Agriculturist (AQI Database Program Support)

Summary

You will support database development, analysis, training, deployment, and integration for existing and new Agriculture Quarantine Inspection (AQI) databases associated with inspection and clearance activities at U.S. ports of entry.

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:
• Participates with program managers in the planning, development, and implementation of AQI databases designed to meet the needs of the Agency’s plant health programs.
• Provides technical assistance, support, and guidance to PPQ employees, stakeholders, and other interested groups on phytosanitary requirements on items regulated for agricultural interest.
• Contributes to the training and deployment of agricultural databases for the purpose of improving data quality and integrity.
• Supports change management initiatives associated with existing and new AQI databases.
• Prepares periodic reports for and maintains effective communications with team members, the supervisor, and managers regarding information on the status of task/project/program assignments.
• Performs tasks relative to data analysis to support and enhance the functionality of AQI databases.

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. BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: post high school education with courses equivalent to a major, which is defined as 24 semester/36 quarter hours, in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry or related disciplines appropriate to the position, PLUS appropriate experience or additional coursework. In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must meet the following qualification requirement: 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: Designing, testing, and deploying enhancements to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and International Trade Data systems to fulfill the requirements of the APHIS Core Message Set. Utilizing Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel (including their calculation functions), as well as basic structured query language (SQL) queries, to analyze and validate APHIS data. Creating reports and dashboards using MS Access, MS Excel, Tableau, Power BI, Cognos, SQL, and other analytical tools to support the operational and analytical needs of APHIS programs. Resolving technical access issues related to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) systems by collaborating with APHIS and CBP network personnel to ensure seamless connectivity and efficient troubleshooting. Conducting communications, outreach, and administrative tasks to support projects and programs, improve service quality, and foster engagement with both internal and external stakeholders in relation to the APHIS Core Message Set. Note: There is no education substitution for specialized experience at this grade level.TRANSCRIPTS are required if: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. 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. 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 to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.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 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below 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 in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resume cannot exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application. Step 2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account. You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement). Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue. NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading 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. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Only one resume will be reviewed. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.