Agricultural Marketing Specialist

**Duties**:

- The duties may include, but are not limited to:

- Conducting regulatory compliance audits of certifying agents, foreign government conformity assessment systems, and foreign government accreditation bodies, to determine compliance with USDA organic regulations and applicable international standards.
- Interpreting complex management system documentation as it relates to USDA organic regulations and applicable international standards.
- Assisting in the development or revision of assessment procedures for accredited certifying agents and foreign government conformity assessment systems.
- Maintaining current knowledge of organic and conventional agricultural production, handling and marketing practices, relevant international standards and applicable regulatory requirements.

**Requirements**:
**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.
- Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
- Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.

**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.**FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL**:Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates all of the following:

- Experience conducting organic certification audits and/or reviews of organic certification audit reports to evaluate crop production farms, livestock production operations, and/or food commodity handling operations on adherence to USDA organic (National Organic Program) regulations and policies for organic production, organic handling, and/or organic labeling standards. Auditing includes: independently reviewing quality management system documentation, conducting interviews, and performing surveillance of such operations to independently produce reports of USDA organic (National Organic Program) regulations conformance or nonconformance in preparation for certification body audits or to be used by certification bodies to grant or deny certification.

Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.- 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**:
This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

**Additional information**:

- First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
- Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
- Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
- **Worksite Information**:This is a 100% remote position that must be located within the 50 United States, its territories, or possessions. The duty station for a remote designation is the selectee's home and must be established within the defined geographic options prior to start date. The selectee is not required to regularly work from a government facility however, the option may be available.
- Benefits

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 that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn 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 information on the specific benefits offered.

**How You Will Be Evaluated**:
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within th