County Program Technician

COUNTY PROGRAM TECHNICIANDepartment of AgricultureFarm Service AgencyOverview

##### Open & closing dates

10/18/2019 to 10/31/2019

##### Service

Competitive

##### Pay scale & grade

CO 4 - 7

##### Salary

$32,529 to $58,607 per year

##### Appointment type

Permanent

##### Work schedule

Full-TimeLocation2 vacancies in the following location:-Farmington, MNRelocation expenses reimbursedNoTelework eligibleYes as determined by agency policy- DutiesSummaryThese are County Program Technician positions located in the DAKOTA

County FSA office in FARMINGTON, MINNESOTA.Major responsibilities for this position can be found below.Learn more about this agencyResponsibilities

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.

Travel RequiredOccasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.Supervisory statusNoPromotion Potential7

#### Job family (Series)

1101 General Business And Industry- RequirementsConditions 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.

QualificationsQualifications 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.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.EducationCollege 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.

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 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 the USDA TARGET Center at

202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

This position would be eligible for telework and other flexible

work arrangements in accordance with Department and Agency

directives.

How You Will Be EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the

qualifications above.All applicants will be considered on the basis of their education,

experience, supervisory appraisal, training, awards and education as

it relates to the qualification requirements and on the knowledge,

skills, and abilities (KSAs) listed below.PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS CAREFULLY. During

the online application process, you will be asked to address the

following items:

Describe your ability to communicate orally being sure to

include specific examples.

Describe your ability to communicate in writing being sure to

include specific examples.

Describe your ability to identify and resolve problems. Be sure

to include specific examples explaining the situation you

encountered, the action you took, and the resolution you

achieved.

Describe your knowledge of FSA farm programs and practices

including details regarding how you obtained this knowledge.

Describe your skill in using computers being sure to include

software you are proficient with, specific tasks performed, and

how or where you obtained these skills.

Describe your customer service skills, and provide specific

examples regarding various situations where you have utilized

these skills.

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 application

documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action

up to including removal from the Federal service.Background checks and security clearanceSecurity clearanceNot RequiredDrug test requiredNoPosition sensitivity and riskNon-sensitive (NS)/Low RiskTrust determination processCredentialing- Required DocumentsThe following documents are required for your applicant package to

be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible

software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service,

your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted.

Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of

consideration.

Resume that includes: 1)personal information such as name,

address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work

experience related to this position as described in the major

duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of

employment; for current or previous Federal or FSA County

employees, it should also include the title, Pay Plan, Series

and Grade for each work experience entry; 4) supervisors phone

number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a

reference check; 5) other qualifications.

For current or previous Federal or FSA County employees, you

must attach a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel

Action (form SF-50 or SF-50B) that provides current position,

grade level, and duty location. Award SF-50 or SF-50B will

result in an ineligible rating.

NOTE: THIS IS REQUIRED FOR BOTH PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY

EMPLOYEES.

Current USDA employees (both permanent and temporary) must

submit your most recently completed annual performance appraisal

(dated within the last 18 months) which identifies the

employee's official rating of record and is signed by the

supervisor. If a performance appraisal is not available, you

must submit a statement advising why the performance appraisal

is unavailable. Former USDA employees (both permanent and

temporary) must submit your latest annual performance appraisal

or a statement advising why the performance appraisal is

unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan. Failure to submit

either a performance appraisal or a statement regarding the

reason for not submitting a performance appraisal will result in

an ineligible rating.

If education is required or you are using education to qualify,

you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An

unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if

you are selected, you will be required to submit official

transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been

successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or

university. If any education was completed at a foreign

institute, you must submit with your application evidence that

the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting

body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as

equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private

organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is

normally associated with this service. There are private

organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is

normally associated with this service. All transcripts must be

in English or include an English translation.

- BenefitsA career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a

comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your

family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to

make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal

benefits.Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold

and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent.

Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific

benefits offered.- How to ApplyPlease read the entire announcement and all instructions before you

begin. You must complete this application process and submit all

required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on

the closing date of this announcement.Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you

during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday -

Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact us at

775.857.8500 X 124 well before the closing date for an alternate

method. All hardship application packages must be complete and

submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the

announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing.This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with

disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to

request this.To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to

complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all

required documents.NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous

submission, which means the previous document is no longer available

to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than

replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old

document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded

documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as

there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be

transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will

have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may

combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs)

into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application.

Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files

will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of

the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC

or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital

signature, or other encryption to open.Agency contact informationKatie RobynPhone651-602-7720Fax855-719-9917EmailKatie.Robyn@mn.usda.govAddressFarm Service Agency - County Offices

375 Jackson St., Suite 400

St. Paul, MN 55101

USLearn more about this agencyNext stepsYour application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the

eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to

issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further

evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in

to your USAJOBS account at USAJOBS account to check your application

status.- Fair & TransparentThe Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent.

Please read the following guidance.Equal Employment Opportunity PolicyThe United States Government does not discriminate in employment on

the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and

gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual

orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age,

membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental

status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job

applicants

Reasonable Accommodation PolicyFederal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants

with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable

accommodation for any part of the application process should follow

the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part

of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the

hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable

accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work

environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an

individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties

or receive equal access to job benefits.Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide

reasonable accommodations when:

An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an

equal opportunity to apply for a job.

An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform

the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.

An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive

equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and

office-sponsored events.

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the

application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are

considered on a case-by-case basis.Learn more about disability employment and reasonable accommodations

or how to contact an agency.Legal and regulatory guidance

Financial suitability

Social security number request

Privacy Act

Signature and false statements

Selective Service

New employee probationary period

This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to

apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/548983100. Only resumes

submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed

at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.