The World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) is located within the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE). The WAOB's primary objectives are consistency, objectivity, and reliability of outlook and situation related material, including weather information, developed within U.S. Department of Agriculture. The WAOB coordinates weather and climate information and monitoring. This position is to be a 90 day detail with the option to extend the detail for a longer period. This is a reimbursable detail.

Duties

Conducts background studies on crop-physiology weather relationships for assigned foreign agricultural areas as reference information for Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF) and USDA commodity analysts. Coordinates weather and climate data requirements with Climate Production Center (CPC) weather analysts to obtain the proper weather data parameters and formats required for crop-weather assessment. Coordinates with other USDA agencies and government-sponsored research groups on the development of implementation of quantitative crop assessment techniques. Develops new products, processes, and procedures that result in an improvement in the quality and content of operational products such as the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, as well as operational crop-weather assessments and for briefings. Serves on various USDA commodity estimate committees as one of WAOB’s agricultural weather experts and provides weather input to the World Agricultural Supply and Demand report and the Crop Production report. Serves as an International Editor of the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, responsible for assembling the International Section and coordinating the production schedule with the Managing Editor and production staff with CPC. Represents OCE/WAOB at interagency task force meetings and briefings as a principal international crop-weather expert and leads WAOB’s effort to compile a more comprehensive regional-level crop production data base through extensive contacts. Works with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist and geographers. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

• 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.
• 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/.

Qualifications

This is a reimbursable detail assignment not-to-exceed 90 days, and will be filled at any one of the grade levels advertised. This assignment may be ended earlier or extended, based on management's needs. This is NOT a temporary promotion and temporary promotion candidates will not be considered, interested applicants must currently be in in a non-time limited appointment in the same grade level they are applying for. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, as defined below. For details, employees must meet minimum education requirements, if applicable. Applicants MUST meet the following Meteorology Series, 1340 Individual Occupational Requirements. Basic Education Requirement Required Education (Professional/Scientific): A. Degree: meteorology, atmospheric science, or other natural science major that included: a. At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of: i. Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics;* ii. Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale); iii. Three semester hours of physical meteorology; and iv. Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation. b. Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.* c. Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.* d. At least nine semester hours of course work appropriate for a physical science major in any combination of three or more of the following: physical hydrology, statistics, chemistry, physical oceanography, physical climatology, radiative transfer, aeronomy, advanced thermodynamics, advanced electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and computer science. * There is a prerequisite or corequisite of calculus for course work in atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, physics, and differential equations. Calculus courses must be appropriate for a physical science major. OR B. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. AND 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. To be considered for this position as a DETAIL at the GS-12,13 or GS-14 grade level, you must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to potentially qualify for a detail and hold the same grade level you are currently applying for. Upon completion of this detail, the employee will be expected to return to his/her regular duties. An employee who is on detail is considered for pay and FTE purposes to be permanently occupying his or her regular position. There will be NO CHANGE in current pay.

Education

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.

Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty.

• Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation
• Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration.
• Education. If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Contacts

• Address Office of the Chief Economist 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Gayle Veney
• Email: [email protected]