Agricultural Program Specialist

This position is located in the Farm Service Agency, North Carolina State Office, duty location to be determined after selection has been made within the state of North Carolina. The incumbent is delegated full responsibility for administering and advising on assigned Farm Programs in the State, interpreting regulations and legal requirements and providing guidance to County Offices on complex, precedent setting, or unusual situations.

Explains programs and their objectives, clarifies misunderstandings, seeks to alleviate objections to controversial program changes, and fosters cooperation among these groups in advancing the objectives of the program.

Attends meetings and develops and maintains contacts with various governmental agencies, producers and trade organizations, State agricultural officials, and the public.

Plans, administers, and reviews all aspects of State and Federal programs and related segments and activities.

Determines the need and develops and recommends State Office policies and procedures to provide guidance in those areas not clearly covered by national handbooks or for which the State Committee has discretionary authority.

Analyzes and follows up on County Office reports of corrective actions taken and on checklists completed by the District Director to insure that proper corrective actions have been taken to eliminate deficiencies.

Publishes recurring program problems to alert other County Offices.

You must be a US Citizen or US National. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation 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. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate 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 organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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 e-verify.gov.

College Transcript: If qualifying based on education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript with course number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. 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 to ensure proper evaluation. Your education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited toward qualifications. You may verify accreditation by visiting the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs website. We will verify your education accordingly. Foreign Education: You must submit verification that education completed in a foreign institution, was recognized by an accreditation body accepted by the U.S. Department of Education. You must include a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. Your transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. You may submit an unofficial copy of your transcript at the initial phase of the application process. However, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Please refer to the "How to Apply" section for instructions on submitting transcripts.