Demo

Program Specialist

Departmental Administration
Washington, DC Full Time
POSTED ON 1/20/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 4/20/2025

Summary

This position is located in the Executive Services Division (ESD), Office of Operations (OO), Departmental Administration (DA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The primary purpose for this position is to serve as an expert analyst with responsibility for assessing and improving customer service and relations program areas, and related business services programs and communications, in support of OO and DA goals and objectives.

This job is open to

  • Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

  • Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  • Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

    Clarification from the agency

    Applications will be accepted only from current career conditional / career permanent USDA employees with competitive status; and CTAP / RPL eligible candidates and permanent Farm Service County Office employees.

    Duties

  • Develops long-range management plans for efficient and effective implementation and administration of customer service and relations programs and activities.
  • Provides advice on techniques and approaches for providing customer services and relations and conducting planning and analysis of new substantive agency programs.
  • Applies a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods in assessing and improving complex mission-oriented goals of the organization.
  • Conceives and implements new initiatives and projects to strengthen, facilitate, and integrate programs.
  • Undertakes or participates in special projects, ongoing analyses, investigations, and initiatives that have high priority for high-level management requiring producing complex analyses and written reports.
  • Develops and presents briefings, seminars, and discussion sessions on program issues and concerns and defends findings in high-level forums.
  • Serves as customer service and communications advocate for OO in interacting with customers on an ongoing basis to assess and address customer service information needs, expectations, problems, issues, and concerns.
  • Performs outreach to customers to market OO's services through oral presentations and use of printed materials and electronic media. Develops and maintain a catalogue of services.
  • Duties described above are at the full performance GS-12 level, duties at the GS-09 and GS-11 levels will be developmental.
  • Requirements

    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.
  • If selected, you may be required to serve a probationary or trial period as applicable to appointment type.
  • 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
  • Qualifications

    Applicants must meet ALL qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, AND 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.

    Minimum Qualification Requirements :

    A pplicants must meet the specialized experience and / or education requirements shown below. If qualifying based on experience, your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

    For the GS-09 level

    Specialized Experience : Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience performing all of the following : (1) utilizing administrative management techniques and processes to provide support services for customers; (2) participating in the review and research of work processes to analyze and identify problems and recommend solutions; (3) coordinating a variety of services for customers related to administrative services, conference room scheduling, facility services, or business services.

    Education : Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field, or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

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

    For the GS-11 level

    Specialized Experience : Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience performing all of the following : (1) assisting with the planning and implementation of program objectives and goals to monitor and track customer feedback, issues and resolve problems; (2) working on special projects related to customer service support for administrative program operations for the agency; (3) using software management programs to assist, analyze, collect and compile statistical data and develop reports as needed to assist with investigations and relevant studies.

    Education : Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level PhD graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field, or LL.M., if related. PhD level graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

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

    For the GS-12 level

    Specialized Experience : Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 level) which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience performing all of the following : (1) participating as an analyst in planning, implementing, developing and monitoring of customer service relation program to ensure effective measures or processes are utilized for desired outcome; (2) developing briefing reports, project papers, administrative documents, procedures, policies using oral and written communication to provide information to various audience, respond to inquiries, advise on program material and obtain information; (3) reviewing and analyzing data to determine customers' trends, needs, identify deficiencies and make recommendations for improvements.

    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

    Graduate education may be substituted for specialized experience at the GS-9 and GS-11 levels as described above; education is not qualifying for the GS-12 level.

    If qualifying based on education at the GS-9 or GS-11 levels, you must submit a complete, legible copy of your college or university transcript(s) with your application to document academic achievements and receive credit.

    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.
  • 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 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.
  • 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.
  • Position may be considered mission critical and requires incumbent to report to work to support mission goals and objectives.
  • Benefits
  • 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.

    How You Will Be Evaluated

    You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

    You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below :

  • Program Management
  • Evaluation
  • Written and Oral Communication
  • 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. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

    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.

    Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.

    To view the application form, visit :

    When we complete our selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional USDA agencies. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application materials, and assessment results shared with additional USDA agencies to be considered for employment. There is no guarantee of further consideration.

  • Benefits
  • 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.

  • Required Documents
  • As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

    The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

    Resume that includes : 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information;2) education;3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable);4) other qualifications.

  • If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
  • Current USDA Federal employees :
  • Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are / were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND

  • Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
  • Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
  • Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP or RPL priority must provide : proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
  • If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements :

    Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and / or degrees from

    schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

    Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

  • How to Apply
  • Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11 : 59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

    Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8 : 00a.m. - 4 : 00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

    This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

    NOTE : If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 5MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats : GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Uploaded documents must not require a password or other encryption to open / view.

    Agency contact information

    Ericka Frederic

    Phone

    000-000-0000

    Email

    Ericka.Frederic@usda.gov

    Address

    Departmental Administration

    1400 Independence Ave SW

    Washington, DC 20250

    Next steps

    Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.

    You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).

    Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

    Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to OHRM-FCAComplaint@USDA.GOV, subject line : Fair Chance Act.

  • Fair and Transparent
  • The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

    Criminal history inquiries

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request
  • Required Documents

    The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

  • Resume that includes : 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information;2) education;3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable);4) other qualifications.
  • If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
  • Current USDA Federal employees :
  • Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are / were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND

  • Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
  • Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
  • Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP or RPL priority must provide : proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
  • If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements :

    Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and / or degrees from

    schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

    Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

    How to Apply

    Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11 : 59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

    Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8 : 00a.m. - 4 : 00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

    This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

    NOTE : If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 5MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats : GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Uploaded documents must not require a password or other encryption to open / view.

    Agency contact information

    Ericka Frederic

    Phone

    000-000-0000

    Email

    Ericka.Frederic@usda.gov

    Address

    Departmental Administration

    1400 Independence Ave SW

    Washington, DC 20250

    Next steps

    Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.

    You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).

    Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

    Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to OHRM-FCAComplaint@USDA.GOV, subject line : Fair Chance Act.

    Fair & Transparent

    The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request
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