Job opening: Program Assistant (Farm Bill)
Salary: $39 576 - 63 733 per year
Published at: Oct 10 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located in a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field office within the State of Maine.This is an administrative and technical support position generally under the supervision of the District Conservationist, Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations, or other higher graded employee. The position is responsible for processing and maintenance of records related to conservation programs and the day to day business and office process of the NRCS.
Duties
Track the status of Farm Bill contracts through reports and communications with staff.
Prepare reports describing problems that are recurring or causing significant delays or costs, the corrective actions needed or taken, and the need for additional time or resources.
Draft and finalize contract administration letters and documents related to status reviews, contract implementation, contract modifications, and potential cancellations or terminations.
Assist with outreach events to promote organizational programs.
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. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
- 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 E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
- Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
GS-05
Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:
Interpreting and applying program requirements;
Performing customer service activities such as responding to inquiries in person or in writing; and
completing administrative duties such as filing and tracking documents in an office
(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)
OR
Substitution of Education in Lieu of Specialized Experience: Successful completion of four full years of education above the high school level for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. (You must submit transcripts.)
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of post-high school education and specialized experience as described above that total 100% when combined. Determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determine the education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. (You must submit transcripts.)
GS-06
Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:
Interpreting and applying conservation program requirements to provide information to customers;
Entering data into organization software tools to generate reports; and
Preparing and reviewing correspondence, reports, and/or other documents using proper grammar, format, and spelling.
(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)
GS-07
Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:
Interpreting and applying conservation program requirements to track contracts, monitor program funds, and assemble documents;
Using computer software such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word to compile reports, produce charts and graphs, and/or monitor project status; and
Providing guidance on conservation program elements.
(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)
Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-06 and GS-07 grade levels.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
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.
The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url+list-by-Occupational-Series
Education
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
You must submit a copy of your transcripts to include course number, title, completion and grade. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement.
Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this
link for more information.
Failure to provide all of the required documents/information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Contacts
- Address Natural Resources Conservation Service
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
- Name: David Baird
- Phone: 000-000-0000
- Email: [email protected]
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