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Supervisory Agriculturist (Overseas Preclearance Area Director)

Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Marketing and Regulatory Programs
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Help lead Preclearance and Offshore Programs' mission to reduce the risk associated with the entry and establishment of plant pests into the United States by providing oversight, management, and facilitation of offshore safeguarding activities, clearances, and mitigations. You will be assigned to Santiago, Chile with responsibility for multiple preclearance programs and multinational employees.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
02/25/2026 to 03/03/2026
Salary
$107,446 - $139,684 per year

Base salary listed for overseas assignments. Selectee may be eligible for Foreign Cost of Living Allowance and Post Differential per agency policy.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Santiago, Chile
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation assistance to foreign post will be provided.
Appointment type
Temporary - Not to Exceed three years, may be extended up to five. Selectee remains in the Competitive Service as a permanent employee while on this temporary assignment.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
MP-12894154-26-PQ
Control number
858590900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted only from current permanent APHIS employees with competitive status and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates.

Duties

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  • The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Display proficiency in the following five competencies essential for leading and managing people: Accountability, Conflict Management, Developing Others, and Human Capital Management.
  • Ensuring the preclearance programs area of coverage is in compliance with APHIS, other Federal, and local requirements for personnel, staffing, budget and accounting, facilities, safety and security, and transportation.
  • Ensures all aspects of work and obligations for preclearance programs in foreign countries are met in a timely manner and consistent with APHIS and U.S. government requirements.
  • Manages assigned personnel, which may be foreign based and/or U.S. assigned, and coordinates the effective and efficient implementation of preclearance program operations.
  • Provides technical, financial, operational, and administrative oversight for assigned programs, and works to continually evaluate and improve them from a programmatic and cost-effective perspective.
  • Fulfills all reporting requirements in a timely manner as identified and/or assigned.
  • Resolves disputes and problems with others by using effective problem solving, conflict resolution, and negotiation techniques.
  • Provides recommendations for how best to use information and insights to improve programs and procedures.
  • Communicates how organizational and management goals are linked and cascaded to individual and work performance, and how the accomplishments support organizational goals through staff meetings.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
  • Selectee will be subject to a pre-employment medical statement and/or exam.
  • In accordance with Office of Government Ethics regulations concerning conflict of interest, the incumbent will be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of their effective date of appointment and annually thereafter.
  • All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.

Qualifications

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

Current GS-14s interested in this temporary reassignment are preferred.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR: Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

  • Leadership with plant diseases, pests, and agricultural systems programs using science-based solutions to address complex problems.
  • Management of plant quarantine programs, including inspections, treatments, and compliance with international standards.
  • Experience running cost-effective preclearance programs that included budgeting, staffing, and cost recovery.
  • Supervisory experience creating an inclusive work environment, setting work assignments based on agency mission, measuring and adjustment of workload distribution, and performance evaluation.
  • Work solving technical and policy challenges between the US and international industry and government partners.
Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS are required if:
  • This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
  • You are qualifying for the position based on education.
  • You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
  • This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university

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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Additional information

  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
  • The intent is to reassign a current GS-14 into this position for three to five years. After the completion of this temporary assignment, you will return to your current agency and a like position. If applying from outside of PPQ, you must secure return rights with current agency in writing prior to receiving an official offer letter. The temporary nature of this assignment will be documented on an acknowledgement agreement prior to entrance on duty.
  • If a temporary promotion is used, it will have a not to exceed date of three years, but may be extended up to five years. The selectee will return to the former position of record or like position (same, grade, full performance level and location if available), after completion of the temporary appointment.
  • The selectee will be hired in place and will complete travel requirements from their current duty location. Relocation assistance to Foreign Duty Station will be provided.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements. Your resume must address experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

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

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12894154

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

You can make a difference! The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) needs bright, energetic and committed professionals to facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and to protect the health and care of animals and plants in the United States. We operate in domestic and global markets. Be part of an organization that protects the health and agriculture of the American people. Join our team!

To learn more about what it's like to work at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, what the agency does, and the types of careers, please visit the APHIS careers site.

APHIS is an emergency response agency. This means that all Agency employees may be asked or assigned to participate in rotating temporary duty assignments to support emergency programs at some time during their careers with APHIS. For details click: APHIS Emergency Response

Agency contact information

MRP Human Resources
Phone
612-336-3227
Email
MRP.Application.Help@usda.gov
Address
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA APHIS MRPBS
250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410
Minneapolis, MN 55401
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/banner/careers

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