Duties

• Participates in formulating, administrating and monitoring the mission, goals, policies, and strategic planning of the APHIS programs oriented to protect and improve the health, quality, and marketability of the nation's animals and animal products.
• Represents on committees, task forces, professional organizations, and meetings both national and international to coordinate program activities, exchange information, promote best veterinary medicine practices and disease prevention techniques.
• Provides recommendations to Agency policies and critical program operations in support of Agency, Departmental, and Governmental missions, goals, and objectives.
• Coordinates epidemiology services and provide technical advice on the appropriate application of epidemiologic principles in agency policy, disease programs, and emergency response.
• Monitors scientific and disease developments and provides appropriate alerts, advice, and recommendations for action.
• Oversees animal health emergency response planning, organizes, and directs task force operations to combat outbreaks of foreign animal diseases or newly emerging domestic animal diseases.
• Collaborates with industry on outbreak recovery and business continuity.
• Develops partnerships with other APHIS organizations, Federal, State, and private agencies, and the public in developing plans, programs, and procedures to protect the Nation's livestock, poultry, and farm raised animal resources.
• Reviews and evaluates the effectiveness of program operations and accomplishments, initiating necessary modifications and improvements, and negotiating necessary changes with cooperating stakeholders, organizations and individuals.
• Provides recommendations for necessary budgetary and technology resources to effectively operate APHIS animal health programs.
• Provides leadership in organizational change and motivates managers to incorporate vision, strategic planning and results-driven management in the full range of the organizations' activities.
• Provides direction and delegates authority to a multi-disciplinary staff of veterinarians, specialists, and other subject matter experts as well as administrative and support staff personnel responsible for animal health programs.
• Provides animal health advice and expertise in support of import regulations, negotiations on animal import health protocols with foreign countries for the export of U.S. livestock, and in the prevention of the introduction of foreign animal disease.
• Serves as a member of the VS Executive Team, participating with other Senior Executives, and the Deputy Administrator for VS, contributing key advice, analysis, and policy considerations for consensus decisions.
• Coordinates the formulation of policy and program recommendations with other USDA organizational units, as well as other public and private cooperators and stakeholders.
• Fosters and develops cooperative relationships with Federal, State and local agencies in an effort to complement and enlarge the capability of VS programs within the boundaries of the mission.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Veterans Preference is not applicable in the Senior Executive Service.
• Initial appointments are required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
• Background Investigation required.
• This position requires a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. DO NOT submit Executive Core Qualifications in lieu of a resume.

To apply for this position you need only submit a resume which CANNOT exceed FIVE (5) pages using 1 inch margins and a 12 point font. Any resumes submitted in excess of five (5) pages WILL NOT be considered. You must submit a resume which provides evidence of how you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications. Failure to meet the basic qualification requirement and address the Mandatory Technical and Executive Core Qualification factors within your resume will result in your application being disqualified.

As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-15 grade level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations.

MANDATORY EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQS): The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions.

1. Leading Change : This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. (Competencies: creativity and innovation, external awareness, flexibility, resilience, strategic thinking, vision)

2. Leading People : This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organizations vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. (Competencies: conflict management, leveraging diversity, developing others, team building)

3. Results Driven : This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. (Competencies: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, entrepreneurship, problem solving, technical credibility)

4. Business Acumen : This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. (Competencies: financial management, human capital management, technology management)

5. Building Coalitions : This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. (Competencies: partnering, political savvy, influencing/negotiating)

Additional information about the SES and Executive Core Qualifications can be found on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) SES website. You are strongly encouraged to review OPM's Guide to SES Qualifications: GUIDE(opm.gov) https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012 .pdf

MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (TQ):

1. Describe your experience that demonstrates a broad knowledge of animal diseases and epidemiology and incorporation into regulatory or industry control, eradication or safeguarding programs. Examples might include: knowledge of developing, advising or leading policy and programs on animal health; skills in applying principles to prevent and control disease outbreaks; or ability to incorporate principles of risk assessment into planning and evaluating programs.
2. Explain your experience that demonstrates your ability to maximize communication, collaboration, and consensus building to support programs, policy development, and/or policy implementation to meet strategic goals or outcomes for animal health and safeguarding. Include any examples of success garnered through cooperative relationships and activities with multiple domestic and/or international stakeholders with varying and competing interests.

Education

0701 - Veterinary Medical Sciences:
Positions in this series require a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or equivalent degree, obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education. Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools must meet additional requirements.

Additional information

Consideration for competitive selection for this position is open to all persons within the area of consideration who meet the basic qualifications. Race, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religion, marital or family status, disability, and other non-merit factors will not be considered.

1. This position is covered under the post-employment restriction of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). This law also requires the selectee to file an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (Standard Form 278), within 30 days of appointment.

2. Applications sent in U.S. Government postage-paid envelope and submitted through Federal Agency courier services will not be considered.

3. The 1993 Hatch Act Reform Amendments prohibit oral and written political recommendations for Federal jobs.

4. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System before they can be employed by an executive agency of the Federal government. This requirement does not apply to Agency employees appointed before November 8, 1985.

5. All application forms are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and become the property of USDA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency at 202-260-8128. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.