Agronomy Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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.
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Duties
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• 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
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Conditions of employment

• 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/.
• Successful completion of a one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Valid Motor Vehicle Driver's License is required.
• Pesticide Applicators License is required.

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.
Basic Requirements for Agronomy Series, 0471
1.Degree: agronomy; or related discipline of science that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in the basic plant sciences, including at least 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, such as those dealing with plant breeding, crop production, and soil and crop management.
OR
2. Combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, including a minimum of 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Graduate Education: Agronomy, or one of the related disciplines or fields of science, such as plant physiology, soils, or genetics, where the curriculum or pattern of training placed major emphasis on field crops or agronomy. Graduate study in related fields, such as botany, plant pathology, and biochemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on agronomy.
Evaluation of Education: Course work in such subjects as botany, plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant breeding or genetics, plant ecology, plant pathology, microbiology, agronomy, or those dealing with basic soil-water-plant relationships of an agronomic or ecologic nature may be used to meet the 30-semester-hour requirement in the basic plant sciences. Agronomy courses include agronomy, field crops, field crop production or management, soil and crop management, plant breeding and development, weed control, and similar courses, including those in soils, biochemistry, plant physiology, etc., provided they dealt with principles, methods, or procedures that are applied directly in agronomic work and in the solving of agronomic problems.
Additional Requirements
In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below.
GS-11: Applicants must meet one of the following to be qualified at the GS-11 grade level:
Specialized Experience - One year of specialized experience (defined below) equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled and has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.
The specialized experience requirements for this position at the GS-11 level are:

• Assisting in coordinating or executing agronomic management for producing corn, soybeans, wheat or other row crops or corn silage and alfalfa haylage; AND
• Assisting in coordinating or executing crop or dairy farm management tasks; AND
• Keeping farm records, including field crop production and input records; AND
• Assisting in managing finances for a large-scale crop or dairy production facility.

OR
Education: Successful completion of 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree related to the duties of the position. Related education may include agronomy, or one of the related disciplines or fields of science, such as plant physiology, soils, or genetics, where the curriculum or pattern of training placed major emphasis on field crops or agronomy. Graduate study in related fields, such as botany, plant pathology, and biochemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a significant amount of emphasis on agronomy.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience as described above.
GS-12: Applicants must meet the following to be qualified at the GS-12 grade level:
Specialized Experience - One year of specialized experience (defined below) equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled and has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.
The specialized experience requirements for this position at the GS-12 level are:

• Coordinating or executing agronomic management for producing corn, soybeans, and wheat or corn silage and alfalfa haylage; AND
• Maintaining crop field production and input records; AND
• Managing finances for a large-scale crop or dairy production facility; AND
• Performing crop consulting.

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.
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.
Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at the time of job offer.
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.
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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.
Benefits
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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.