Program Analyst

This position is located in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Soil Science and Resource Assessment (SSRA) Deputy Area, Soil and Plant Science Division (SPSD).
The primary purpose of the position is to provide NRCS management with objectively based information for making decisions on the administrative and programmatic aspects of agency operations and management.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.
AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Please note that this job opportunity announcement is only open to former and current Career/Career-Conditional employees of the FPAC, CTAP/RPL eligibles, and Farm Service Agency permanent county employees. If you do not possess this status, you will not receive consideration.
Time In Grade Requirement: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-7 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-9 level. One year at the GS-9 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No Award or General Adjustment SF-50's will be accepted).
Minimum Qualifications:GS-9: Must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service performing the following duties: 1) Analyzing data and information to identify trends; 2) Assisting staff with internal reviews to ensure programs are following applicable laws, regulations, and polices; and 3) Interpreting data to recognize program deficiencies.
OR
Must possess two years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree or Master's or equivalent graduate degree in business, operations management, or other directly related field. (You MUST submit supporting academic transcripts.)
OR
Must possess a combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. (Only graduate level education beyond the first year or 18 semester hours may be combined with specialized experience. You must submit transcripts.)
GS-11: Must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service performing the following duties: 1) Extracting data to measure program efficiency; 2) Conducting internal reviews to ensure programs are following applicable laws, regulations, and polices; 3) Recommending corrective actions to improve management effectiveness and efficiency; and 4) Developing new or modified work methods, processes, and procedures to improve program operations.
OR
Must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in business, operations management, or other directly related field. (You MUST submit supporting academic transcripts.)
OR
Must possess a combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. (Only graduate level education in excess of two years (36 semester hours) may be combined with specialized experience. You MUST submit supporting academic transcripts.)
The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series.
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: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.htmlEmployment Type: FULL_TIME