The State Plant Health Director (SPHD) is responsible for APHIS scientific and administrative plant regulatory activities within New York. These activities include: pest and disease risk analysis; exclusion and prevention; effective export certification program for plant products and animal by-products; design and implementation of survey programs for early pest detection; eradication of pest or disease outbreaks; and conducting regulatory programs for domestic pests.

Duties

The duties may include, but are not limited to: Responsible for overseeing the identification of plant pest pathways through analysis and utilization of risk data. Contributes to effective outreach programs to importers, travelers, and industry on importation requirements to facilitate trade and prevent introduction of plant and animal pests and diseases. Directs/administers federal export certification program for plants, plant products, and animal by-products within the state. Works cooperatively with State Plant Regulatory Officials (SPRO) to develop and document state emergency management plans. Determines strategies to control or manage invasive species which are covered under APHIS regulation or through Congressional direction which are harmful to agriculture or the environment. Responsible for all administrative and programmatic activities complying with appropriate Federal and state regulations and guidelines. Manages all facets of personnel, finance, and property management for New York. Supervises a staff comprised of professional, technical, and administrative personnel dispersed in a wide geographic area. Conducts annual and ongoing planning of operations, including forecasting future expenses.

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.
• Subject to one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• 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/
• Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
• In accordance with Office of Government Ethics regulations concerning conflict of interest, the incumbent will be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of their effective date of appointment and annually thereafter.
• All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
• Occasional field survey/investigations or collection trips require walking, bending, crouching, and climbing for prolonged periods in rough terrain subject to a variety of weather conditions.
• Must be able to perform work while wearing a respirator to oversee fumigations, and may be required to maintain certification to wear a respirator such as Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).
• Must maintain valid pesticide certification.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. FOR THE GS-15 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-14 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Assess the severity and scope of an agricultural pest outbreak and determine response strategy. Plan and control the use of resources to meet immediate and long-range objectives and performing the necessary decision making and problem solving required for program execution. Safeguard the health of agricultural plants and ecosystems by preventing, detecting and responding to threats of agro-terrorism. Experience in consultations and negotiations with union officials, to ensure all parties abide by the agreements contained in the contracts and that grievances and complaints are promptly addressed. Provide operational leadership and coordination with plant health programs Emergency Management Leadership and maintain or initiate contacts with other Federal Agencies, pest advisory groups, university biosecurity groups, the National Pest Detection Network, states and counties, tribes, the general public and many other stakeholders. Negotiate and coordinate resolution/handling of critical programs with nonfederal government officials i.e., emergency programs dealing with significant threats to American agriculture production. Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university 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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Contacts

• Address Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service USDA APHIS MRPBS 250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410 Minneapolis, MN 55401 US
• Name: MRP Human Resources
• Phone: 612-336-3227
• Email: [email protected]