Job Title: Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) 5 / 7 – Jersey City, NJ
Department: Department
Of Agriculture
Agency: Food Safety and Inspection Service
Sub Agency: Food
Safety and Inspection Service, USDA
Job Announcement Number: FSIS-MCE-2011-0179
SALARY RANGE:
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$35,309.00 - $56,863.00 /year
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OPEN PERIOD:
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Monday, August 29, 2011 to Wednesday, September 07, 2011
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SERIES & GRADE:
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GS-1862-05/07
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POSITION INFORMATION:
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Full-time Permanent
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PROMOTION POTENTIAL:
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09
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DUTY LOCATIONS:
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1 vacancy(s) in one of the following locations: Jersey City,
NJ
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WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
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All current U.S. Citizens; current or former Federal
employment is not required.
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JOB SUMMARY:
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This position has promotion potential to the GS-8/9 level.
Establishment 02148: Shelley Food Stores, Inc.
Shift: 1st shift, 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday - Friday
Position rotates with Linden, NJ and Union City, NJ.
Training as Condition of Employment (TCOE) is a requirement for this
position.
This is an excellent opportunity for those seeking a greater
challenge and responsibility in a position directly involved in
protecting public health. As a trainee, you will be learning and
performing the following duties in a developmental capacity with
supervision and training:
As a Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI), you will ensure that regulated
Meat* and Poultry establishments produce a safe product by executing
appropriate inspection methods, determining noncompliance with
regulatory requirements, documenting noncompliance, and initiating
enforcement action, where warranted.
*The "Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008", also referred to
as
the "2008 Farm Bill", was signed into Law on June 18, 2008.
The
Farm Bill amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) to include
Catfish as an amenable species under the Act.
If you are found to be one of the top quality candidates or a non-competitive
referral and will be referred to the selecting official for job
consideration, you may be asked to develop a written response to
narrative/essay type questions in the second round of the application
process. If this applies to you, you will be contacted by an agency
representative. Please keep your records updated with your current email
address.
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KEY REQUIREMENTS:
- This announcement may be used
to fill additional like vacancies.
- FSIS UTILIZES E-VERIFY TO
VERIFY IDENTITY AND EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY.
- Current U.S. citizenship
required for this position.
- Relocation expenses will not
be paid.
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Duties
Additional
Duty Location Info:
Jersey City, NJ
In
your position as a Consumer Safety Inspector, you will verify
that meat and poultry slaughter and/or processing establishments'
Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans meet regulatory requirements and are
being executed effectively to prevent unsanitary conditions and adulteration
of product.
You will review records, observe plant operations, and conduct hands-
on verification to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
You will prepare detailed documentation (Non-Compliance Record) on
noncompliance with regulatory requirements. You will determine when
regulatory control action is necessary. You will assess whether the plant's
corrective or preventative actions are acceptable and effective, if there are
trends in noncompliance, or if enforcement action is warranted.
You will conduct regulatory oversight activities inside plants in
matters relating to other consumer protections (e.g., economic
adulteration and misbranding).
As a Consumer Safety Inspector, you will have contact with plant
managers, owners, and others to explain legal and regulatory
requirements, discuss operation of the plants' SSOP,
HACCP plan, and
other food safety programs, communicate on and defend determinations
on noncompliance issues, and to discuss plans for addressing non-
compliance. You will also work with a variety of individuals to
resolve problems, clarify differences of interpretation concerning HACCP and
other food safety or consumer protection requirements, and you will advise
other Agency inspectors, supervisors and officers on inspection and
enforcement matters for which you are involved.
In addition, you may conduct various samplings, surveys, and tests
to obtain pertinent data on potential problem areas, industry
trends, or other issues of current interest to the Agency. You may
be involved in performing health and safety verification sampling
and tests for detection of specific microbes (e.g., salmonella,
listeria, etc.), residues or contaminants.
You may also perform direct, structured sampling involving Protein
Fat Free (PFF), undeclared species, undeclared ingredients, or
suspected economic violations involving net weight or labeling.
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Qualifications and
Evaluations
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
There
are several ways that you can meet the basic qualification
requirements for the Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) trainee
position. They are:
1. Specialized Experience.
2. Education and Training.
3. A combination of education and specialized experience.
or
4. One full year of directly related graduate education is
qualifying for GS-7.
1. Specialized Experience: To qualify based only on specialized experience,
you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the experience
that would have been gained if working in this position or similar, closely
related position at the next lower level. See specialized experience
definition.
OR
2. Education and Training:
Successful completion of a full 4 year course of study leading to a
bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester
hours/credits in any combination of coursework in the areas of:
agricultural, biological, or physical sciences, food technology,
epidemiology, home economics, pharmacy, engineering, or nutrition.
Specialized government or military training may be creditable if it is
related directly to this position.
OR
3. A combination of education and specialized experience. In this
instance, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of
a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (with some related
coursework, as described in number 2 above) is creditable towards
meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience.
The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have
33% education, then you need 67% specialized
experience.
4. One full year of directly related graduate education is
qualifying for GS-7.
Specialized Experience:
In order to meet the specialized experience requirement, you will
need to have completed 52 weeks of progressively responsible
specialized experience equivalent to the experience that would have
been gained if working in this position at the next lower grade
level within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement,
OR the appropriate education substitution listed above. This
includes experience that provided you with knowledge of the
properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and
substances, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs,or other food for
human consumption, and other ingestible substances, such as
pharmaceuticals. This experience should include several or all of
the following:
Skill in applying proper techniques for collecting samples and
performing field tests and examinations, skill in developing written
reports and reporting findings or results orally, and skill in
maintaining effective personal contacts with a variety of individuals. Such
experience may have been acquired in work such as
consumer safety inspector or inspection aid, food inspector, public
health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or similar position
with responsibility for sampling, quality control and sanitation in
a food manufacturing or production environment, or similar environment for
other ingestible items.
HOW YOU
WILL BE EVALUATED:
Applicants
are evaluated in accordance with Delegated Examining
Procedures using Category Rating. All applicants are rated on the extent and
quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the
position. If qualified, you will be placed into a quality category based on
how well your background demonstrates the following competencies: Language (ie. Written Communication), Mathematics (ie. Basic Statistics), Information Processing (ie. Technical Comprehension), Analytical (ie. Problem Solving), Communication (ie.
Providing and Receiving Feedback), Personal Characteristics (ie. Integrity). An automated rating system, based on the
online assessment and application process is used. Before any certificate can
be issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed carefully by an
HR Specialist to assure that (a) minimum qualification requirements are met,
(b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions,
and (c) that your resume addresses experience and education relevant to this
position. Your resume must thoroughly support your responses to the applicant
assessment questions. High self-assessment in the applicant questions that is
not supported by information in your resume may eliminate you from
best-qualified status and subsequent referral to the selecting official.
If you are found to be one of the top quality candidates or are eligible for
special hiring authorities and will be referred to the selecting official for
job consideration, you may be asked to develop a written response to
narrative/essay type questions in the second round of the application
process. If this applies to you, you will be contacted by an agency
representative. Please keep your records updated with your current email
address.
The automated system will place applicants in categories based on their
responses to the online job related assessment questions, which are based on
the duties and competencies required of the position. These categories are
qualified, well qualified, and best qualified. Best qualified is the top
category. Veterans who meet qualification requirements and have adjudicated
veterans preference will be placed at the top of the category they fall into
based on their answers to the assessment questions; this could be one of
several categories, however, non-veterans cannot be selected over veterans
that are in the same category. Only candidates in the top category are
referred to the selecting official, unless categories are merged. Preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability
(CP/CPS) are placed at the top of the highest quality category (except for
scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher).
Adjudicated veterans are those who meet the requirements for preference and
submit legible documentation by the closing date of the announcement. A
member 4 copy of the DD-214 must be submitted, or a letter from the Veterans
Administration specifying eligibility as a disabled veteran, and in either
case, documents must specify discharge under honorable conditions. For
disabled veterans, the SF-15 is requested; in the absence of an SF-15, the VA
letter specifying eligibility for preference and discharge under honorable
conditions is sufficient, assuming all requirements for preference are met.
For positions other than professional and scientific at or equivalent to the
GS-9 level or higher, qualified CPS and CP preference eligibles
are placed at the top of the highest quality category. For professional and
scientific positions at or equivalent to the GS-9 level or higher, qualified
CPS and CP preference eligibles are placed at the
top of the appropriate quality category for which rated.
To preview questions please click here.
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Benefits and Other Info
BENEFITS:
The
Federal government offers a number of exceptional benefits to its employees.
For an overview of all the benefits programs please click this link.
OTHER
INFORMATION:
Future
promotion is not guaranteed and depends on demonstrated
performance and ability to assume additional responsibility. The
selectee will not be required to reapply or compete again for
promotion to the full performance level of this position.
RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID.
Additional positions within this rotation assignment, which includes the duty
stations of Linden and Union City, NJ may be filled
from this vacancy announcement.
Condition of Employment:
This position has a training program requirement as a condition of
employment. If selected, you must successfully complete a multi-
week training program at a designated location, which may require
travel outside the duty location for an extended period. The
training you will attend is called the Food Safety Regulatory
Essentials (FSRE). The type of class you will attend and length of
time you will need to attend the training will be based on the types
of HACCP processes you will be expected to verify in the
establishment(s) to which you will be assigned in this new
position. For example, if the position is assigned to conduct
verification activities in plants producing raw products, two weeks
of FSRE training will be required. If your assignment covers
establishments with not shelf stable, ready-to-eat/not ready-to-eat
processes, you will attend the three-week FSRE course. If your
assignment involves verification activities for shelf stable
products, you will also be required to attend the two-week shelf
stable FSRE training. If you successfully completed some or all of
the required training previously, the number of weeks required may
be adjusted. You must begin the training within 90 days of the
effective date of your selection, and you must successfully complete
it within 12 months of the effective date of your selection.
Failure to successfully complete the training may result in removal
from Federal Service.
This position requires a Pre-Employment Physical.
The duties of a Consumer Safety Inspector are performed in a
hazardous working environment. Therefore, applicants must be
physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the job
functions, without hazard to themselves and others. Specifically,
full range of motion is required for rapid repetitive twisting and
working with arms above shoulder level as well as standing and
walking on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks, and climbing
stairs and ladders. Applicants must be able to lift, carry, push and
pull up to 44 pounds. Manual dexterity of the upper body, including
arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in
both hands
is mandatory. In addition, applicants must be free of chronic eye
disease, have good near and distance vision and have
the ability to
distinguish shades of color. Any significant degree of color
blindness (25 percent or more error rate on approved color plate
test) is disqualifying. The ability to hear and understand
conversational voice is required. The above requirements are not all
inclusive.
Background Investigation/Suitability:
Selectee will be subject to receiving a satisfactory background
investigation, and will also need to complete an OF-306, Declaration
for Federal Employment prior to appointment to determine suitability
for federal employment. This document asks for disclosure of
information relating to arrests, employment terminations, and
other suitablitiy issues.
Conflict of Interest:
In addition, the selectee will need to provide a signed conflict of
interest statement. Conflict of interest rules prohibit an
appointment to a position at an establishment where an individual
has been previously employed for more than 90 days during the
preceding year. There are several other types of conflict of
interest situations explained in detail on the form given to
selectees.
FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES ALL EMPLOYERS TO VERIFY THE IDENTITY AND
EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY OF ALL PERSONS HIRED TO WORK IN THE UNITED
STATES. FSIS utilizes E-Verify to verify identity and employment
eligibility by providing to the Social Security Administration (SSA)
and, if necessary the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work
authorization. E-Verify cannot be used to pre-screen job applicants
or to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the
choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9. If you have
concern that there has been a violation of the E-Verify program or
you feel you have been discriminated during the verification process
based on your national origin or citizenship status, contact the
Office of Special Counsel at 1-800-255-7688 (TDD: 1-800-237-2515).
For more information on E-Verify you may contact DHS at 1-888-464-
4218.
Completed applications for this vacancy must be received no later
than midnight, U.S. Eastern time zone, on the closing date. If
applying online poses a hardship to any applicant, the contact
listed on the announcement will provide assistance to help you
apply, or provide alternative methods.
Applicants may contact the servicing human resources office during
their core business hours (8:00 am to 3:30 pm central time) prior to
the closing date to speak with someone who can provide assistance
for online application.
EEO/DIVERSITY POLICY: EEO
Statement.
OPM's Information
on Reasonable Accommodation Statement.
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How To
Apply
HOW TO
APPLY:
Please
read the entire announcement carefully and take note of any education, qualification,
rating factors, and job-related questions or specific duties that are listed.
Are you new to the Government application process? Are you a Current or
Former Federal Employee with questions? An applicant who is eligible to apply
under a Special Hiring Authority? We want to make certain all of you have an
opportunity to be considered so please review the following link in order to
make sure you have submitted your application properly! For additional
information please visit the
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Agency Information:
Food Safety and Inspection Service,
USDA
Human Resource Operations
Butler Square West, Suite 420C
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Fax: 612-370-2376
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Questions about this job:
Lori Pehrson
Phone: 612-659-8544
Fax: 612-370-2376
TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: lori.pehrson@fsis.usda.gov
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Job Announcement
Number:
FSIS-MCE-2011-0179
Control
Number: 2375543
Apply
Here
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