This position is designed as a SES, Career-Reserved. USDA structures its SES positions into position levels. This is a position level 2 with a salary range of $198,538 to $210,220 per year. Exceptions to the salary cap may be considered in certain circumstances. SES employees are also eligible to receive bonuses and performance-based awards. Visit http://www.opm.gov/ses/ for additional information and benefits for SES employees.

Duties

The Deputy Director has scientific and administrative responsibilities for all programs assigned to the respective Institute. As an integral part of the NIFA Executive Council the incumbent participates in making decisions regarding cooperative agricultural research, extension, economic, and education programs and policies. Participates in developing national strategies for the advancement of agricultural sciences and identifies needs for new or amended policies, procedures, and practices. Participates in formulating and implementing NIFA plans to meet the needs and challenges for agricultural systems. Implements program plans and priorities, for the administration of the Institute's budget, and for implementing and evaluating a wide range of programmatic activities. Provides outcome-based leadership for planning, development, implementation, and performance tracking of the Institute's major research, education, and extension programs. Establishes program priorities and ensures program alignment with broad strategic goals of the Department, the REE Mission Area, and NIFA. Ensures effective integration of research, education, and extension functions across funding authorities and funding mechanisms. Represents Federal interests, policies, and legislation for the Institute's programs with land-grant and other universities, other agencies, partners and customers/stakeholders. Develops strategic partnerships with other agencies, partners, and organizations to plan and broker, develop, and implement priority extension, research and education programs related to the Institute's programs. Assures effective administrative procedures are established so that program operations and obligations of government funds and other resources are rendered.

Requirements

• Veterans Preference is not applicable in the Senior Executive Service.
• Initial appointments are required to serve a 1-year probationary period
• Narrative Statements for the ECQs must not exceed 10 pages
• Background Investigation required.
• US Citizenship is required.

Qualifications

YOU MUST UPLOAD YOUR RESPONSES TO THE EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs) AND TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs). As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-14/15 grade level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector. As such, your resume should demonstrate that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully fulfill responsibilities inherent in most SES positions such as: - Directing the work of an organizational unit; - Ensuring the success of one or more specific major programs or projects; - Monitoring progress toward strategic organizational goals, evaluating organizational performance and taking action to improve performance; and - Supervising the work of employees; and exercising important policy-making, policy determining, or other executive functions. Failure to meet the basic qualification requirement and address all Mandatory Technical and Executive Core Qualification factors will result in your application being disqualified. EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions. All applicants must submit a written narrative to address the ECQs. Your narrative must address each ECQ separately and should contain at least two examples per ECQ describing your experiences and accomplishments/results. The narrative should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy Initiatives undertaken and the results of your actions. Applicants should not enter "Refer to Resume" to explain your answer. The narrative must not exceed 10 pages. NOTE: Current career SES members, former career SES members with reinstatement eligibility, and SES Candidate Development Program graduates who have been certified by OPM do NOT need to address the ECQs. 1. Leading Change: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. (Competencies: creativity and innovation, external awareness, flexibility, resilience, strategic thinking, vision) 2. Leading People: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organizations vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. (Competencies: conflict management, leveraging diversity, developing others, team building) 3. Results Driven: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. (Competencies: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, entrepreneurship, problem solving, technical credibility) 4. Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. (Competencies: financial management, human capital management, technology management) 5. Building Coalitions: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. (Competencies: partnering, political savvy, influencing/negotiating) Fundamental Competencies: These competencies are the foundation for success in each of the Executive Core Qualifications: Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Continual Learning, Written Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Public Service Motivation. The Fundamental Competencies are crosscutting; and should be addressed over the course of each ECQ narratives. It is not necessary for you to address the Fundamental Competencies directly as long as the narrative, in its totality, shows mastery of these competencies on the whole. Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Result (C-C-A-R) model outlined in the guide. Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal. Context - Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to address a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale). Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge. Result - Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills. Additional information about the SES and Executive Core Qualifications can be found on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) SES Website, GUIDE (opm.gov). You are strongly encouraged to review OPMs Guide to SES Qualifications for specific examples and guidance on writing effective ECQ narrative statements. MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (TQ): All applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following TQ. You must address each TQ separately. The TQ narrative must not exceed two (2) pages. Please give examples and explain the complexity of the knowledge possessed and the sensitivity of the issued you handled. Describe your executive level experience which demonstrates your ability to lead and manage research, education, and extension programs that address complex problems requiring multi-disciplinary and multi-organizational approaches.

Education

Successful completion of a full 4 year course of study leading to a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited college or university with major study in (for ES-0401) biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, (for ES-0101) behavioral or social science, or allied disciplines pertinent to the work of the position to be filled; OR four years experience demonstrating an acquired knowledge and understanding which would have been obtained through completion of a 4 year course described above. Ph.D. in one of the aforementioned disciplines is desirable.

Contacts

• Address National Institute of Food and Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Rhonda Pratt
• Phone: 202-260-8724
• Email: [email protected]