Agricultural Warehouse Inspector

Summary

The Agricultural Warehouse Inspector is a technical review expert assigned to audit all types of Warehouse Examinations and to investigate problem cases in the field and assess the progress of new examiners.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

• The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.
• The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Serve as a technical advisor on the application of the U.S. Warehouse Act and the interpretation of the provisions of contracts for the storage and handling of government-owned or loan commodities.
• Conduct in depth, technical reviews of warehouse examination reports for completeness and accuracy, and determine if prescribed examination procedures were followed.
• Serve as a technical liaison on information technology issues pertaining to the warehouse examination and inspection program.
• Provide oversight on the serious and complex examinations, involving alleged violations and illegalities.
• Verify that warehouse operator's records and receipts meet requirements established by regulations, storage agreements, and/or contracts.
• Serve as the Division safety liaison. Identify and investigate safety issues and determine precautions and/or protections required for the safety of examiners.
• Assist supervisor in coordinating the work of other team examiners and provide technical direction as needed.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• 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 at
• Selectee will be subject to a pre-employment medical statement and/or exam.
• Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
• All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

Individual Occupational Requirements

Education:

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: that included at least 24 semester hours in marketing, economics, business administration, agriculture, accounting, engineering, commerce, transportation, or related courses. OR;

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Manager or supervisory official of a storage facility for agricultural commodities. The experience must have included responsibility for the receipt, care, and delivery of agricultural commodities and the issuance of warehouse receipts.
• Federal or State warehouse examiner responsible for examining storage facilities for agricultural commodities.
• Auditor, accountant, or bookkeeper employed in a storage facility for agricultural commodities.
• Agricultural employee involved in commodity loan inspections, farm storage facility inspections, and the inspection and verification of warehouse records.
• Work as a licensee under the U.S. Grain Standards Act, in the inspection of grain for condition and grade in accordance with official standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Driver's License

Applicants are required to have, or must obtain before appointment, an automobile driver's license currently valid in the State in which they are domiciled or principally employed.

Medical Requirements

Before appointment a medical examination will be made by a licensed physician. Applicants must be physically able to perform efficiently the duties of the position for which application is made. Good distant vision in one eye and ability to read without strain printed material the size of typewritten characters are required, corrective lenses permitted. Ability to hear the conversational voice, with or without a hearing aid, is required. Any condition that would cause the applicant to be a hazard to himself/herself or to others will disqualify for appointment. Applicants must possess emotional and mental stability.

FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL : Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Experience using a variety of information technology for the purpose of organizing data and creating reports.
• Inspecting the physical condition of storage facilities, equipment, and machinery used in connection with warehousing and storage of goods.
• Experience communicating in writing for the purpose of accurate reporting of information to Management, Senior Officials, other Agencies, State officials or private entities.

OR 1 full year of graduate level education in the following degree fields: agriculture, agriculture marketing, agriculture business, agriculture economics, accounting, engineering, commerce, transportation, or closely related field.

OR Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND 1) have a class standing in the upper third of the graduating class, 2) membership in a national scholastic honor society (excluding Freshman honor societies), or 3) must meet certain GPA requirements. GPA requirements: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcripts or as computed based on 4 years of education, or courses completed during the final 2 year of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, e.g., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9).

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all above grade level.

FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL : Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates one or more of the following:

• Conducting examinations or inspections on agricultural commodity warehouses.
• Inspecting and reporting on the physical condition of storage facilities, equipment, and machinery used in connection with commodity storage.
• Taking physical inventory of products in storage and comparing inventory figures with data obtained from records.

OR A master's degree or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in the following degree fields: agriculture, agriculture marketing, agriculture business, agriculture economics, accounting, engineering, commerce, transportation, or closely related field.

OR LL.B. or J.D., if related.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all above grade level.

FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates one or more of the following:

• Independently conducting warehouse examinations on agricultural commodity warehouses licensed under the United States Warehouse Act or approved under Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Authority.
• Working with examination and agricultural commodity inventory/accounting systems.
• Working with warehouse examination reporting systems.
• Experience in applying a wide range of Federal laws including the United States Warehouse Act, and relevant State laws governing a commodity warehouse examination program.

OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in the following degree fields: agriculture, agriculture marketing, agriculture business, agriculture economics, accounting, engineering, commerce, transportation, or closely related field.

OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.

OR LL.M., if related.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all above grade level.

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-07/09/11 GRADE LEVEL: 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 that grade level.

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.

Education

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Additional information

• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
• First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
• Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
• Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
• The work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities associated with warehouse examination and inspection activity.
• The work involves moderate risks and requires special safety precautions necessary for the inspection of storage facilities and warehouses.
• The selectee may be exposed to moderate discomfort, high noise levels, dust, or adverse weather.
• Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
• Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.
• This position involves Mobile Work: Mobile work is characterized by routine and regular travel to conduct work in customer or other worksites as opposed to a single authorized alternative worksite. Examples of mobile work include site audits, site inspections, investigations, property management, and work performed while commuting, traveling between worksites, or on Temporary Duty (TDY).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.