This position is located with the Livestock and Poultry Program, Quality Assessment Division, Grading Services Branch, which is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering programs for the grading, certification, and inspection of QAD commodities. The incumbent typically serves as the sole grader for a shift or assignment; and is responsible for all phases of grading, inspection, and certification activities, including those involving complex or borderline determinations.

Duties

The duties may include, but are not limited to: Performs all phases of grading, inspection, and certification activities, including unscheduled fee grading, certification, or verification activities. Performs duties in a variety of establishments including, but not limited to, meat processing plants. Monitors the plant and processing operations to assure that the plant remains in compliance with regulations. Assigned to provide service in a large geographic area and is subject to TDY assignments or details to different geographical areas. Maintains relations with plant management and employees. Prepares and maintains a variety of reports and records.

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.
• 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.
• The work requires periods of considerable physical exertion to push, pull, lift, carry, and move boxes, cartons and heavy packages, buckets, sacs or bags of product (often weighing up to/over 50/55 pounds).
• Prolonged standing, walking, stooping, bending, twisting, and climbing; physical coordination and balance on ladders, elevated and non-elevated apparatus, and when required to get in and out of chilling/freezing, holding, and storage facilities
• Finger dexterity in at least one or both hands/fingers to perform digital examinations of commodities, and grasping/handling or moving equipment.
• Normal or corrected vision in at least one eye for distance, depth perception, and color to detect abnormalities in product.
• The ability to assure safety in a highly-mechanized and/or noisy environment through adequate or correctable vision and hearing; repetitive and extended use of both legs, arms and hands to perform carrying, pulling, pushing, twisting, stooping
• Reaching above the shoulder, kneeling, grasping, physical dexterity and exertion, continuous commodity evaluation and assessment to determine product quality organoleptically (e.g., through sight, touch, smell, taste and/or sound).
• Work environment includes regular and reoccurring moderate discomforts working in and exposure to: freezing, humid, and/or hot temperatures dust; odors; and wet and/or slippery surfaces.
• Commodity/animal’s bodily fluids and waste; the presence of moving and non-moving commodity and processing equipment (to include moving carts, meat hooks, forklifts, and cutting and sawing equipment).
• High noise level(s) of industrial equipment; industrial cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, and these odors, used within facilities.
• Incumbent may be required to work in close proximity to others and/or alone. May also be performed outdoors under varying weather conditions; within poultry, shell egg, egg product, livestock, and/or meat processing and storage facilities.

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-10 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Independently grades and/or inspects primary products in the commodity group and performs difficult assignments such as: regularly making borderline grading decisions on a variety of products; or applying the full range of grading skills at an extremely fast pace requiring instant determinations. Performs the full range of grading and/or inspection tasks involved in supplying grading services to producers or members of the trade in the commodity specialization. Inspect or evaluate more complicated processing equipment and procedures, and conditions of storage or transportation and advising industry employees on product quality control methods. Serve as technical expert, performing final grading on reviews, making appeal determinations, resolving controversies, or providing broad technical guidance. Inspect complex formulations, processing procedures, and sanitation conditions in order to generate and review reports, ensure uniform application by staff, and make recommendations for improvement, as needed. 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.

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]