Agricultural Commodity Grader (Fruit and Vegetable)
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Requirements
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 https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Selectee will be subject to a pre-employment medical statement and/or exam.
• Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
• Prior to an official offer, selectee will be required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) acknowledging/accepting that geographic mobility is a condition of employment. Failure to sign the MOU will result in withdrawal of the job offer.
• 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.
• Ability to work in an environment with exposure to freezing and/or hot temperatures, fumes, dust and odors, slippery surfaces, moving materials, handling equipment, high noise levels and in close proximity to others.
• The work further requires working on weekends and overtime; traveling for extended periods of time; working multiple shifts and changing/rotating shifts (i.e., first, second and third).
• You must be able to perform work that requires long periods of physical exertion to lift and move boxes, cartons and heavy packages of product (often weighing over 50 pounds).
• The work requires prolonged periods of standing, walking, stooping, bending, and climbing; physical coordination and finger dexterity in at least one hand to perform digital examinations of commodities.
• You must be able to use both legs, arms and hands to perform carrying, pulling, pushing, reaching above the shoulder, kneeling, grasping, and working with hands in water and the ability to determine product quality organoleptically.
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.
FOR THE GS- 05 LEVEL: Applicants must have 3 years of general, progressively responsible experience, one year of which was equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to the GS-4 level in the Federal service. Experience must demonstrate the ability to:
• Analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions.
• Plan and organize work.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
Such experience may have been gained in quality assurance (machinist, on-line production work), as a commodity buyer, receiving clerk, farm experience (in a managerial, decision- making capacity), clerical (office manager, administrative assistant with decision-making responsibility), or food processing laboratory food work (managerial, technical). Experience must provide evidence of the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the duties of this position and show decision making responsibilities. General clerical experience (typing, filing, routine processing, or other non-specialized repetitive tasks) is not creditable.
OR Applicants must have successfully completed a 4-year course of study, from an accredited college or university, leading to a bachelor's degree.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level) that demonstrates:
• Experience grading, sampling and/or inspection assignments of a simple and routine nature.
• Experience grading principles, standards, and regulations, increased skill in identifying and describing product defect, and/or skill and knowledge in inspecting facilities.
• Experience drawing samples of product, performing mechanical tests, attending formal training courses in grading agricultural commodities, and grading samples.
• Experience grading and inspecting distinct products for comparison with clear standards and common contract specifications.
• Experience identifying and describing common product defects or diseases.
OR One full year of graduate level education in Agriculture, Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Business, Economics or a related field.
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.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
TRANSCRIPTS Are Required If
• 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-05/07 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) 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.
• Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses are not authorized.
• Worksite Information: This position is located at the duty station(s) listed in this vacancy announcement and is not eligible for telework or remote work.
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