Supervisory Emergency Management Specialist (Continuity & Emergency

Summary

This position is located in the Continuity & Emergency Programs Division within the Office of Homeland Security. The Continuity & Emergency Programs Division operates and maintains the USDA Operations Center to collect and process information to support leadership situational awareness, emergency notification and reporting, and emergency management activities at the HQ level. This Division also oversees continuity of government and continuity of operations programs and the USDA exercise program.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligibles, Farm Service Agency permanent county employees, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Certain Former Overseas and Foreign Service Employees, Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, and Reinstatement candidates.

Duties

Serves as the primary point of contact for the Director, OHS for all USDA continuity and emergency programs and activities.

Oversees the receipt, processing/handling and delivery of classified and unclassified material from the National Security Council to the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture (OSEC).

Leads USDA inputs into Federal policy and interagency engagements, including with the National Security Council.

Develops and implements USDA policies, standards, criteria, and procedures for a comprehensive continuity program.

Develops the Agency-wide standards and criteria to guide USDA regarding emergency programs.

Serves as program manager and subject matter expert with major responsibility for developing evaluation and corrective action programs for Federal, State, and local emergency management exercise programs.

Coordinates and oversees operational implementation of USDA’s continuity facilities.

Leads the oversight of the Emergency Coordinators from each USDA Mission area and agency for the purpose of timely reporting of impacts to USDA personnel and facilities nationwide and at overseas facilities.

Leads the USDA Exercise Program, providing guidance, direction, and oversight for all USDA level exercises.

Provides strategic level management and streamlining of USDA assets during an incident, ensuring a whole-of-USDA coordination approach.

Establishes innovative nationwide standards by which to judge program effectiveness, and plan for evaluation.

Identifies program deficiencies and employs innovative techniques to produce evaluation reports that thoroughly and concisely assess the strengths and weaknesses of continuity plans, policies, systems and procedures.

Represents USDA in interagency meetings with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Security Council.

Serves as interagency coordinating official for actual or potential emergency preparedness or response efforts for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Maintains working relationships with private, military, local, State, and other Federal agencies/officials in order to keep up to date on current issues facing the emergency management community.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a US Citizen or US National.

Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.

Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.

If selected, you may be required to serve a probationary or trial period as applicable to appointment type.

Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.

Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit

You will be required to sign a Mobility Agreement as mobility is a factor in this occupation. You may be reassigned to a new location during your career based on the needs of the service.

Selected applicant must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for a Top Secret SCI clearance. You must meet initial and periodic suitability determinations based on favorable background investigations and updates.

This position requires pre-employment urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use. Drug testing must also be passed on an ongoing basis after appointment, as directed. Appointment to this position is contingent upon negative drug test results.

This position is considered critical-essential, and as such may be required to return to his/her assigned duty station outside of normal duty hours to provide support to USDA policymakers, particularly during crisis periods.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions and specialized experience, as defined below.

Time in grade:

Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

Specialized Experience:

GS-15: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped the candidate with the particular competencies to successfully perform as a Supervisory Emergency Management Specialist. For this position, the specialized experience is leading interagency coordination on emergency preparedness, response, and continuity policy; championing initiatives and strategic direction of emergency management programs and continuity and planning programs; and, developing and establishing policies, procedures, and guidelines for emergency management programs and continuity programs.

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.

Education

There is no education substitution at the GS-15 level.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to for more information.

If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

This position requires pre-employment urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use. Drug testing must also be passed on an ongoing basis after appointment, as directed. Appointment to this position is contingent upon negative drug test results.

For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the .

In the event of an emergency, USDA's Office of Homeland Security (OHS) employees may be subject to 24 hour on-call availability. This service may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites that require functioning under intense physical and mental stress.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:

Leadership

Program and Policy Guidance

Emergency Management Coordination

Planning and Evaluating

Partnering

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit:

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

1) personal information such as name, address, contact information;2) education;3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable);4) other qualifications.

Current and former Federal employees:

Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND

Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.

Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.

Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA and 30% Disabled Veterans: DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, that shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment.

If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference.

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 mos w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation SF-50s for each period. Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level.

: Letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).

Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority or an interchange agreement with another merit system not listed above, see the requirements for that authority and submit the required supporting documentation. Go to: or for more information.