FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICER (TRAINEE)

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-09 LEVEL: In order to qualify for this position at the GS-09 level applicants must possess one of the following:
1. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service OR
2. Have qualifying education OR
3. Have a combination of specialized experience and qualifying education.

Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-09 level based on specialized experience applicants must possess one year or more of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal service that has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed in order to successfully perform the duties of the position at the GS-09 level. Specialized experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors, be paid or unpaid, and is typically gained in the same field as the position being filled or another very closely related field. Applicants qualifying for the GS-09 level based on experience must provide evidence of the following type of specialized experience in their resume. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating:

Experience assisting with professional work in one of the following three areas:

• Demonstrates basic understanding of economic and trade policies, and can conduct simple analyses under supervision; or
• Displays foundational knowledge of marketing and consumer trends, can assist in data collection and basic trend analysis; or
• Has basic skills in conducting statistical analysis, can perform simple data analysis tasks under supervision; or

OR

Education: In order to qualify for the GS-09 level based on education applicants must have successfully completed a master's degree (or equivalent) or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, in a field of study directly related to the duties of this position, such as economics, business, food and agriculture sciences, development, public policy, international relations, communications, law, or other directly related fields of study from an accredited university. Applicants qualifying for the GS-09 level based on education must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

OR

Combination of Specialized Experience and Qualifying Education: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the GS-09 grade level. Only graduate education beyond the first full-time year may be combined with experience. Applicants qualifying for the GS-09 level based on a combination of experience and education must show evidence of their experience in their resume and they must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: In order to qualify for this position at the GS-11 level applicants must possess one of the following:
1. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service OR
2. Have qualifying education OR
3. Have a combination of specialized experience and qualifying education.

Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11 level based on specialized experience applicants must possess one year or more of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the Federal service that has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed in order to successfully perform the duties of the position at the GS-11 level. Specialized experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors, be paid or unpaid, and is typically gained in the same field as the position being filled or another very closely related field. Applicants qualifying for the GS-11 level based on experience must provide evidence of the following type of specialized experience in their resume. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating:

Experience assisting with or performing professional work in two of the following three areas:

• Shows proficiency in analyzing economic and trade policies independently, and can conduct simple analyses under supervision; or
• Exhibits proficiency in analyzing marketing and consumer trends, can independently conduct thorough trend analyses, identify emerging patterns, and develop innovative strategies; or
• Shows proficiency in statistical analysis techniques, can independently conduct statistical analyses, interpret results, and draw conclusions; or

OR

Education: In order to qualify for the GS-11 level based on education applicants must have successfully completed at least three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree such as economics, business, food and agriculture sciences, development, public policy, international relations, communications, law or other directly related fields of study from an accredited university. Applicants qualifying for the GS-11 level based on education must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

OR

Combination of Specialized Experience and Qualifying Education: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the GS-11 grade level. Only graduate education beyond the second full-time year may be combined with experience. Applicants qualifying for the GS-11 level based on a combination of experience and education must show evidence of their experience in their resume and they must submit copies of their college transcripts. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: In order to qualify for this position at the GS-12 level applicants must possess one year of specialized experience that was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service that has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position at the GS-12 level. Specialized experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors, be paid or unpaid, and is typically gained in the same field as the position being filled or another very closely related field. Applicants must provide evidence of the following type of specialized experience in their resume in order to qualify for this position at the GS-12 level. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating:

Experience performing professional work in all of the following three areas:

• Possesses advanced expertise in analyzing economic and trade policies, and can lead complex analyses, develop strategic initiatives, and provide expert guidance; and
• Demonstrates advanced expertise in analyzing marketing and consumer trends, can lead comprehensive trend analyses, identify emerging patterns, and develop innovative strategies; and
• Possesses advanced skills in statistical analysis, can lead complex statistical analyses, develop models, and provide expert interpretation of findings,

NOTE: There is no education substitution for experience allowed at the GS-12 level.