Summary

This position is located in the within the Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD). Risk Management and Innovations Staff (RMIS) handles technical evaluations for new food safety technologies.

This position is interdisciplinary and can be filled in one of the following disciplines: General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences, Microbiology, Consumer Safety, Chemistry or Food Technology

Duties

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• Plans, develops, and drafts Agency policy, directives, notices, and industry guidance.
• Identifies significant development related to the assigned program area, prepares analyses of the implications and recommends program modifications.
• Develops, publicizes, and garners support for the program agenda by meeting with other Agency program officials, key executives within the Department and USDA, as well as external agencies and parties.
• Serves as a scientist, as a lead of a project team, and as a technical professional with USDA.
• Initiates, plans, and conducts projects, and surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of both operational and public health performance related to food safety policy implementation and modernization to develop recommendations to modify programs.
• While developing policy documents and leading teams, identifies conflicts or problems, communicates them to leadership and resolves them, as needed.

Requirements

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Qualifications

Specialized Experience: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying. One year of specialized experience (equivalent to GS-12) is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in, or related to, the work of the position to be filled.

A GS-13 Staff Scientist requires at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level. Your experience must include all of the following:

• Serve as a Staff Scientist, lead of a project team, and technical professional;
• Develop project plans, adjust resources to meet the needs of a project, and stay within timelines;
• Analyze projects related to public health, which include the study, design, analyses, and interpretation of results;
• Plan, develop, and draft policy, including directives, notices, or other correspondence designed to clarify and implement Agency policy with a focus on attention to detail and accuracy;
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of professionals to include scientists, attorneys, policy writers, public health specialists, veterinarians, food inspectors, or compliance specialists to coordinate the work of and provide technical leadership to other employees throughout the Agency.
• Apply independent judgment, sound reasoning, attention to detail, and subject matter expertise to analyze, develop, and implement complex regulatory policy.
• Serving as a spokesperson and source of information for technical and non-technical audiences in order to advise on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based food safety programs, as well as animal and food science principles to produce safe meat, poultry, and egg products from farm-to-table that are properly labeled and 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.

Since this is an interdisciplinary scientific role, you must also prove you meet the Basic Education Requirement for at least one of the parent occupational series that you are applying to. Transcripts required.

Education

0401 Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences

Basic Requirements:

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.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series 0401

0403 Microbiology Series

Basic Requirements:

Degree: microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent.

or

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Microbiology Series 0403

0696 Consumer Safety Series

Basic Requirements

The education must have been obtained at a college, university, or an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education 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 experience: courses consisting of at least 30 semester hours in the fields of study described in paragraph A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Experience: 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.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Consumer Safety Series 0696

1320 Chemistry Series

Basic Requirements:

Degree: physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics.

or

Combination of education and experience: course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Chemistry Series 1320

1382 Food Technology Series

Basic Requirements:

Degree: food technology, or dairy technology, microbiology, biology, chemistry, physics, or a related discipline or field of biological or physical science. The course work must have been comprised of at least 30 semester hours in the basic biological and physical sciences, and included at least 20 semester hours in food technology and closely related subjects, or 20 semester hours in subjects that can be applied directly to food technology.

or

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, including the course work specified, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Click here for more information on this series: OPM Food Technology Series 1382

Benefits

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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 to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.