Consumer Safety Officer (Enforce Invest & Analysis Officer)

JOB SUMMARY: You will be working independently to inspect, instruct, and report information on plants food safety and process control systems. You will play a major role in assuring the safety of our nations meat and poultry supply! JOIN A GREAT FSIS TEAM! The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a public health regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Our mission is to protect consumers by ensuring that the commercial supply of meat*, poultry, and egg products moving in interstate commerce or exported to other countries is safe, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged.* The "Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008", also referred to as the "2008 Farm Bill", was signed into Law on June 18, 2008. The Farm Bill amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) to include Catfish as an amenable species under the Act. This position is covered by the Public Health Human Resources (PHHRS) Demonstration Project. Effective July 19, 2009, FSIS began operating under the PHHRS, a Pay Banding and Pay for Performance Demonstration Project, in which non- bargaining unit positions will be classified by career path, occupational series, and pay bands rather than the traditional General Schedule (GS) grades in the Federal Service. The AP-03 pay band is equivalent to the GS-9/11 levels, and the AP-04 pay band is equivalent to GS-12/13. PHHRS will offer flexibility to offer exceptional candidates higher salaries than most other Federal agencies. Additionally, employees will be eligible to receive an annual pay increase based upon performance. For more information on PHHRS, including information on its pay tables and how it will benefit employees, please click this link. If you are found to be one of the best qualified candidates or a non-competitive referral and will be referred to the selecting official for job consideration, you may be asked to develop a written response to narrative/essay type questions in the second round of the application process. If this applies to you, you will be contacted by an agency representative. Please keep your records updated with your current email address.This position may be eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• THIS POSITION HAS AN EDUCATION REQUIREMENT.
• THIS IS A PUBLIC TRUST POSITION REQUIRING A BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION.
• RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL BE DETERMINED PER FSIS DIRECTIVE 3820.2.
• A TRAINING PROGRAM REQUIREMENT IS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT.
• FSIS UTILIZES E-VERIFY TO VERIFY IDENTITY AND EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY.
• A SELF-CERTIFICATION MEDICAL STATEMENT MAY BE REQUIRED.

DUTIES:Back to top Heres what you will be assigned to do:1. Conduct on-site consumer protection assessments to verify the design and proper functioning of a plants food safety and process control systems.2. Apply your knowledge of microbiology, food science, biology, chemistry, and/or agriculture to assess the scientific adequacy of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), microbiological verification sampling protocols, or other process control measures implemented by regulated establishments.3. Perform investigative work related to food processing and/or slaughter systems to obtain information, gather evidence, or verify facts in support of administrative or civil enforcement matters. You will make recommendations regarding the type of enforcement action that is necessary, and assist in the preparation of enforcement related documentation such as notices of intended enforcement, suspension letters, deferral letters, and letters of warning.4. Collect necessary information pertaining to product recall activities, consumer complaints, or other public health concerns. Determine the relevance of data and documentation in plant records, laboratory test data, and observed activities for compliance with provisions of laws and Agency regulations.5. Assist inspection personnel, as needed, in the consistent nationwide implementation of significant new inspection procedures designed to verify that official establishments meet regulatory requirements for food safety and other consumer protection.6. Additional skills desired will be computer skills, communication with customers, resourcefulness with investigations, problem- solving, follow-up, and the ability to work well with multiple tasks. Must work well independently to manage schedule. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top For this position, there are three basic components that together define the qualifications. These components are:1. Education2. Time in Grade/Time in Band3. Specialized Experience Education: All applicants need to meet minimum education requirements for this position. The minimum education requirements are education above high school that included 30 semester hours of related science coursework (i.e. animal science, chemistry, food science and nutrition, public health science, microbiology, zoology etc.). Time in Grade/Time in Band: In order to meet time-in-grade requirements, you will need to have completed 52 weeks at the next lower level in the Federal Service within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For Time in Band, this means that you need to have completed at least 52 weeks at the lowest level of the next lower band within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
Specialized experience AP Band 3: A bachelors degree that included 30 semester hours of related science course work (i.e. animal science, chemistry, food science and nutrition, public health science, microbiology, zoology etc.), AND 52 weeks or more of *specialized experience at the next lower grade level (e.g., generally, the GS-8 level) or band level. This experience may be gained under GS, PHHRS, another pay band system, or any combination of GS, pay band, or other experience that totals 52 weeks or more. OR In the absence of a degree, 30 semester hours of related science course work as specified above, AND 52 weeks or more one year of *specialized experience at the next lower grade level (e.g., generally, the GS-8 level) or band level. This experience may be gained under GS, PHHRS, another pay band system, or any combination of GS, pay band, or other experience that totals 52 weeks or more. OR A masters degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, as specified above. Education above high school that included 30 semester hours of related science course work (i.e. animal science, chemistry, food science and nutrition, public health science, microbiology, zoology etc.), AND 52 weeks or more of *specialized experience at the next lower grade level (e.g, GS-9 or GS-10) or band level. This experience may be gained under GS, PHHRS, another pay band system, or any combination of GS, pay band, or other experience that totals 52 weeks or more. OR A Ph.D. or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study. Specialized experience AP Band 4: Education, above high school, that included 30 semester hours of related science course work (i.e. animal science, chemistry, food science and nutrition, public health science, microbiology, zoology etc.), AND at least 52 weeks of *specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-11 or 12 level) or band level. This experience may be gained under GS, PHHRS, another pay band system, or any combination of GS, pay band, or other experience that totals 52 weeks or more. * SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Please carefully review the specialized experience for this position. Education alone or combinations of education and experience may qualify for this position, and the specialized experience may be gained in GS, PHHRS, another pay band, other or any combination, but in any event, qualifying specialized work experience must meet the following definition/s: AP-3: Under supervision and/or guidance from senior personnel, verify safety systems for the production of products intended for consumption (e.g., food, pharmaceuticals, drinking water, biological specimens, etc.) This may include verifying of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), Sanitation Performance Standards (SPS), Sanitation, pathogen reduction verification procedures, food security verification procedures, and other consumer protection activities (e.g., economic adulteration and misbranding, E. coli or Salmonella reduction procedures, etc.), or any interactions of these systems. This may also include experience working with federal or state regulatory requirements and enforcement actions, applying investigative methodology, documenting case files for administrative or civil enforcement actions including the collection of evidence and testimonies, implementing or monitoring recall activities and/or consumer complaints, assessing the comprehensive design and/or implementation of food safety systems, assessing microbiological sampling and testing programs, and/or monitoring quality control procedures within a food safety environment. Slaughter experience is NOT considered specialized experience.AP-4: Independent and regular responsibility for verifying safety systems for the production of products intended for consumption (e.g. food, pharmaceuticals, drinking water, biological specimens, etc.). This may include verifying of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), Sanitation Performance Standards (SPS), Sanitation, pathogen reduction verification procedures, food security verification procedures, and other consumer protections (e.g., economic adulteration and misbranding, E. Coli or Salmonella reduction procedures, etc.), or interactions of these systems. This may also include experience independently working with federal or state regulatory requirements and enforcement actions, applying investigative methodology, documenting case files for administrative or civil enforcement actions including the collection of evidence and testimonies, implementing or monitoring recall activities and/or consumer complaints assessing the comprehensive design and/or implementation of food safety systems, assessing microbiological sampling and testing programs and/or monitoring quality control procedures within a food safety environment. The experience may come from food processing, manufacturing practices, statistical process control, microbiological testing, laboratory analytical procedures, and/or other technical areas that might affect food safety. HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED: Applicants are evaluated in accordance with Merit Staffing procedures which govern status candidates. All are rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. An automated ranking system, based on the on-line application process is used. Before any certificate can be issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed carefully by an hr specialist to assure that (a) minimum qualification requirements are met and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Please note that your resume must thoroughly support your responses to the applicant assessment questions. High self-assessment in the applicant questions that is not supported by information in your resume may eliminate you from best-qualified status, and subsequent referral to the selecting official. If you are found to be one of the best qualified candidates or a non-competitive referral and will be referred to the selecting official for job consideration, you may be asked to develop a written response to narrative/essay type questions in the second round of the application process. If this applies to you, you will be contacted by an agency representative. Please keep your records updated with your current email address. There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application: The applicant assessment questions, the core questions, supplemental documentation submitted, and your resume. This automated application system simplifies the application process, by replacing the former KSA job-element questions with the on-line applicant assessment questions. Your resume is an integral part of the process for determining if you meet the basic qualifications of the position, and whether you are found to be best qualified. Therefore, it is important to explain what you did and how you did it, rather than just listing your current and former employers.
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Country: USA, State: Vermont, City: Montpelier, Company: Food Safety and Inspection Service.