In this role, the incumbent serves as the Assistant Officer-in-Charge at a Specialty Crops Inspection Division area office and has the joint responsibility with the Officer-in-Charge for carrying out Specialty Crops Inspection Division programs, including grading, inspection, certification, and audit-based activities covering fresh and processed fruits and vegetables and related products; and supervising office activities and personnel.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, 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. FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Experience applying grading standards and/or inspection regulations to make the most difficult, controversial, and borderline determinations and to recognize and identify extremely rare commodity defects and diseases. Experience serving as technical expert performing final grading on reviews, making appeal determinations, resolving controversies, or providing broad technical guidance on difficult and controversial grading inspection problems. Experience providing oversight, direction and coordination to operational activities. Experience providing technical supervision to personnel regarding sampling, inspection and certification of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. Experience developing new initiatives and processes when programs change. Note: There is no education substitution for this 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.
The duties may include, but are not limited to:
Assists the Officer-in-Charge in providing administrative and technical supervision to all personnel assigned to the office, including supervisors, trainers, office staff and graders in field assignments.
Supervises the sampling, inspection and certification of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables and related products for quality, condition and grade in accordance with official standards.
Assists in the establishment of performance standards of subordinates and evaluates their performance.
Assigns subordinate personnel to perform services and coordinates the work in such a manner as to provide prompt, efficient, and timely service to meet customer needs and assure financial stability.
Collaborates with Specialty Crops Inspection Division Standardization Branch in the development and testing of grade standards and inspection aids for fresh and processed fruits and vegetables.
Directs the preparation and issuance of certificates covering grading services.
In conjunction with the OIC, develops plans for overall area operations and formulates recommendations regarding the inspection service and the adoption or modification of policies and procedures.
Directs and/or coordinates requests for service, authorizes services to be performed, and makes necessary arrangements for service.
Plans work of subordinates, including supervisors, by reviewing area operations in light of changing workloads, types of inspection, volume of work, priority of requests, and other factors.