This position is designed as a SES Career Reserved. USDA structures its SES positions into position levels.This is a position level II with a salary range of $198,538.00 - $210,220.00 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

This position serves as the Associate Director, Northeast Area (NEA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (There are two Associate Directors in the ARS Area Offices.) The Associate Director, NEA reports to the Director, NEA and has full delegated authority in planning, directing, and evaluating NEA research programs. Additional duties and responsibilities include: Plans and implements broad, goal-oriented research and research support programs within the Area, involving programmatic leadership and administrative management that enhances the conduct and coordination. Plans and supports the overall research mission for the Area. This involves the interpretation and adaption of broad program and policy objectives, and a wide variety of difficult and important decisions regarding program capabilities. Systematically evaluates the effectives of program operations in terms of meeting research milestones, utilization of resources, and the quality and quantity of research outputs. Keeps the Area Director, the Administrator and staff, and other officials fully informed of program-related considerations having significant bearing upon the planning, development, and administration of research programs. Identifies problem areas requiring attention and recommends approaches to be taken and strives for the continual improvement of the productivity of research programs or approaches. Participates with the Area Director, the Administrator and staff, and other research program leaders in developing and maintaining good relations with stakeholders and research partners. Fosters and develops cooperative research relationships with state, local and private agencies to complement, supplement, and otherwise enlarge the research capability of the Area programs. Provides input with the other Associate Area Director to the Area Director on the allocation and efficient use of resources (funds, personnel, property) assigned to research programs. Participates with the Area Director and other Associate Area Director in the management of all Area human resources.

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.

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. You are strongly encouraged to review OPMs Guide to SES Qualifications, https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf for specific examples and guidance on writing effective ECQ narrative statements. MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): All applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following TQs. You must address each TQ separately. Each 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. MTQ #1: Describe your executive level leadership & management experience which demonstrates your knowledge and ability to interact with a wide range of individuals to develop and coordinate cooperative research and development programs with Federal, State and Private Industry partners that address important agricultural and related scientific needs. MTQ #2: Describe your executive level leadership and management experience which demonstrates your knowledge of research methodology and reporting findings related to agricultural and biological sciences, natural resources and environmental sciences and agricultural engineering and how that experience demonstrates your ability to oversee and coordinate a broad portfolio of complex research projects.

Education

0401: Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences:
Positions in this series require a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited college or university with a major study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, or allied disciplines pertinent to the work of the position to be filled.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 5601 Sunnyside Ave Beltsville, MD 20705 US
• Name: Maria Gonzalez
• Phone: 240-877-9278
• Email: [email protected]