You are viewing a preview of this job. Log in or register to view more details about this job.

Plant Protection and Quarantine Officer

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Email

Plant Protection and Quarantine Officer (Plant Health Safeguarding Specialist)

Miami, FL

If selected you will serve in a vital role to safeguard U.S. agriculture and natural resources in coordination with state officials, other agencies, industry, and colleges, as a federal liaison for plant quarantine programs. The primary work includes import exclusion, complex treatments, export activities, permitting and compliance, as well as pest detection.

Duties

  • The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Duties are performed at Plant Inspection Stations, International Ports of Entry, and other geographical areas within the United States.
  • Provide specialized inspection, regulation and clearance of propagative plant material, plant products and pest diagnostic identification services at plant inspection stations and other facilities.
  • Interpret and enforce Federal and State domestic quarantines and regulatory orders restricting the inter/intra-state movement of plants, plant products, animal byproduct and other materials.
  • Plan, conduct, and/or supervise various treatments such as disinfection, sterilization, fumigation, cold treatment, hot water treatment, irradiation for plant and animal pests and diseases.
  • Manage multiple program areas such as: post entry quarantine, biological control, gypsy moth, grasshopper/cricket, noxious weeds, boll weevil, or other pests.
  • Review permits, conduct inspections, prepare and execute compliance agreements, enforce policies regarding quarantine, and identify inspection sites.
  • Serve as accredited certifying officials regarding export certification for trade facilitation.
  • Track the progress and submit reports regarding program operations in specific geographical area assigned.

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Individuals who were born male 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/
  • Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
  • All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
  • This position may have unique physical requirements, if you are asked in for an interview please address any questions at that time.
  • May be required to maintain certification for the wearing of personal protective equipment, including respirators such as Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and maintain a valid pesticide certification.
  • Incumbents will be required to travel to remote locations at various facilities and may be required to spend extended periods of time at these locations, usually not more than 30 days.
  • The incumbent must also be to travel on a routine basis and be willing to work at odd times, including overtime, weekends, holidays and shifts.
  • Work takes place in offices and in a variety of other outdoor locations. Some activities occur in isolated rural areas.
  • Employees may experience discomfort due to adverse weather conditions, high noise levels, pesticides and working around agricultural or industrial equipment.

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:

  • Experience in applying principles of biological science to analyze and take action to prevent the establishment and/or spread of plant pests and diseases; provides recommendations on design and development of guidelines, operational standards, and procedures.
  • Responsibility for independently planning, coordinating, and carrying out work throughout assigned geographic area of responsibility, including visual surveys, trap inspections, specimen collections, data entry, and records management.
  • Collaborating with other Federal/State agricultural officials, industry, and stakeholders to execute program operations, enforce regulatory orders, monitor movement of quarantine material, issue compliance agreements, and coordinate response to emergency plant pest outbreaks.
  • Tracking progress of program activities; prepares summary reports; implements measures to ensure high quality data collection and integrity, and oversees the work of lower-graded staff

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).Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS are required:

  • This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
  • You are qualifying for the position based on education.
  • You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
  • You are qualifying for this position based on Superior Academic Achievement.
  • This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-07 GRADE LEVEL: 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 that grade level.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

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 normally 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 is represented by a collective bargaining unit (union), specifically the National Association of Agricultural Employees.
  • Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
  • Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.
  • Worksite Information: 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. Additional information regarding ad hoc, occasional, or reoccurring telework may be obtained at a later time from the hiring manager or program during the hiring process.

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
  • 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.