ASSISTANT DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR FIELD OPERATIONS

U.S. Department of Agriculture; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 204,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonuses

Performance-based awards

Job summary

U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking a Senior Executive Service (SES) level II position to lead strategic policy delivery across Farm Bill programs.

This role oversees a vast national-to-field operation and a decentralized structure of state and county offices, guiding policy interpretation and data management while advancing programs for diverse farmers. Candidate must meet ECQ/TQ requirements addressed in a two-page resume and be QRB-certified before appointment.

Qualifications

• Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) must be addressed within a two-page resume.
• ECQs must be certified by the SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) prior to appointment if not already covered.
• Applicants must submit the ECQ/TQ narratives as part of the resume package; separate narratives will not be accepted.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic support to the Deputy Administrator in implementing Farm Bill, Farm Program, and Farm Loan Program policies.
• Directs and coordinates national-to-field delivery of policies and operational guidance.
• Oversees daily operations of multiple divisions and a large decentralized field structure.
• Establishes and maintains communication between national, state, and county offices; provides policy interpretation.
• Oversees workforce training, operational readiness, and organizational capabilities.
• Directs development and dissemination of policies and systems for farm and producer data management.
• Advances initiatives supporting beginning, socially disadvantaged, and family farmers including credit, risk management, and operational assistance.
• Oversees national program and administrative performance and cost-management strategies.
• Cultivates partnerships and represents FSA in engagements with agencies and stakeholders.

Job description

Summary

This position is designated as SES, General. USDA structures its SES positions into position levels. This is a position level II with a salary range of $204,122 - $216,010 per year. Exceptions to the salary cap may be considered in certain circumstances. SES employees are also eligible to receive bonuses and performance-based awards. Visit http://www.opm.gov/ses/ for additional information and benefits for SES employees. USDA Employees: Please refer to the Next Steps section

Major Duties

Provides strategic support to the Deputy Administrator in implementing Farm Bill, Farm Program, and Farm Loan Program policies across all FSA field offices nationwide.Directs and coordinates national-to-field delivery of policies, procedures, and operational guidance to ensure consistent program administration.Oversees daily operations of multiple divisions and assists in managing a large, decentralized field structure of 51 State Offices and approximately 2,200 county office.Establishes and maintains effective communication between national, state, and county offices, providing policy interpretation and gathering field feedback.Provides strategic oversight of workforce training, operational readiness, and organizational capabilities to ensure effective administration of farm programs, lean programs, and field operationsDirects the development and dissemination of policies and systems supporting farm and producer data management.Advances initiativessupporting beginning, socially disadvantaged, and family farmers, including credit, risk management, and operational assistance.Oversees national program and administrative performance, establishes accountability measures, and directs corrective actins and cost-management strategies to achieve organizational objectivesCultivates strategic partnerships and represents FSA in engagements with federal, state, and local agencies, agricultural organizations, and community stakeholders to advance agency prioritiesProvides oversight in the development, implementation and administration of policies, regulations, and procedures governing State and County Committees, including committee elections and appeals.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education (if applicable). Your application will be rated and ranked by a review board using only the information submitted within the application package. Applicants who do not demonstrate in their resume sufficient possession of the ECqs & TQs will be determined to be ineligible for further consideration. Unless you have already been certified by a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, you must be certified by a QRB after selection and before appointment can occur. Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) listed above. ECqs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/. To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13100301

What to Expect Next

To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. Current Senior Executives of the following USDA agencies who apply for this position, and whose selection would result in a relocation outside the commuting area of their current duty station, may not currently be considered for selection to this position: Agricultural Research Service; Economic Research Service; National Institute of Food and Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service; United States Forest Service; Food and Nutrition Administration; Foreign Agricultural Service; Rural Development and component organizations; the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area, to include the FPAC Business Center, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Risk Management Agency, and Farm Service Agency employees; Office of the General Counsel; and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. This guidance is in alignment with the court order dated October 13, 2026, in American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, et al. v. United States Department of Agriculture, Case No. 26-cv-09976-VC (N.D. Calif.). The U.S. Government utilizes Trusted Workforce 2.0 to implement Continuous Vetting (CV) as a-whole-of government approach to personnel security. If selected for this position, you will be subject to continuous automated record checks of criminal, financial, and public record databases throughout your period of eligibility or employment, replacing traditional periodic reinvestigations.

Required Documents

1. 2-page ECQ/TQ based Resume. DO NOT submit Executive Core Qualifications or Technical Qualifications in lieu of a resume.
2. Current or former career SES members must provide an SF-50 showing current status or reinstatement eligibility.
3. Applicants who have successfully completed an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Programs must submit a copy of their certification.
4. Current or former Federal civilian employees, please provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).

Education (if applicable): A copy of your transcript(s) or a separate course listing showing the college name, course title, department, hours earned (quarter or semester), and grade. If you have completed any part of your education outside the U.S., you must submit the evaluation of your foreign education that has been prepared by an accredited organization. The National Association for Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) can provide a list of who can evaluate your foreign education. For additional information, visit DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

Other Information

Consideration for competitive selection for this position is open to all persons within the area of consideration who meet the basic qualifications.

Race, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religion, marital or family status, disability, and other non-merit factors will not be considered.

1. This position is covered under the post-employment restriction of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). This law also requires the selectee to file an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (Standard Form 278), within 30 days of appointment.
2. Applications sent in U.S. Government postage-paid envelope and submitted through Federal Agency courier services will not be considered.
3. The 1993 Hatch Act Reform Amendments prohibit oral and written political recommendations for Federal jobs.
4. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System before they can be employed by an executive agency of the Federal government. This requirement does not apply to Agency employees appointed before November 8, 1995.
5. All application forms are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and become the property of USDA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency at 202-260-8128. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.