Customer Support & Communication Program Specialist

USDA-FSIS; Urbandale (IA); On-site; USD 53,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

USDA-FSIS, within the Office of Public Affairs and Training (OPAT) and the Food Safety Education Staff (FSES), focuses on communicating food safety issues to the public and internal audiences to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

The role emphasizes clear explanations of regulatory and scientific information, along with promoting citizen participation and behavior changes in food safety practices.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience at GS-7 level or equivalent.
• Master's degree or 2 years graduate education or professional degree.
• Ability to explain regulatory, scientific or technical information in writing and orally.
• Education above first year of graduate level counts toward qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with the public and internal audiences about FSIS programs and food safety issues.
• Increase citizen participation and behavior changes regarding food safety.
• Support FSIS mission to reduce the risk of foodborne illness through outreach and education.

Skills

Customer service

Regulatory/food safety comms

Written and oral communication

Research on food safety topics

Knowledge management software basics

Education

Master's degree or higher

2 years graduate education

LL.B./J.D. (related)

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

Job description

Summary

Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program are available. This position is in the Office of Public Affairs and Training (OPAT), Food Safety Education Staff (FSES). The primary mission is to effectively communicate with the public and internal audiences about food safety issues and FSIS programs; to increase citizen participation and behavior changes regarding food safety; and to implement FSIS' mission to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

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. To qualify for the GS-9: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates: Knowledge of commonly accepted customer service and support principles. Basic understanding of and the ability to explain regulatory, scientific, technical, and other food safety and nutrition information in writing and orally. Research on the topics of food safety, storage, nutrition, handling, preservation, packing, and/or labeling of food (meat, poultry, and egg products). Basic knowledge of software applications and systems to access and provide information from pre-approved written and approved knowledge articles. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree. OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. OR LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR Combination of education and experience - Your total must equal 100% of the requirement, i.e. if you meet 50% of the education requirement, you must have 50% of the specialized experience requirement. Only education above and beyond the first year of graduate level education will count. To qualify for the GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates: Experience using technical software applications and knowledge-management systems. Serving as a liaison with scientific, regulatory, or food-industry professionals. Ability to exercise independent judgment in resolving complex or sensitive consumer inquiries. Communicating complex regulatory, scientific, or technical information. Providing advanced, authoritative consumer guidance to the general public. OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. OR LL.M., if related. OR Combination of education and experience - Your total must equal 100% of the requirement, i.e. if you meet 50% of the education requirement, you must have 50% of the specialized experience requirement. Only education above and beyond the first two years of graduate level education will count. 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. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health regulatory agency responsible for ensuring the safety of meat, poultry and processed eggs. USDA is a great place to start or continue your career. For more information on USDA and the Food Safety and Inspection Service, visit FSIS. FSIS offers various recruitment incentives to newly hired eligible employees. You may be eligible for one or more of the following: Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual: Calculated to determine the annual leave accrual rate. Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: For more information please visit: PSLF Program.