Summary
This position is located within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center (USDFRC), in Prairie du Sac, WI. The purpose of this position is to serve as the superintendent of the USDFRC research farm. The incumbent will provide effective and efficient management of the resources in support of the dairy forage research program.
Duties
Manages a wide range of crop and forage production and supports the forage and feed requirements of a large-scale research dairy operation.
Participates in the development of a holistic, integrated farm management plan in cooperation with an internal advisory team coordinated by the Center Director.
Performs timely and accurate financial planning, budgeting and accounting for the farm in cooperation with the Center Director and the USDA-ARS Accounting Officer and team.
Adapts and applies the best technologies available for agronomic operations including GPS systems, remote sensing technologies, and others as relevant.
Coordinates all maintenance activities at the USDFRC farm.
Provides information to visitors to the USDFRC farm, which includes leading pre-approved tours of the facility, answering inquiries and providing leadership for public events hosted by the farm.
Requirements
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. 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period unless previous federal service is creditable. During this time your employment will be evaluated, and 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. Valid Motor Vehicle Driver's License is required. Pesticide Applicators License is required.
Education
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
How you will be evaluated
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy. This means you will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13081309