under Agency Contact section between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
prior to the closing date to request a hard copy of the complete application
package. If you do not request the complete application package, and
your application does not include all the information requested within the
web site How do I apply if I cannot apply on-line
(See link below.), you will not be considered for this vacancy. Be
advised, if you request an application package late in the announcement
period, you cannot receive an extension past the closing date. Hard
copy faxed applications must be received by midnight Eastern Time on the
closing date of the announcement. Hard copy applications that are not
faxed will be accepted at the Human Resources Office listed in the Agency
Contact section of this announcement until 4:30 p.m. All hard copy
applications must include all the information listed at How do I Apply if I cannot apply on-line.
Application packages submitted via e-mail will NOT be accepted.
***Do NOT use government postage paid envelopes.
***Applicants who cannot apply on-line, click the link
below for instructions on how to apply. How to apply
if I cannot apply online
At the above web site, click on Frequently Asked Questions, then Appling
for Jobs and finally How to apply if I cannot apply online
***Be certain to submit all supporting documentation. This information
should be submitted in the format prescribed within the Required Documents
section of this announcement.
***If you are found qualified for this position, you will ONLY be considered
at the grade level(s) for which you applied*
APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT ALL OF THE INFORMATION REQUESTED ON THE WEB SITE HOW
DO I APPLY IF I CANNOT APPLY ON-LINE. APPLICANTS FAILING TO SUBMIT A
COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
RESUME
- showing relevant experience and education
COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE
VETERANS DOCUMENTATION - DD-214, SF-15 and the proof as requested on the SF-15
if claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference; DD-214 if claiming 5 point
preference or VEOA eligibility (separated under honorable conditions after 3
years or more of continuous service).
DISPLACED EMPLOYEE PLACEMENT DOCUMENTS - Only required if requesting priority
consideration under CTAP/ICTAP. You must submit ALL of the FOLLOWING: your
most recent performance appraisal, the proof of eligibility letter from the
Agency and your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
In addition, you MUST meet the well qualified standards for this
vacancy.
AGENCY CONTACT INFO:
Julia
Baker
hone: 703-995-9625
Fax: 571-258-4052
mail: jbaker@yrci.com
Agency
Information:
Departmental Management
DHRD
1400 Independence Ave SW
Rm. 17-W
Washington, DC
20250
US
Fax: 571-258-4052
WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:
After
the announcement has closed, we will conduct an evaluation of your
eligibility and qualifications and determine your ranking. The most highly
qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further
consideration and possible interview. We will inform you of your status
upon completion of the evaluation process.
Agency Information:
Departmental
Management
DHRD
1400 Independence Ave SW
Rm. 17-W
Washington, DC
20250
US
ax: 571-258-4052
Questions about this job:
Julia Baker
Phone: 703-995-9625
Fax: 571-258-4052
Email: jbaker@yrci.com
Job Announcement Number:
ES-2012-0004
Control Number: 307816300
Apply
Here
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