Summary

In this position, you will be responsible for carrying out the enforcement of jurisdictional, competition, financial, and trade practice provisions of the Packers and Stockyards Act. This is done primarily by coordinating investigative work and directing surveillance and related work pertaining to the Packers and Stockyards Division (PSD) program. Also, you will participate in the development of national policy for use in PSD programs.

Duties

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• 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:
• Directs and coordinates individuals or investigation teams that perform trade practice, financial, and competition investigations in the assigned geographic area.
• Develops annual and long-range work plans to investigate anti-competitive, unfair, unjustly discriminatory or deceptive practices.
• Plans and directs the investigations necessary to ascertain the true circumstances surrounding the transactions and the auditing of the records of persons and firms involved.
• Directs the preparation of materials for use in questioning witnesses and may take the witness stand to testify on aspects of cases.
• Develops an Annual strategic work plan to determine the compliance of the Act and regulations in the assigned geographic area.
• Advise subordinates on both work and administrative matters dealing with duties assigned.

Requirements

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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.
• 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.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• In accordance with Office of Government Ethics regulations concerning conflict of interest, the incumbent will be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of their effective date of appointment and annually thereafter.
• 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.
• May be subject to a probationary period.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Conducting administrative investigations of firms in an applicable commodity industry to determine compliance.
• Developing investigative procedures techniques and work plans in order to carry out investigations.
• Knowledge of Division programs, Packers and Stockyards Act, regulations, policy statements, rules of practice, and controlling administrative and judicial decisions in order to determine the degree of compliance with the trade practice, financial and related provisions of the Act. The incumbent will determine the reasonableness of operations, and adherence to accepted management practices for subject entities.
• Knowledge of livestock, meat, and poultry industries and the related marketing, methods, and techniques of these industries.

Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Directing or assigning investigations of firms in the livestock, meat, and poultry industries.
• Developing investigative procedures techniques and work plans and devising and applying modifications to conventional and non-conventional investigative techniques in order to carry out investigations.
• Directing, coordinating, and supervising subordinates and investigative teams and to interact with other unit supervisors, regional offices, and Headquarters as well as advise the Regional Director and the PSD Director, and Associate Director on matters that are of national interest.
• Knowledge of supervisory and leadership techniques in order to plan, organize, and manage resources and subordinates in accordance with Agency and Departmental regulations.

Note: There is no education substitution for this 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

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 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 may be paid.
• A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
• 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.

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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.

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.

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.