FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICER (TRAINEE)

US Foreign Agricultural Service; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

US Foreign Agricultural Service in Washington, DC seeks candidates for the Foreign Service Trainees program, a civil service track leading to commission into the Foreign Service after 18 to 36 months of training and service. The program emphasizes policy analysis, market assessment, and export promotion, with advancement opportunities and a potential overseas assignment.

Applicants may qualify at GS-09 with education or experience, GS-11 with advanced experience, and GS-12 with senior

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 in the Federal service.
• Education or combination of education and experience may qualify at GS-09 level.
• Combination of specialized experience and qualifying education may qualify for higher grades.

Responsibilities

• Assisting in the evaluation of government regulatory policies and/or economic data related to trade or food security.
• Assisting with qualitative and/or quantitative methods to analyze markets and trends, and assess agricultural conditions.
• Assisting in planning and implementing export promotion campaigns or food and agricultural development initiatives.
• Independently planning and conducting market research and preparing analytical reports for decision-makers.

Skills

Policy analysis

Market research

Export promotion

Education

Master's degree or higher

Graduate education towards PhD

Job description

Foreign Service Trainees work and train in Washington, D.C. as civil service employees for an average of 18 to 36 months, followed by conversion to the Foreign Service/assignment to an overseas post. Those who demonstrate the needed competencies will be commissioned into the Foreign Service and can look forward to professional careers with increasing rank and responsibility, averaging 25 years. Additional information can be found here: https://www.fas.usda.gov/fas-foreign-service-careers

FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL

1. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service OR
2. Have qualifying education OR
3. Have a combination of specialized experience and qualifying education.

Specialized Experience

To qualify for the GS-09 level based on specialized experience applicants must possess one year or more of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal service that has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed in order to successfully perform the duties of the position at the GS-09 level. Specialized experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors, be paid or unpaid, and is typically gained in the same field as the position being filled or another very closely related field.

Applicants qualifying for the GS-09 level based on experience must provide evidence of the following type of specialized experience in their resume. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating:

Experience assisting with professional work in one of the following three areas:

• Assisting in the evaluation of government regulatory policies and/ or economic data related to trade or food security.
• Assisting with the application of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to analyze markets and commercial trends, assess agricultural conditions, and/or assess production supply and demand.
• Assisting in planning and implementation of export promotion campaigns or food and agricultural development initiatives.

Education

In order to qualify for the GS-09 level based on education applicants must have successfully completed a master's degree (or equivalent) or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, in a field of study directly related to the duties of this position, such as economics, business, food and agriculture sciences, development, public policy, international relations, communications, law, or other directly related fields of study from an accredited university.

Applicants qualifying for the GS-09 level based on education must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

Combination of Specialized Experience and Qualifying Education

Applicants qualifying for the GS-09 level based on a combination of experience and education must show evidence of their experience in their resume and they must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL

1. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service OR
2. Have qualifying education OR
3. Have a combination of specialized experience and qualifying education.

Specialized Experience

To qualify for the GS-11 level based on specialized experience applicants must possess one year or more of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the Federal service that has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed in order to successfully perform the duties of the position at the GS-11 level. Specialized experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors, be paid or unpaid, and is typically gained in the same field as the position being filled or another very closely related field.

Applicants qualifying for the GS-11 level based on experience must provide evidence of the following type of specialized experience in their resume. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating:

Experience assisting with or performing professional work in two of the following three areas:

• Independently conducting qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of government policies related to trade or food security and synthesizes findings into reports.
• Independently conducting market research to identify shifts in consumer behavior and emerging market trends to develop strategic recommendations that inform marketing campaigns or stakeholder engagement efforts.
• Independently conducting qualitative and quantitative research and analysis to assess markets trends, agricultural conditions, and/or supply and demand of commodities to produce analytical reports to inform decision-makers and stakeholders.
• Independently planning and implementing of export promotion campaign activities or food and agricultural development initiatives.

Education

In order to qualify for the GS-11 level based on education applicants must have successfully completed at least three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree such as economics, business, food and agriculture sciences, development, public policy, international relations, communications, law or other directly related fields of study from an accredited university.

Applicants qualifying for the GS-11 level based on education must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

Combination of Specialized Experience and Qualifying Education

Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the GS-11 grade level. Only graduate education beyond the second full-time year may be combined with experience.

Applicants qualifying for the GS-11 level based on a combination of experience and education must show evidence of their experience in their resume and they must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL

In order to qualify for this position at the GS-12 level applicants must possess one year of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service that has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position at the GS-12 level. Specialized experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors, be paid or unpaid, and is typically gained in the same field as the position being filled or another very closely related field.

Applicants must provide evidence of the following type of specialized experience in their resume in order to qualify for this position at the GS-12 level. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating:

Experience performing professional work in all of the following three areas:

• Leading and conducting complex qualitative and quantitative analysis of government policies related to trade and food security that supports decisionmakers and stakeholders.
• Leading analysis of consumer trends, market demand and/or behavioral patterns and synthesizes the results into strategic recommendations that are communicated in reports, briefings, or used to develop marketing campaigns.
• Applying advanced analytical methods and forecasting techniques to develop data-driven recommendations for program development, marketing strategies, and outreach initiatives; and / or managing and conducting complex qualitative and quantitative analysis of agricultural conditions, production, supply, and demand.
• Developing predictive models and trend forecasts using advanced statistical techniques and synthesizing findings into actionable reports and analytical briefings.
• Leading planning and implementing of export promotion campaigns and activities or food and agricultural development initiatives.

NOTE: There is no education substitution for experience allowed at the GS-12 level.