Agriculture Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Agriculture Enforcement and Engagement, Process Resolution and Risk Management, located in Washington D.C.Qualifications:

Experience: You qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Planning, organizing, coordinating, controlling, and evaluating agricultural quarantine inspection program.
• Directing and overseeing the analysis of information from all available sources, including CBP and USDA systems, to identify vulnerabilities and agricultural threats.
• Providing guidance to Field Offices and preclearance locations on the use of the information for operational alignment with Agriculture Programs and Trade Liaison leadership objectives, Office of Field Operations mission objectives, and for agriculture program improvement.
• Overseeing the review and analysis of carriers,' importers,' and exporters' manifests, permits, certificates, entries, invoices, and associated documents to establish the validity, authenticity, admissibility, and to determine the extent of passenger baggage, commodity, cargo, and/or conveyance inspection.

All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement in order to be considered for this position. Eligibility will be verified based on your submitted transcripts and resume. More information on this requirement can be found in the CBP Agriculture Specialist Qualification Aid and in the OPM Qualification Standards.

Basic Requirement for the CBP Agriculture Specialist:

1. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, animal science, plant science, pest management, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

2. Combination of education and experience: Completed at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in a qualifying field of study, as shown above, PLUS qualifying experience or additional education. To determine if you meet the combination, you must divide the months of qualifying experience by 48; next, divide the number of undergraduate semester hours by 120 (or 180 for undergraduate quarter hours) and the two percentages must total at least 100%.

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.
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.
You must:

• Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and
• Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 08/14/2026.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers
Polygraph Examination: CBP has the authority to conduct a polygraph for the CBP Agriculture Specialist (Senior Agriculture Operations Manager) position, however, at this time a polygraph is not a pre-employment requirement. If CBP decides to implement the polygraph as a pre-employment requirement while you are in the hiring process, CBP will notify you and provide additional information.
Polygraph Examination: The CBP Agriculture Specialist (Senior Agriculture Operations Manager) position is a polygraph-required position. If you are not a current CBP employee in a law enforcement position, you may be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment process. Please see Polygraph Examination.
Polygraph Reciprocity: CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of a CBP polygraph exam. You will receive information to request reciprocity in your Background Investigation Package.
Polygraph Waiver: Certain veterans may be eligible to obtain a polygraph waiver. You will receive information to request a waiver in your Background Investigation Package.
Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions:

• Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military
• A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government
• Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university
• Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government

Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.Education:Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.
Medical Requirements: The Agriculture Specialist position has medical qualification standards. A pre-placement medical examination is required to ensure those tasked with the position's responsibilities are medically and physically capable of performing the essential tasks and job functions in an efficient and safe manner without endangering the health and safety of co-workers, the public, or oneself. Persons in this position must demonstrate they are physically and mentally capable of performing the essential functions of the position. The medical qualification standards cover any disease or condition that may potentially interfere with the safe and efficient performance of the job duties or training may constitute grounds for medical disqualification. The medical standards also include specific vision and hearing requirements as noted below.
Vision:

• Distant Visual Acuity: Must be at least 20/30 or better in the best eye with or without correction. Individuals who have undergone refractive eye surgeries/procedures (e.g., photorefractive laser surgery, keratoplast, LASIK) may be qualified provided they have no post-operative adverse complications and they meet the vision requirements.
• Near Vision: Must be 20/30 or better Snellen with or without corrective lenses.
• Color Vision: Must be able to distinguish colors (i.e., red, green, yellow, blue, orange, purple, pink, brown, black, white, gray). Use of an X-chrome lens is not acceptable.
• Visual Fields: a minimum of 140 degrees in the horizontal meridian.

Hearing:

• Hearing level in each ear must not exceed 40 decibels (dB) for the average of the following frequencies: 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hertz (Hz).
• The difference in hearing level between the better ear thresholds and worse ear thresholds may not exceed 15dB for the average of 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz.
• The difference in hearing level between the better ear and worse ear may not exceed 30dB at 4000 or 6000 Hz.
• The use of hearing aids to meet the standards is acceptable

Employment Type: OTHER