Crop Assessment Specialist
Overview
Summary
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership on food and agriculture issues based on public policy, the best available science and effective management. The USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) links U.S. agriculture to the world, improves foreign market access for U.S. food and agricultural products, builds new markets, improves the competitive position of U.S. agriculture in the global marketplace, and provides food aid and technical assistance to foreign countries.
Duties
- Uses state-of-the-art computer hardware and software for satellite remote sensing imagery analysis and geographic information system operations, analyzes satellite data in assessing crop conditions in foreign and/or domestic areas.
- Plans and carries out projects for collecting detailed agronomic and economic data on world production of assigned commodities; utilizes agronomic models and guidelines for making crop forecasts.
- Analyzes and appraises agronomic factors affecting crop yields and the effects of economic plans, policies, and programs of specific foreign governments that are designed to increase or control production of assigned commodities.
- Certifies area and production estimates used by the Agency for simultaneous entry into USDA's Production Supply and Distribution database.
- Prepares complex analytical reports, special alert reports, and technical papers based on study findings for publication; prepares and presents briefings on analyses and assessments.
Conditions of employment
Employees of the following USDA agencies who apply for this position, whose current permanent grade is equal to the grade of the advertised position, and whose selection would result in a relocation outside the commuting area of their current duty station may not currently be considered for selection to this position: Agricultural Research Service; Economic Research Service; National Institute of Food and Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service; United States Forest Service; Food and Nutrition Administration; Foreign Agricultural Service; Rural Development and component organizations; the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area, to include the FPAC Business Center, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Risk Management Agency, and Farm Service Agency and Farm Service Agency County employees; Office of the General Counsel; and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. This guidance is in alignment with the court order dated October 13, 2026, in American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, et al. v. United States Department of Agriculture, Case No. 26-cv-09976-VC (N.D. Calif.).- 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.
- 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/.
- In accordance with Office of Government Ethics regulations concerning conflict of interest, the incumbent will be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of their effective date of appointment and annually thereafter.
- You must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.
- USDA/FAS offers Telework and work schedule flexibilities as described in the Benefits section.
- The U.S. Government utilizes Trusted Workforce 2.0 to implement Continuous Vetting (CV) as a-whole-of government approach to personnel security. If selected for this position, you will be subject to continuous automated record checks of criminal, financial, and public record databases throughout your period of eligibility or employment, replacing traditional periodic reinvestigations.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
-Substantial experience of remote sensing techniques and automated data processing (ADP) technology, particularly image processing, GIS, and associated equipment;
-Experience with world production of assigned commodities, including agronomy, soil science, crop modeling, crop management practices, geography, crop reactions to weather stress, and local crop calendars;
-Experience with non-survey methods of production forecasting, including trend analysis, yield modeling, and remote sensing-based techniques;
-Experience with conducting research and gathering documentation in order to compile comprehensive reports.
Note: There is no education substitution for this 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
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.