Agricultural Marketing Specialist (Resident Agent)

This Agricultural Marketing Specialist (Resident Agent) position is with Agricultural Marketing Service (Department of Agriculture) in Phoenix, AZ. The Packers and Stockyards Division (PSD) administers the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, as amended and supplemented. The Packers and Stockyards Act (Act) is a competition, trade practice and financial protection law. Its principal purpose is to maintain effective competition and fair trade practices in livestock, meat, and poultry marketing. The Agricultural Marketing Specialist carries out enforcement of jurisdictional, competition, financial, and trade practice provisions of the Act. Key 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: • Documents investigative findings in an agency approved format and prepares detailed investigative reports documenting violations found when corrective administrative action is warranted. • Conducts and/or directs investigations and related activities pertaining to large and complex firms operating subject to the Act. • Observes, interviews, and questions the parties involved and, if necessary, takes sworn statements and prepares investigative reports, analysis, and recommendations. • Ascertains that registrants, live poultry dealers and packers maintain adequate sets of records as required by the Act. • Advises registrants, live poultry dealers and packers of the records they must maintain and when inadequacies are found, specifies the necessary adjustments to affect compliance. • Develops annual and quarterly work plans to investigate unfair, unjustly discriminatory or deceptive practices. Qualifications: 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-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level) that demonstrates: Utilizing verbal and written communications for presenting facts, findings, and/or recommendations on technical information related to agricultural products that is clear, concise and detailed. Using computers and software for creating spreadsheets, graphs, charts and performing word processing functions. Assisting with marketing practices in the livestock, meat or poultry industries. OR 1 year of graduate level education (18 semester hours) in agriculture, agriculture economics, agricultural business, livestock business management, livestock marketing and trade, agriculture data analytics, agriculture education, animal science, animal or livestock nutrition, poultry science, farm and ranch management, food processing, food systems, food science, or other closely related agricultural field. OR Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND 1) have a class standing in the upper third of the graduating class, 2) membership in a national scholastic honor society (excluding Freshman honor societies), or 3) must meet certain GPA requirements. GPA requirements: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcripts or as computed based on 4 years of education, or courses completed during the final 2 year of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, e.g., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9). Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Assisting in financial or trade practices in livestock, meat or poultry industries. Helping facilitate investigations and technical research in livestock, meat or poultry industries. Researching, interpreting, and applying Local, State and Federal regulations and standard operating procedures related to livestock, meat, or poultry industries. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in agriculture, agriculture economics, agricultural business, livestock business management, livestock marketing and trade, agriculture data analytics, agriculture education, animal science, animal or livestock nutrition, poultry science, farm and ranch management, food processing, food systems, food science, or other closely related agricultural field. OR LL.B. or J.D., if related. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Independently working with financial or trade practices in livestock, meat or poultry industries. Assisting with minimal oversight in conducting investigations or technical research in livestock, meat or poultry industries. Independently researching, interpreting, and applying Local, State and Federal regulations and standard operating procedures in the livestock, meat or poultry industries. OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in agriculture, agriculture economics, agricultural business, livestock business management, livestock marketing and trade, agriculture data analytics, agriculture education, animal science, animal or livestock nutrition, poultry science, farm and ranch management, food processing, food systems, food science, or other closely related agricultural field. OR LL.M., if related. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. 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: Overseeing and remedying the work of others related to financial or trade practices in livestock, meat or poultry industries. Independently conducting investigations or technical research in livestock, meat or poultry industries. Providing guidance to others as an authority in researching, interpreting, and applying Local, State and Federal regulations and standard operating procedures in the livestock, meat or poultry industries. Note: There is no education substitution 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. You are qualifying for this position based on Superior Academic Achievement. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-07/09/11 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. View the full announcement and apply on USAJOBS.gov.