Consumer Safety Inspector

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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 required.
• Successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• If you are newly hired, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" system.
• Must pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
• 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.
• 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.
• Should be able to read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in the English language.
• This is a Bargaining Unit position covered by the National Joint Council (NJC) of Food Inspection Locals.
  
  

Qualifications

You must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the experience that would have been gained if working in this position or a similar, closely related position at the next lower level by the closing date of this announcement or the appropriate education substitution.

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.
  
  

For the GS-05 Level: At least 52 weeks of qualifying experience gained under close supervision 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, and other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.

For the GS-07 Level: 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, and other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.

For the GS-08 Level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level). 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.

For the GS-09 Level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-08 level). 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 medically able to efficiently perform the essential job functions, without being a direct threat 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.
• 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

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 related directly 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 described in number 2 above) 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-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.

Assignment Restrictions: FSIS Directive 4735.9, Office of Field Operations Assignment Restrictions and Rules on Gifts from Regulated Industry FSIS Directive 4735.9 Revision 2 (usda.gov), sets out the Agency's specific procedures regarding ethical employee conduct related to employee assignment restrictions and gifts from regulated establishments. Please click on this link and read directive prior to applying.

Recruitment incentives are offered based on agency staffing needs and budgetary availability; service agreements apply. For detailed incentive information see: Career Profiles | FSIS.

FSIS is pleased to offer a $5,000 sign on bonus paid out in one lump sum payment. This recruitment incentive requires a signed two-year service agreement, as well as satisfactory performance and conduct. The service agreement details conditions of receipt and acceptance of the incentive and is provided to new employees prior to entrance on duty. Funds will be collected for any periods of uncompleted service.

Selectees may be eligible for Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual (CSALA)

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information please visit: PSLF Program.

The positions advertised offer a referral bonus award of $1,000. More than one award may be given subject to criteria being met. Current FSIS employees may be eligible for this award if they refer an applicant who later enters on duty and works at least 90 days with successful performance and conduct. The referred employee will have an opportunity to list the referring employee during the application process. There are some required restrictions on this award. Ineligible employees include: 1. Employees whose regular, recurring jobs include the recruitment of new employees. 2. Employees who are otherwise excluded from receiving Achievement Awards; 3. Selecting officials or other persons associated with the selection process of the referred employee; and 4. Any of the following relatives of the referred employee: Spouse, or parents thereof; Children, including stepchildren and adopted children, and spouses thereof; Parents, including stepparents; Siblings, including stepsiblings, and spouses thereof; Any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.

This position may be eligible for the Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) Accelerated Promotion Program. This program makes exceptions to the time-in-grade and qualification requirements to allow a single accelerated career ladder promotion to a GS-7 or a GS-8 in less than one year. A mandatory training plan must be successfully completed before an individual is eligible to be promoted under this program.

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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.