Agricultural Program Specialist

Agricultural Program Specialist Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency

OPERATIONS BRANCH

Summary These positions are loced in the Farm Service Agency, Massachusetts Ste Office, Operions Branch A, loced in Amherst, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The selectee plans, administers and reviews all aspects of the farm program activities. Learn more about this agency Summary These positions are loced in the Farm Service Agency, Massachusetts Ste Office, Operions Branch A, loced in Amherst, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The selectee plans, administers and reviews all aspects of the farm program activities. Learn more about this agency Overview Help Accepting applicions Open & closing des 04/21/2026 to 05/08/2026 Salary $100,992•$131,293 per year Pay scale & grade GS 12 Locion 2 vacancies in the following locion: Amherst, MA Remote job No Telework eligible No Travel Required Occasional travel•You may be expected to travel for this position. Relocion expenses reimbursed No Appointment type Permanent Work schedule Full-time Service Competitive Promotion potential 12 Job family (Series) 1145 Agricultural Program Specialist Supervisory stus No Security clearance Other Drug test No Position sensitivity and risk Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk Trust determinion process Credentialing Suitability/Fitness Financial disclosure No Bargaining unit stus No Announcement number

FSA-26-12940922-MP-MA-KBS

Control number 865889900 This job is open to Help Internal to an agency Current federal employees of the hiring agency th posted the job announcement. Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees whose job, agency or department was elimined and are eligible for priority over other applicants. Clarificion from the agency Applicions accepted only from current permanent Farm Production and Conservion competitive stus employees (Farm Production and Conservion; Farm Production and Conservion Business Center; Farm Service Agency; Farm Service Agency County; Nural Resources Conservion Service; and Risk Management Agency); and

CTAP/RPL

eligible candides. Duties Help Provide technical leadership, consultion, and oversight. Analyze and interpret provisions on current and proposed nional program policies, procedures and regulions to determine their applicability to and impact on program administrion in the Ste. Attend meetings and develop and maintain contacts with various governmental agencies, producers and trade organizions. Provide technical guidance and assistance as needed with programs' and automed applicions. Requirements Help Conditions of employment You must be a US Citizen or US Nional. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt. Subject to sisfactory adjudicion of background investigion and/or fingerprint check. If selected, you may be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note, we are unable to reimburse for any fees incurred.

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 verificion check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, e-verify.gov. Qualificions In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualificions requirements as defined below by the closing de of the announcement. For more informion on the qualificions for this position, the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualificion Standards. Your applicion and resume must clearly show th you possess the experience requirements. If educion is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts.

Basic Requirement:

GS•1145 series :

Educion Undergradue Educion:

Major study•economics, agricultural economics, marketing, business administrion, animal or poultry science/husbandry, agronomy, soil science, or reled curricula dealing with the production and distribution of farm products.

Gradue Educion:

Major study•dairy science, agricultural marketing, domestic agricultural development, farm management, agronomy, or other agricultural specialty areas. or Experience General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Experience reled to the production and marketing of agricultural commodities. Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience th demonstred: Knowledge of the laws and regulions governing agricultural stabilizion and conservion programs and of the particular applicion of nional policies and objectives the Ste level; Understanding of farming practices and customs in the United Stes, and of the economic needs of farm communities the Ste level; Knowledge of current Ste and Federal agricultural trends; and Ability to establish and maintain effective relionships with representives of public and prive organizions, farmers' associions, and others, and to interpret regulions, programs, and policies affecting them. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Agricultural extension work as a subject-mter specialist, county agent, or assistant or associe county agent. Teacher of vocional agriculture. District director, Ste program specialist, or county office employee performing duties in the operional phases of farm programs such as production adjustment, price support, and conservion. Experience the county, district, or Ste government levels in the operional phases of farm programs of the type carried out through such agencies as the Soil Conservion Service, Farmers Home Administrion, or reled programs. In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly reled educion listed below . Specialized Experience Requirement For the GS•12 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as:

One full-time year of specialized work experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience th demonstres knowledge of the laws and regulions governing agricultural stabilizion and conservion programs to serve as an advisor on the applicion of nional policies and objectives the Ste level; Understanding of farming practices and customs in the United Stes, and of the economic needs of farm communities the Ste level; Experience maintaining relionships with representives of public organizions, farmers' associions, and others, to interpret agricultural regulions, programs, and policies affecting them. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through Nional Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizions (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience th transles directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Time-in-Grade Requirement:

If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. You must meet this requirement by the closing de of this announcement. Educion This job does not have an educion qualificion requirement. Additional informion Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for informion on how to apply as a

CTAP/RPL

eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candides must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candides must be red and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluion of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evalued section. When assessed through a score-based cegory ring method, CTAP applicants must receive a ring of least 85 out of a possible 100. 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 given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probionary period.

Telework:

This position is not eligible for telework.

Incentives:

Recruitment and/or relocion incentives may be authorized.

Bargaining Unit:

This is a non-bargaining unit position. Expand Hide additional informion Candides should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passione about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United Stes Constitution. Benefits Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits th are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits . 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 informion on the specific benefits offered. How you evalued You evalued for this job based on how well you meet the qualificions above. You evalued based on your qualificions for this position as evidenced by the experience, educion, and training you described in your applicion package. A ring will not be used; all applicants who meet the minimum qualificion requirements, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, referred to the hiring manager for considerion.

Note:

If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documention, a determinion is made th you have infled your qualificions and/or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Providing inaccure informion 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 applicion form. The applicion form link below will only provide a preview and does not initie the applicion process. To initie the online applicion process, click the "Apply" button to the right. To view the applicion form, : https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12940922 Benefits Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits th are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits . 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 informion on the specific benefits offered. Required documents Required Documents Help The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of considerion.

Resume th includes:

Personal Informion:

name, address, contact informion; Educion ; Work Experience reled to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, des of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualificions . Resume cannot exceed 2 pages. If educion is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the applicion if it includes your name and the necessary course informion; however, if you are selected, official transcripts required prior to entering on duty. Educion must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any educion was completed a foreign institute, you must submit with your applicion evidence th the institute was appropriely accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion as equivalent to U.S. educion standards. There are prive organizions th specialize in this evaluion and a fee is normally associed with this service. For a list of prive organizions th evalue educion, the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translion. Current FPAC employees : Most recent non-award Notificion 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 (ded within 18 months) showing the official ring of record, signed by a supervisor, or stement 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 Notificion 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 (ded within 18 months) per above. Surplus or displaced employees eligible for

CTAP/RPL

priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separion notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity terminion), SF-50 documenting separion (as applicable), current performance appraisal with ring of least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty locion with your applicion per 5 CFR 330. If you are relying on your educion to meet qualificion requirements: Educion must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion in order for it to be credited towards qualificions. Therefore, provide only the tendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion . Failure to provide all of the required informion as sted in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible ring or may affect the overall ring. How to Apply Help Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this applicion process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing de of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m.•4:00p.m., Monday•Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing de for an alterne method. All hardship applicion packages must be complete and submitted no ler than noon ET on the closing de of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodion to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and tach your resume and all required documents. Please verify th documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limition to the number of documents th can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document forms: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of considerion. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume th exceeds two pages removed from considerion. Our office cannot be responsible for incompible software, your system failure, etc. Agency contact informion Kya Bou-Sliman kya.bou-sliman@usda.gov Address Farm Service Agency 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US Next steps Your applicion reviewed to verify th you meet the eligibility and qualificion requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluion or interviews are required, you contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your applicion stus. You must choose to turn on email notificions in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notificions th may impact your applicant experience (e.g., If you start an applicion and do not submit it prior to the closing de, USAJOBS will send an email reminder th the closing de is approaching and your applicion is in an incomplete stus). Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you required to serve a 1-year probionary period during which we will evalue your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizional goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probionary period your employment termined unless you receive certificion, in writing, th your continued employment advances the public interest. Under the Fair Chance Act , agencies are not allowed to request informion about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified informion; assignment to nional security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other informion reled to an organizion's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the de of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the approprie informion to SM.FairChanceFBC@usda.gov , subject line: Fair Chance Act. Fair and transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Financial suitability New employee probionary period Privacy Act Reasonable accommodion policy Selective Service Signure and false stements Social security number request Required Documents Help The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of considerion.

Resume th includes:

Personal Informion:

name, address, contact informion; Educion ; Work Experience reled to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, des of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualificions . Resume cannot exceed 2 pages. If educion is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the applicion if it includes your name and the necessary course informion; however, if you are selected, official transcripts required prior to entering on duty. Educion must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any educion was completed a foreign institute, you must submit with your applicion evidence th the institute was appropriely accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion as equivalent to U.S. educion standards. There are prive organizions th specialize in this evaluion and a fee is normally associed with this service. For a list of prive organizions th evalue educion, the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translion. Current FPAC employees : Most recent non-award Notificion 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 (ded within 18 months) showing the official ring of record, signed by a supervisor, or stement 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 Notificion 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 (ded within 18 months) per above. Surplus or displaced employees eligible for

CTAP/RPL

priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separion notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity terminion), SF-50 documenting separion (as applicable), current performance appraisal with ring of least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty locion with your applicion per 5 CFR 330. If you are relying on your educion to meet qualificion requirements: Educion must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion in order for it to be credited towards qualificions. Therefore, provide only the tendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion . Failure to provide all of the required informion as sted in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible ring or may affect the overall ring. How to Apply Help Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this applicion process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing de of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m.•4:00p.m., Monday•Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing de for an alterne method. All hardship applicion packages must be complete and submitted no ler than noon ET on the closing de of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodion to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and tach your resume and all required documents. Please verify th documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limition to the number of documents th can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document forms: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of considerion. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume th exceeds two pages removed from considerion. Our office cannot be responsible for incompible software, your system failure, etc. Expand Hide how to apply Agency contact informion Kya Bou-Sliman kya.bou-sliman@usda.gov Address Farm Service Agency 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US Next steps Your applicion reviewed to verify th you meet the eligibility and qualificion requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluion or interviews are required, you contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your applicion stus. You must choose to turn on email notificions in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notificions th may impact your applicant experience (e.g., If you start an applicion and do not submit it prior to the closing de, USAJOBS will send an email reminder th the closing de is approaching and your applicion is in an incomplete stus). Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you required to serve a 1-year probionary period during which we will evalue your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizional goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probionary period your employment termined unless you receive certificion, in writing, th your continued employment advances the public interest. Under the Fair Chance Act , agencies are not allowed to request informion about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified informion; assignment to nional security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other informion reled to an organizion's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the de of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the approprie informion to SM.FairChanceFBC@usda.gov , subject line: Fair Chance Act. Expand Hide next steps Fair and transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Financial suitability New employee probionary period Privacy Act Reasonable accommodion policy Selective Service Signure and false stements Social security number request Overview Help Accepting applicions Open & closing des 04/21/2026 to 05/08/2026 Salary $100,992•$131,293 per year Pay scale & grade GS 12 Locion 2 vacancies in the following locion: Amherst, MA Remote job No Telework eligible No Travel Required Occasional travel•You may be expected to travel for this position. Relocion expenses reimbursed No Appointment type Permanent Work schedule Full-time Service Competitive Promotion potential 12 Job family (Series) Supervisory stus No Security clearance Drug test No Position sensitivity and risk Trust determinion process Financial disclosure Bargaining unit stus Announcement number

FSA-26-12940922-MP-MA-KBS

Control number 865889900