DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

Summary

These are County Program Technician positions; exact locations are listed to the right.

Applying to this vacancy constitutes your understanding that your resume, assessment and other application materials may be shared with hiring managers statewide for employment consideration.

Current locations will be filled upon closing of this Vacancy. Various locations may be determined at a later time.

Major responsibilities for this position can be found below.

Duties

  • Carrying out office activities and functions pertaining to one or more of the program areas administered in the county.
  • Interpreting and explaining procedures, program regulations and forms to producers and other agency personnel.
  • Utilizing various web-based software applications to maintain producer data and processing automated forms.
  • Using a high degree of initiative and judgment in planning and carrying out assigned tasks and resolving problems encountered.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • 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.
  • 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • Must be a high school graduate, or have a GED.
  • Must be 18 years of age, or 17 years of age for high school graduates.

Qualifications

Qualifications are in accordance with requirements in Handbook 27-PM.

** Specialized experience is defined as experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and is typically in or related to the work of the position being filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least 1 year in the next lower grade level.

When self-qualifying at any grade(s) above the lowest advertised grade, applicants should also ensure they are indicating the lowest grade they are willing to accept the advertised position at. It is imperative applicants understand they can NOT be considered for any grade(s) lower than what is indicated in the Lowest Acceptable Grade field when completing the preferences section.

Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date in the announcement, including the following specialized experience and/or education, as identified below:

You may start at the CO-04 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

  • Successful completion of two years of education above high school in an accredited business, secretarial or technical, junior college, college or university in any field in which high school graduation or the equivalent is a prerequisite may be substituted for experience. OR
  • One year general experience of progressively responsible clerical, office work, or equal background in the operations of a farm or ranch that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position.

You may start at the CO-05 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

  • Successful completion of four years of education above high school in an accredited business, secretarial or technical, junior college, college or university in any field in which high school graduation or the equivalent is a prerequisite may be substituted for specialized experience. OR
  • One year specialized experience applying office methods and procedures to provide clerical and limited technical support to any farm or agricultural program.

You may start at the CO-06 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

  • One year specialized experience applying office methods and procedures to provide clerical and limited technical support to process and service farm or agricultural programs.

You may start at the CO-07 level if you have one of the following qualifications:

  • One year specialized experience applying office methods and procedures to provide clerical and limited technical support to independently perform a full range of farm program processes. Experience that shows your ability to perform progressively more complex, responsible, or difficult duties: and that shows your ability to learn the specific work of this position.

Education

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit with your application package evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution was appropriately accredited by an accredited body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. Education standards. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process; however, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Please refer to the “How to Apply” section for instructions on submitting the transcript.

Additional information

  • Veterans preference does not apply since this position is being advertised under Title 7 authorities.
  • Relocation expenses are not authorized.
  • When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.
  • This is a Title 7, Non-Federal, Non-Civil Service position.
  • This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.
  • Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact: USDAs TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
  • Location Consideration: Your application may be considered throughout the state of Virginia.
  • Optional – This position may be eligible to telework up to four (4) days per pay period, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements in accordance with Department and Agency directives.
  • To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement Safer Federal Workforce Task Force 2 pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.