Job opening: Program Specialist
Salary: $69 923 - 131 826 per year
Published at: Jan 17 2025
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located in the Executive Services Division (ESD), Office of Operations (OO), Departmental Administration (DA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The primary purpose for this position is to serve as an expert analyst with responsibility for assessing and improving customer service and relations program areas, and related business services programs and communications, in support of OO and DA goals and objectives.
Duties
Develops long-range management plans for efficient and effective implementation and administration of customer service and relations programs and activities.
Provides advice on techniques and approaches for providing customer services and relations and conducting planning and analysis of new substantive agency programs.
Applies a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods in assessing and improving complex mission-oriented goals of the organization.
Conceives and implements new initiatives and projects to strengthen, facilitate, and integrate programs.
Undertakes or participates in special projects, ongoing analyses, investigations, and initiatives that have high priority for high-level management requiring producing complex analyses and written reports.
Develops and presents briefings, seminars, and discussion sessions on program issues and concerns and defends findings in high-level forums.
Serves as customer service and communications advocate for OO in interacting with customers on an ongoing basis to assess and address customer service information needs, expectations, problems, issues, and concerns.
Performs outreach to customers to market OO’s services through oral presentations and use of printed materials and electronic media. Develops and maintain a catalogue of services.
Duties described above are at the full performance GS-12 level, duties at the GS-09 and GS-11 levels will be developmental.
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 may be required to serve a probationary or trial period as applicable to appointment type.
- 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
Applicants must meet ALL qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, AND specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
Time in grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.
Minimum Qualification Requirements:
Applicants must meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements shown below. If qualifying based on experience, your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
For the GS-09 level
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience performing all of the following: (1) utilizing administrative management techniques and processes to provide support services for customers; (2) participating in the review and research of work processes to analyze and identify problems and recommend solutions; (3) coordinating a variety of services for customers related to administrative services, conference room scheduling, facility services, or business services.
-OR-
Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field, or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
For the GS-11 level
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience performing all of the following: (1) assisting with the planning and implementation of program objectives and goals to monitor and track customer feedback, issues and resolve problems; (2) working on special projects related to customer service support for administrative program operations for the agency; (3) using software management programs to assist, analyze, collect and compile statistical data and develop reports as needed to assist with investigations and relevant studies.
-OR-
Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level PhD graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field, or LL.M., if related. PhD level graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
For the GS-12 level
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 level) which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience performing all of the following: (1) participating as an analyst in planning, implementing, developing and monitoring of customer service relation program to ensure effective measures or processes are utilized for desired outcome; (2) developing briefing reports, project papers, administrative documents, procedures, policies using oral and written communication to provide information to various audience, respond to inquiries, advise on program material and obtain information; (3) reviewing and analyzing data to determine customers' trends, needs, identify deficiencies and make recommendations for improvements.
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
Graduate education may be substituted for specialized experience at the GS-9 and GS-11 levels as described above; education is not qualifying for the GS-12 level.
If qualifying based on education at the GS-9 or GS-11 levels, you must submit a complete, legible copy of your college or university transcript(s) with your application to document academic achievements and receive credit.
Contacts
- Address Departmental Administration
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
- Name: Ericka Frederic
- Phone: 000-000-0000
- Email: Ericka.Frederic@usda.gov