What are the responsibilities and job description for the Consumer Safety Inspector position at USDA?
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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
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: Applicants must meet requirements for one year at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade. (e.g. one year at the GS-05 grade level for consideration for the GS-07 grade level.)
Specialized Experience
Experience may have been acquired in work such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aide, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or similar position with responsibility for sampling, quality control and sanitation in a food manufacturing or production environment, or similar environment for other ingestible items.
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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
See specialized experience definitions below.
For All Grade Levels
This experience should encompass at least two of the following areas:
(GS-7) Applicant must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-05 level). Specialized experience includes: In addition to the qualifications above, incumbents are expected to perform standard and recurrent duties on an independent basis. Your resume should demonstrate at least 52 weeks of experience in independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances; such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food for human consumption, or other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.
(GS-8) Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level). Specialized experience includes: In addition to the qualifications above, working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts in order to inspect meat, poultry and egg products; working with basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices in order to verify plant HAACP and SSOP responsibilities; performing basic mathematics and elementary statistical concepts and methods to perform testing and sampling procedures; and experience in reaching and interpreting conclusions.
(GS-9) Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-08 level). Specialized experience includes: In addition to the qualifications above, incumbents are expected to have experience working at a more independent level than lower graded CSIs, such as recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage at locations outside of the official duty station.
Please view OPM's Qualifications Standards, Consumer Safety Inspector Series, GS-1862.
The duties of a Consumer Safety Inspector are performed in a hazardous working environment. For additional information, please click here. The below requirements are not an all-inclusive list. Failure to fully meet a functional requirement is not automatically disqualifying.
Applicants Must
Education may be used to qualify in lieu of specialized experience as described below.
For the GS-05 level: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours/credits in any combination of coursework in the areas of: agricultural, biological, or physical sciences, food technology, epidemiology, home economics, pharmacy, engineering, or nutrition. Specialized government or military training may be creditable if it is directly related to this position.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (with some related coursework as listed above) is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you meet 33% of the education requirement, then you will need to demonstrate that you possess at least 67% of the specialized experience requirements.
For the GS-07 Level: One full year of directly related graduate education is qualifying for GS-7.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.
For the GS-09 Level: Two full years of directly related graduate education or a directly related master's degree is qualifying for GS-9.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education in excess of the first 18 semester hours directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.
Additional information
THIS POSITION REQUIRES A PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL. Position Requirements.
Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
This is a Bargaining Unit position covered by the National Joint Council (NJC) of Food Inspection Locals.
Should be able to read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in the English language.
If you are a current FSIS employee and a non-competitive applicant (reassignment, change to lower grade, or non-competitive re-promotion) wanting consideration for this position, you must complete the online application process and/or apply using the new online self-service Reassignment System at: https://ohrportal.fsis.usda.gov/systems.
This announcement may be used to fill additional like vacancies should any occur in the announced duty location(s).
Veterans Policy
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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.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Training as a condition of employment (TCOE) is required. You must begin the training within 90 days of the effective date of your selection, and you must successfully complete it within 12 months of the effective date of your selection.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Selectee may be subject to satisfactory completion of one-year probationary or trial period.
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
- Passing a pre-employment medical examination is required.
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: Applicants must meet requirements for one year at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade. (e.g. one year at the GS-05 grade level for consideration for the GS-07 grade level.)
Specialized Experience
Experience may have been acquired in work such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aide, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or similar position with responsibility for sampling, quality control and sanitation in a food manufacturing or production environment, or similar environment for other ingestible items.
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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
See specialized experience definitions below.
For All Grade Levels
This experience should encompass at least two of the following areas:
- Skill in applying proper techniques for collecting samples and performing field tests and examinations,
- Skill in developing written reports and reporting findings or results orally,
- Skill in maintaining effective personal contacts with a variety of individuals.
(GS-7) Applicant must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-05 level). Specialized experience includes: In addition to the qualifications above, incumbents are expected to perform standard and recurrent duties on an independent basis. Your resume should demonstrate at least 52 weeks of experience in independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances; such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food for human consumption, or other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.
(GS-8) Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level). Specialized experience includes: In addition to the qualifications above, working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts in order to inspect meat, poultry and egg products; working with basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices in order to verify plant HAACP and SSOP responsibilities; performing basic mathematics and elementary statistical concepts and methods to perform testing and sampling procedures; and experience in reaching and interpreting conclusions.
(GS-9) Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-08 level). Specialized experience includes: In addition to the qualifications above, incumbents are expected to have experience working at a more independent level than lower graded CSIs, such as recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage at locations outside of the official duty station.
Please view OPM's Qualifications Standards, Consumer Safety Inspector Series, GS-1862.
The duties of a Consumer Safety Inspector are performed in a hazardous working environment. For additional information, please click here. The below requirements are not an all-inclusive list. Failure to fully meet a functional requirement is not automatically disqualifying.
Applicants Must
- Be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the job functions, without hazard to themselves and others.
- Have full range of motion to perform rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level.
- Be able to stand and walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks, and climbing stairs and ladders.
- Be able to lift, carry, push and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
- Have manual dexterity of the upper body, including arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in both hands.
- Must have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye.
- Have the ability to distinguish shades of color. Any significant degree of color blindness (more than 25 percent error rate on approved color plate test) may be disqualifying.
- Individuals with some hearing loss and/or requiring hearing amplification will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Education may be used to qualify in lieu of specialized experience as described below.
For the GS-05 level: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours/credits in any combination of coursework in the areas of: agricultural, biological, or physical sciences, food technology, epidemiology, home economics, pharmacy, engineering, or nutrition. Specialized government or military training may be creditable if it is directly related to this position.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (with some related coursework as listed above) is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you meet 33% of the education requirement, then you will need to demonstrate that you possess at least 67% of the specialized experience requirements.
For the GS-07 Level: One full year of directly related graduate education is qualifying for GS-7.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.
For the GS-09 Level: Two full years of directly related graduate education or a directly related master's degree is qualifying for GS-9.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education in excess of the first 18 semester hours directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.
Additional information
THIS POSITION REQUIRES A PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL. Position Requirements.
Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
This is a Bargaining Unit position covered by the National Joint Council (NJC) of Food Inspection Locals.
Should be able to read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in the English language.
If you are a current FSIS employee and a non-competitive applicant (reassignment, change to lower grade, or non-competitive re-promotion) wanting consideration for this position, you must complete the online application process and/or apply using the new online self-service Reassignment System at: https://ohrportal.fsis.usda.gov/systems.
This announcement may be used to fill additional like vacancies should any occur in the announced duty location(s).
- Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 every Federal employee is required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of that employee's choosing.
- E-Verify: Federal law requires agencies to use the E-Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility for all new hires. If you are selected as a newly hired employee, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS E-VERIFY system. Under the system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.
- Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact: USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
- It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. See more information at: CHCO Council.
- If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
Veterans Policy
Read more
- Help Help A 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. Opens in a new windowLearn 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.
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