### JOB SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged. The locations listed in this announcement are covered by the Office of Field Operations, **Atlanta**, Georgia **District Office**. Vacancies covered by this announcement are located in the following states: Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Permanent Recruitment: This announcement will be used to collect applications from applicants and will be used to fill vacancies as they become available. Your application is valid through the closing date of the announcement unless otherwise notified. We are not able to predict if or when vacancies will be filled in specific geographic areas. You will be contacted when a position matching your geographic preference becomes available and you are among the best qualified applicants being considered for a position. **You may select up to five (5) geographic location codes**. ### TRAVEL REQUIRED * Occasional Travel * Some travel may be required ### RELOCATION AUTHORIZED * No ### KEY REQUIREMENTS * US Citizenship is required. * Pre-employment Physical is required. * Pre-employment Screening Assessment is required. * Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. * A 1-year probationary period is required. * Successful Completion of a Background Investigation and fingerprints ### DUTIES: Back to top Entry-level Food Inspector positions filled through this job announcement generally work in slaughter plants. Our Food Inspectors: * Examine food animals in privately-owned meat or poultry plants * Perform their duties before and after slaughter, guaranteeing that the product is not contaminated * Maintain sanitation procedures * Are a valued member of a dynamic team that ensures the product is fit to eat and compliant with Federal laws please click on: Inside LookFor additional information about training please follow this link: Training Information ### QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: Back to top Applicant may meet the **GS-5 basic qualifications** in oneof two ways: 1. Specialized Work Experience **or** 2. Education If qualifying based on **Specialized Work Experience**, you must: * Have the equivalent of at least **one year of full-time** Specialized Work Experience that was obtained after your 16th birthday. * Provide specific examples of qualifying knowledge, judgment, interpretive ability and technical skills related to a finished product. ** _Examples of Specialized Work Experience may include, but is not limited to:_** * Processing food in a slaughter, processing or manufacturing plant, or a comparable production activity which prepares food, beverages or pharmaceuticals for human consumption. * Meat cutter/butcher in a wholesale or retail meat/poultry business that includes a full range of responsible duties such as sanitation, product judgment, determinations, and/or using formulas and recipes. * Performing Quality Control tests and/or laboratory tests in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical or pet food industry or other similar environments, assuring that standards are met with products that are consumed by humans or animals. * Managing or supervising staff in the food or livestock industry demonstrating effective skills in communicating job requirements, evaluating employees' results of work methods or processes, interpreting standards or instructions and budget or payroll responsibilities. * Commercial restaurant or kitchen chef or cook responsible for proper food preparation, safe food handling and sanitation practices and judgment recognizing abnormalities in food. * Veterinary Technician conducting lab tests, assessing animals and/or partial
examination of animals, performing necropsies, monitoring animals under anesthesia and administering medications. **GS-7 basic qualifications:** For positions above GS-5, applicants must have demonstrated one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression in the organization in which the position is being filled. Specialized experience is regulatory food inspection work which involved either ante- and post-mortem inspection of red meat animals, poultry, fish, or seafood; or inspection of production of processed products involving red meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or egg products. This experience must have demonstrated: * knowledge of general sanitation practices, laws, and regulations governing the food industry; * knowledge of Federal laws and regulations pertaining to fitness of red meat animals, poultry, fish, or seafood for human consumption; or knowledge of Federal laws and regulations applicable to the processing of red meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or egg products; **and** * ability to communicate effectively with supervisors and workers in the food industry. The resume you provide mustdemonstrate the required experience as referenced in the announcement or you will be rated as ineligible for the GS-7. If qualifying based on **Education,**you must: * Have earned a Bachelors degree or completed a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university that include 12 semester or 18 quarter hours in the biological, mathematical, physical or agricultural sciences. If you have not completed your degree, but are within 9 months of graduating, you may apply. All qualifications based on education will be verified. **You must submit a copy of your transcripts when you apply**. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating. **If you are selected** for a position,** official transcripts** must be sent directly from your college, in paper form in a sealed envelope or in a secure, certified official electronic format to our Minneapolis Human Resources Operations Division prior to reporting for duty. Other Requirements * Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. **Functional and Environmental Requirements** The duties of a Food Inspector are performed in a hazardous working environment. The below requirements are not an all-inclusive list. **Applicants must**: * Be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the job functions, without hazard to themselves and others * Have full range of motion to perform rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level * Be able to stand and walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks, and climbing stairs and ladders * Be able to lift, carry, push and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds. * Have manual dexterity of the upper body, including arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in both hands * Must be free of chronic eye disease * Have good near and distance vision * Have the ability to distinguish shades of color. (Any significant degree of color blindness (more than 25 percent or more error rate on approved color plate test) is disqualifying. * The ability to hear and understand conversational voice. **This position requires a pre-employment physical.** ### HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED: ### You will be evaluated on your resume which should include relevant education, work experience and training as it relates to the fundamental competencies (communication, decision making, flexibility, self management and conscientiousness), and your responses to the online job questionnaire. Basis of Rating: * Category rating procedures will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of the following quality categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. Placement into these categories will be based on an evaluation tool tied to specific competencies relevant to this position. * Veterans Preference eligibles will receive rating and selection priority over non-preference eligible candidates within each category. Veterans who provide documented proof of a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category. * Regardless of quality category, all requirements for this position must be met, including a complete application package that supports your answers to the occupational questionnaire. You are strongly encouraged to ensure that your work history thoroughly documents the duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments that are directly related to this position. * If the Human Resources Office is not able to verify specialized experience based on what you provide you may miss consideration for one or more vacancies. * The Human Resources Office will not request missing documentation. * If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your description of experience and/or education or that your application is incomplete, you may be assigned an "ineligible" rating. To view the application form, visit: https://fsis.usda.ntis.gov/cp/?event=jobs.previewApplication&jobid;=2d992509-f7b4-46a0-b73c-a4ce01486c80 ### BENEFITS: Back to top The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package. Explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees at: http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/enrollment/new-federal-employee-enrollment/ ### OTHER INFORMATION: We are a qualifying employer of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information on the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program, please visit: PSLF Program Information Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See Selective Service Background Investigation: Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and granting of a federal suitability or security clearance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture participate in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary,the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. What is E-Verify? Why is it required? ### HOW TO APPLY: Back to top To begin the application process, please follow the steps below: * Carefully read and review this complete Job Announcement. * Apply online at www.usajobs.gov * You may select up to five (5) geographic location codes. * Submit your resume online. Your resume should include: Details of your work experience relevant to this position including your duties and responsibilities, dates (month/year) and hours worked per week for each position; College degrees earned; the Job Announcement Number; the position and grade level you are applying for; and your full name, complete mailing address, day/evening telephone numbers and current email address. * Complete the online Application and Assessment questionnaire. Read the step-by-step instructions as a guide to completing the assessment questionnaire carefully to ensure accuracy before clicking Submit Application Now. If you do not have access to the Internet, you are strongly encouraged to visit your library, state employment office, or another establishment that provides internet service to complete online application and the assessment questionnaire. If this is not an option, refer to the Alternative Methods for Applying section below for specific instructions. Alternative Methods for Applying: If you are unable to apply using the internet, please fax your request for an application package along with your name and mailing address to: 612-370-2060. **NOTE**: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Note: 18 U.S.C. 1719 prohibits the use of Government franked envelopes for application packages. ### REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: * A resume should be provided. It should include relevant work experience (start/end dates stated in month/year, description of duties and salary), applicable education at a minimum, and your contact information. For current or previous Federal employees, it should also include the Pay Plan, Series and Grade for each work experience entry. * If you are a veteran claiming Veterans' Preference, please attach your DD-214 "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," showing all dates of service, receipt of medals and campaign badges, as well as character of service (Honorable, General, etc.). The member 4 copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, is preferable. * When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible veterans should claim preference on their application or resume. Applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference", and submit the requested documentation. * For a disabled veteran, you must submit a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) letter on DVA letterhead that states your overall combined service-connected disability rating. * If you are a service member who expects to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions, you may submit a certification letter to receive veterans' preference under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011. * Please provide a copy of your College transcript(s) which support those qualifications for which you wish to have considered. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may possibly be used to meet the qualification requirements. However, along with transcripts, when applying you must provide documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For further information, visit: http://www.naces.org/members.htm You must submit a complete Application Package, prior to 11:59, ET, on the closing date of this announcement. The following documents must be submitted for your application package to be considered complete. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents are received within the required timeframes. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, system failure or downtime, etc. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. * **Other required documents may include:** * CTAP/ICTAP Required Documentation Reduction-In-Force: Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; AND most recent performance evaluation; AND SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from. * Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50. * Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. ### AGENCY CONTACT INFO: Jeanne Horn Phone: (800)370-3747 Fax: (612)370-2375 TDD: (800)877-8339 Email: foodinspectorapps@fsis.usda.gov Agency Information: Food Safety and Inspection Service Butler Square West, 4th Floor, 100 North Sixth Street Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55403 USA Fax: (612)370-2375 ### WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT: If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. ### Additional Duty Location Info few vacancies in the following locations: Center Hill, FL Live Oak, FL Miami, FL Tampa, FL Zolfo Springs, FL Athens, GA Augusta, GA Bethlehem, GA Buena Vista, GA Camilla, GA Canton, GA Carrollton, GA Cartersville, GA Cornelia, GA Cumming, GA Douglas, GA Ellijay, GA Gainesville, GA Marietta, GA Moultrie, GA Murrayville, GA Pendergrass, GA Perry, GA Pine Mountain Valley, GA Vienna, GA Aibonito, PR Dillon, SC Gaffney, SC Greenville, SC Greenwood, SC Kingstree, SC Newberry, SC Sumter, SC Ward, SC *Job Title:* FOOD INSPECTOR *Department:* Department Of Agriculture *Agency:* Food Safety and Inspection Service *Job Announcement Number:* FSIS-2015-MCE-D85-1 *SALARY RANGE:* $31,944.00 to $51,437.00 / Per Year *OPEN PERIOD:* Wednesday, July 15, 2015 to Tuesday, July 28, 2015 *SERIES & GRADE:* GS-1863-05/07 *POSITION INFORMATION:* Full-Time - Permanent *DUTY LOCATIONS:* few vacancies in the following location(s): Center Hill, FL Live Oak, FL Miami, FL Tampa, FL Zolfo Springs, FL More Locations (29) *WHO MAY APPLY:* United States Citizens *SECURITY CLEARANCE:* Not Applicable *SUPERVISORY STATUS:* No