Agricultural Commodity Technician (Grain)

Summary

In this position you will serve as an Agricultural Commodity Technician (ACT) in a grain inspection field office or suboffice in support of the activities of the office. Expected to independently perform the full range of sampling, analytical and physical testing, and weighing in the office, serves as a troubleshooter in resolving technical issues related to these areas, and has the ability to communicate the results to industry personnel.

Duties

• The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.
• The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Ensures accurate weights and accurate determinations of events that support the official weight certification.
• Performs visual inspection and mechanical measurements to assist in establishing the kind and/or class and quality of grain/rice/pulses and related commodities to be processed.
• Prepares samples for inspection and file sample retention by dividing gross samples of grain/rice/pulses or related commodities to obtain official work and file sample portions.
• Performs the full range of laboratory analytical and physical tests found in assigned field office .
• Monitors grain collected by mechanical (diverter-type) samplers during export loading operations.
• Serves as a troubleshooter, resolving problems with all the tests common to a field location.
• Conducts stowage examinations in shipholds, barges, hopper cars, and other containers to ensure cleanliness and acceptability of storage handling facilities.
• Samples, checkweighs, checkloads, and inspects food and non-food products for AMS, FSA, DPSC, VA, and private contracts.
• Adheres to Civil Rights policies, goals, and objectives in performing the duties of this position.

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. FOR THE GS-04 LEVEL: Applicants must have six months of general experience AND six months of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to the next lower level in the Federal Service. General experience is any type of work that demonstrates the ability to perform the work of the position or that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Specialized experience is that which is described below: Performs a variety of industrial methods (sampling, weighing, and analytical and physical testing), procurement, materials, machinery, or facilities used in a production, processing, or transportation-related operations. Inspecting, handling, storing, and transporting of applicable commodity (e.g. grain and grain products, or fruit and vegetable products) in accordance with established procedures, practices, and safety requirement. Determines accurate weighing, loading, and sampling of commodities and takes remedial actions to correct the situation. OR Successful completion of 2 academic years of study above high school. Note: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. FOR THE GS-05 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Provide grain weighing and handling procedures for Grain Commodity positions or food processing operations. Provide various function in the facility such as quality control, inspection, production, storage, and transportation. Aiding in the inspection of the applicable commodity including establishing the class and quality of grain, preparing samples for inspection, and/or perform laboratory analytical and physical tests. OR 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree Note: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: You are qualifying for the position based on education. You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-04/05 GRADE LEVELS: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. 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. How You Will Be Evaluated

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. This means you will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13107602 Other Information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee. This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit (union), specifically the BU - 1616. Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here. Works in rice mills, processed product plants, dock loading and unloading facilities, and under various weather conditions. In addition, the ACT is susceptible to high levels of hazardous fumigants which are hard to defend against. Must continuously take extensive safety precautions to avoid serious accidents resulting from these hazards. Phases of work may require considerable physical exertion. Obtaining samples requires climbing onto trucks, barges, hoppers, railcars, man lifts, etc., using probes, pelicans, and similar sampling devices, and moving and lifting grain containers or sacks weighing up to 55 pounds. Shiphold inspections involve climbing into and out of the hold and often at heights greater than 75 feet