Consumer Safety Inspector - Food Safety and Inspection Service

Summary Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: For more information please visit: PSLF Program Shifts and species will vary based on assignment. For additional information call Cheryl R. Davis at 919-326-5290 or Cheryl.davis3@usda.gov. Employee may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Raleigh District. One position is in-plant coverage and one patrol assignment. Patrol assignment covers plants in Landover, Elkridge, Savage and Hyattsville. Responsibilities YOU WILL/MAY: Ensure that regulated establishments produce a safe product by executing appropriate inspection methods, determining non-compliance with regulatory requirements, documenting noncompliance and initiating enforcement actions, where warranted. Verify that meat and poultry slaughter and/or processing establishment's Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans meet regulatory requirements. Execute Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans effectively to prevent unsanitary conditions and adulteration of product. Review records, observe plant operations and conduct hands-on verification to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and prepare detailed documentation (Non-Compliance Records) of non-compliance with regulatory requirements. Determine when regulatory control action is necessary. You will assess whether the plant's corrective or preventative actions are acceptable and effective, if there are trends in noncompliance, or if an enforcement action is warranted. Conduct regulatory oversight activities inside plants in matters relating to other consumer protections (e.g., economic adulteration and misbranding). Have contact with plant managers, owners and others to explain legal and regulatory requirements, discuss operation of the plant's SSOP, HACCP plan and other food safety programs. Communicate and defend determinations on non-compliance issues and discuss plans for addressing non-compliance. Work with a variety of individuals to resolve problems, clarify differences of interpretation concerning HACCP and other food safety or consumer protection requirements. Advise other Agency inspectors, supervisors and officers on inspection and enforcement matters for which you are involved. Conduct various samplings, surveys and tests to obtain pertinent data on potential problem areas, industry trends, or other issues of current interest to the Agency. Be involved in performing health and safety verification sampling and tests for detection of specific microbes (e.g., salmonella, listeria, etc.), residues or contaminants. Assure that products approved for import are in full compliance with all applicable Federal regulations governing the importation of meat and poultry products. Authorize entry of all meat or poultry products considered to comply with Federal regulations or refuse entry of any products which violate any of the requirements for admission into this country. Coordinate with other Federal agencies (e.g., the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on such matters as animal health restrictions and refused entry lots. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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: Time-In-Grade: Applicants must meet requirements for one year at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade. (e.g. one year at the GS-07 grade level for consideration for the GS-08 grade level.) Specialized experience: Experience may have been acquired in work such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aide, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or similar position with responsibility for sampling, quality control and sanitation in a food manufacturing or production environment, or similar environment for other ingestible items. 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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. See specialized experience definitions below. For all grade levels: This experience should encompass at least two of the following areas: Skill in applying proper techniques for collecting samples and performing field tests and examinations, Skill in developing written reports and reporting findings or results orally, Skill in maintaining effective personal contacts with a variety of individuals. (GS-5) Applicant must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-04 level). Specialized experience includes: experience gained under close supervision that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances; such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food for human consumption, and other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals. (GS-7) Applicant must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-05 level). Specialized experience includes: In addition to the qualifications above, incumbents are expected to perform standard and recurrent duties on an independent basis. Your resume should demonstrate at least 52 weeks of experience in independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances; such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food for human consumption, or other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals. (GS-8) Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level). Specialized experience includes: In addition to the qualifications above, working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts in order to inspect meat, poultry and egg products; working with basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices in order to verify plant HAACP and SSOP responsibilities; performing basic mathematics and elementary statistical concepts and methods to perform testing and sampling procedures; and experience in reaching and interpreting conclusions. (GS-9) Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-08 level). Specialized experience includes: In addition to the qualifications above, incumbents are expected to have experience working at a more independent level than lower graded CSIs, such as recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage at locations outside of the official duty station. Please view OPM's Qualifications Standards, Consumer Safety Inspector Series, GS-1862. The duties of a Consumer Safety Inspector are performed in a hazardous working environment. For additional information, please click here. The below requirements are not an all-inclusive list. Failure to fully meet a functional requirement is not automatically disqualifying. 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 have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye. Have the ability to distinguish shades of color. Any significant degree of color blindness (more than 25 percent error rate on approved color plate test) may be disqualifying. Individuals with some hearing loss and/or requiring hearing amplification will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Education Education may be used to qualify in lieu of specialized experience as described below. For the GS-05 level: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours/credits in any combination of coursework in the areas of: agricultural, biological, or physical sciences, food technology, epidemiology, home economics, pharmacy, engineering, or nutrition. Specialized government or military training may be creditable if it is directly related to this position. OR A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (with some related coursework as listed above) is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you meet 33% of the education requirement, then you will need to demonstrate that you possess at least 67% of the specialized experience requirements. For the GS-07 Level: One full year of directly related graduate education is qualifying for GS-7. OR A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement. For the GS-09 Level: Two full years of directly related graduate education or a directly related master's degree is qualifying for GS-9. OR A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education in excess of the first 18 semester hours directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement. Additional Information THIS POSITION REQUIRES A PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL. Position Requirements. If you are a current FSIS employee and a non-competitive applicant (reassignment, change to lower grade, or non-competitive re-promotion) wanting consideration for this position, you must complete the online application process and/or apply using the new online self-service Reassignment System at: https://ohrportal.fsis.usda.gov/systems. Assignment Restrictions: FSIS Directive 4735.9, Office of Field Operations Assignment Restrictions and Rules on Gifts from Regulated Industry, sets out the Agency's requirements regarding employee assignment restrictions, as it pertains to family and personal relationships. Please read before applying.