The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Livestock & Poultry (LP) program is responsible for formulating and administering policies for marketing services and regulatory activities related to commodity grading and certification for meat, eggs and poultry. All locations may be eligible for a recruitment incentive.

Duties

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: Designated contact with plant management to coordinate the grading/inspection activities. Examine product to determine adherence with contracts, such as grade, weight, packing and quantity. Prepares and maintains a variety of reports related to production data and grading results. Trains selected plant personnel to grade according to U.S. standards. Grades different types of poultry and eggs, by applying official standards and regulations.

Requirements

• 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.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
• Selectee will be subject to a pre-employment medical statement and/or exam.
• 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.
• Commodity grading work requires periods of physical exertion to lift and move boxes and cartons of product often weighing over 50 pounds; prolonged periods of standing, walking, stooping, bending and climbing.
• Physical coordination and finger dexterity in at least one hand for poultry grading assignments and two hands for shell egg assignments to perform digital examinations of eggs.
• Ability to detect abnormalities in the commodity through normal and or corrected vision in at least one eye for distance, depth, perception, and color.
• Ability to assure safety in a highly mechanized noisy environment through adequate hearing; and the ability to determine product qualities through smell.
• The work environment is in a poultry or shell eggplant and involves moderate discomforts and risks such as the cold temperatures and freezer storage areas, the presence of processing equipment, moving carts and forklifts, and wet slippery floors.

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: General experience: Applicants must have three years of progressively responsible experience, one year of which was equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to the next lower level in the Federal Service (equivalent to the GS-04 level) (experience may have been obtained in private or public sectors). The 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 Experience must provide evidence of the skills shown above. 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. FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level) that demonstrates: Determine the grade, quality, and/or acceptability of livestock, or food grade product, and/or evaluate the sanitation, refrigeration, other facility procedures of food in production, processing, packing, storage, and/or transportation. This could include weighing, sampling, inspecting, gauging temperature, or ensuring compliance with food grade and/or sanitation regulations in a processing plant, warehouse, livestock operation, food establishment, or similar workplace to determine quality against regulations and/or standards. Experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal). 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. 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. Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education by March 18, 2024. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-05/07 GRADE LEVELS: 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.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Marketing Service USDA APHIS MRPBS 250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410 Minneapolis, MN 55401 US
• Name: MRP Human Resources
• Phone: 612-336-3227
• Email: [email protected]