Administrative Officer

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. GS 13: Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: Qualifying experience for GS-13 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-12 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience advising management on the status of funds, expenses, and obligations; reviewing requests for personnel actions; overseeing the administration of new employee orientation program; and formulating or implementing administrative policies, procedures, or methods. Other Considerations: USAccess Role Holder -PIV Registrar. USDA is a customer of a shared service program provided by the General Service Administration (GSA) Managed Service Office (MSO) called USAccess. USDA utilizes the USAccess program for the issuance of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) and PIVInteroperable (PIV-I) cards, also referred to as LincPass and AltLinc credentials. To issue credentials through the USAccess program, USDA must maintain role holders within the USAccess system. In accordance with GSA, all USAccess role holders are required to hold a Tier 2 background investigation since these positions handle Personally Identifiable Information (PII). If the position’s other duties and responsibilities require a higher level security clearance, that designation is to remain. Tier 2 is the minimum level determination for these positions. This requirement applies to all USAccess roles. Represents the Center Director in meetings both on Center with Center staff and off Center with cooperators, regulators, and other government officials and private industry. Addresses local stakeholder meetings and conferences and conducts presentations to visitors to the Center related to the overall mission of the Agency. Performs duties as coordinator of safety/health and environmental programs. Incumbent serves as the focal point for regulatory agency inspections and response (Environmental Protection Agency, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality) as well as all Agency activities and inspections. Assures that equal opportunity is extended to all employees supervised and all employees at USMARC, and all candidates for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or handicapping conditions. Equal opportunity in employment and for employees supervised includes full consideration of eligible group members and women in filling vacant positions; holding individual and group meetings to communicate EEO and program objectives; providing career counseling and orientation, enhancing career opportunities through training and development, job redesign and similar techniques: and ensuring full and equal consideration of these employees in recommending promotions, awards, and other forms of special recognition. Special Considerations: Several factors make the Administrative Officer position at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center unique and difficult to perform. The extensive Specific Cooperative Agreement with the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources adds significant additional complexity to the AO position at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center than typically encountered at a primarily federally funded facility. Annual receipts of approximately $7.1 million from the sale of animal’s excess to the research program, is managed in a revolving fund for support of federal research programs. The Research Center is located on 35,000 acres of a former US Navy ammunition depot. The cleanup and operation of this facility requires frequent contact with the EPA, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Although these contacts sometimes create management challenges, significant opportunities exist to enhance USMARC programs and the scientific mission. USMARC is co-located with two NE state facilities, both on federal property; the University of Nebraska South Central Agriculture Laboratory and the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center. These state research facilities provide additional benefits to USMARC but further increase the sensitivity and complexity of this AO position. 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.
This position is located within the Agricultural Research Center (ARS), Plains Area (PA), at the US Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, NE. In this position, you will help with formulating and executing administrative management policies consistent with program goals and objectives that direct mission essential, major operating programs at a large, complex, and multi-mission research location.