SummaryThis position is located in the Office of Policy and Program Development, State and International Equivalence Staff that evaluates foreign inspection systems for equivalence to FSIS standards, reviews State Meat and Poultry Inspection programs for compliance, and coordinates food safety policies with federal, state, and international partners. Serves as a Senior Equivalence Officer for review of foreign inspection systems for equivalence to FSIS standards.
DutiesHelp
- ****Duties and responsibilities vary according to grade level. Responsibilities below are represent at the GS14 grade full performance level****
- Lead high-impact equivalence determinations involving complex foreign meat, poultry, and egg product inspection systems.
- Resolve controversial, disputed, or precedent-setting differences between foreign requirements and FSIS requirements.
- Establish the technical basis for recommendations concerning market access, continued recognition, modification, suspension, or withdrawal of equivalence.
- Lead comprehensive evaluations of foreign inspection systems, including systemic deficiency and corrective action assessments.
- Conduct reviews to assess whether foreign food safety inspection systems meet applicable FSIS equivalence requirements.
- Analyze foreign laws, regulations, and procedures governing meat, poultry, and egg product inspection.
- Assess inspection system controls, including inspection procedures, laboratory systems, and enforcement systems against FSIS equivalence criteria.
RequirementsHelp
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.
- May be required to successfully complete a probationary, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
- Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
- Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
QualificationsIndividual Occupational Requirements The education must have been obtained at a college, university, or an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements.
A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in quality assurance or a related degree that included at least 30 semester hours in one or a combination of the following: consumer laws, biological sciences, food science, chemistry, pharmacy, physical sciences, food technology, nutrition, medical science, engineering, epidemiology, veterinary medical science, legal investigations, law enforcement, or related scientific fields that provided knowledge directly related to consumer safety officer work.
The 30 semester hours may include up to 8 semester hours in statistics, or course work that included the principles, theory, or practical application of computers or computer programming.
OR
Combination of education and experiencecourses consisting of at least 30 semester hours in the fields of study described in paragraph A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
For additional information please review the Individual Occupational Requirements
Consumer Safety Series 0696
Specialized Experience:?Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position include one year of specialized experience (equivalent to GS-12) experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically related to the work of the position to be filled.
A GS-13 Consumer Officer requires at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level. Your experience must include all of the following:
- Reviewing establishment food safety systems or microbiological or chemical residue sampling programs to determine whether they meet agency requirements for meat, poultry, and egg products.
- Evaluating sanitation, HACCP, sampling, and enforcement procedures, identifying deficiencies, and recommending corrective actions.
- Preparing technical analyses, decision documents, and recommendations to support management decisions for establishment food safety systems or microbiological or chemical residue sampling programs.
- Working with agency specialists, laboratories, legal advisors, public health experts, and other program areas to resolve technical issues and support accurate decisions.
- Explaining agency requirements and providing technical assistance to stakeholders.
A GS-14 Consumer Officer requires at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level. Your experience must include at least 5 of the 8of the following:
- Lead complex and controversial equivalence decisions involving foreign or State inspection systems, interpret regulatory differences, and make expert recommendations.
- Develop and interpret agency equivalence policy for new or unusual inspection issues, including drafting rules, directives, notices, and compliance guidance.
- Set technical direction and review strategies for major equivalence matters and provide expert guidance on agency review and policy implementation.
- Assess the international, state, public health, operational, or trade effects of proposed equivalence decisions and advise senior leaders through briefings and policy analyses.
- Lead evaluations of foreign inspection systems or State MPI programs, identify systemic deficiencies, assess corrective action plans, and help resolve disputed technical information.
- Represent agency in high-level international or State negotiations, defend FSIS technical positions, and negotiate solutions with other governments and stakeholders.
- Improve agency processes and documentation standards, establish new evaluation criteria, strengthen decision-making tools, and promote consistent agency-wide determinations.
- Coordinate agency positions with other program areas and Federal or State agencies, resolve disagreements about policies or regulations, and support alignment on significant equivalence matters.
To meet specialized experience requirements, the applicant's work experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies necessary to perform at the grade level of the position. Qualifying experience involves enforcing laws and regulations to protect consumers from foods, drugs, cosmetics, fabrics, toys, equipment, and household products that are defective, dangerous, impure, unwholesome, ineffective, or improperly or deceptively labeled or packaged.
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.
EducationThe education must have been obtained at a college, university, or an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements.
A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in quality assurance or a related degree that included at least 30 semester hours in one or a combination of the following: consumer laws, biological sciences, food science, chemistry, pharmacy, physical sciences, food technology, nutrition, medical science, engineering, epidemiology, veterinary medical science, legal investigations, law enforcement, or related scientific fields that provided knowledge directly related to consumer safety officer work. The 30 semester hours may include up to 8 semester hours in statistics, or course work that included the principles, theory, or practical application of computers or computer programming.
OR
Combination of education and experiencecourses consisting of at least 30 semester hours in the fields of study described in paragraph A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
For additional information please review the Individual Occupational Requirements
Consumer Safety Series 0696
Note: This position has a positive degree requirement or education that forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcripts with the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience; transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation.
Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.
Additional informationCareer 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.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.
If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.
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.
Assignment Restrictions: FSIS Directive 4735.9, Office of Field Operations Assignment Restrictions and Rules on Gifts from Regulated Industry, sets out the Agency's requirements regarding employee assignment restrictions, as it pertains to family and personal relationships. Please read before applying.
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.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
BenefitsHelp
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed t
