Job Summary

Foreign Service Officer Trainee APHIS International Services (IS) will hold a Foreign Service Officer Informational Webinar on June 17 at 7pm EST via MS Teams. You must register for this event if you would like to join. Please register now to join us. The webinar presentation will be posted APHIS International Services website, www.aphis.usda.gov/aphisoverseas immediately following the webinar. Click "Learn more about this agency" for additional position information.

Major Duties

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: Analysis of plant, insect, and/or animal health conditions, government policies, and regulatory processes affecting the agricultural market and import/export interests of U.S. stakeholders. Compilation, review, and analysis of technical reports on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, pests, and diseases and their effects. Compilation, review and analysis of economic, market, technical and data relating to production, trade, consumption, prices and other factors affecting the safeguarding of U.S. agriculture. Addresses specific phytosanitary concerns with host countries. When trade issues focus on animal or plant health and quarantine matters, the incumbent's role may include negotiations in conjunction with the APHIS programs. Manages international phytosanitary trade issues with APHIS programs. Plans, coordinates, or conducts analyses relevant to trade issues and designs and participates in the development of recommendations for courses of action. Participates in identifying disciplines and multi-disciplinary mixes for risk assessment/hazard evaluation of plant or animal health issues in order to instill a proactive approach to U.S. goals in international trade. Prepares briefing memoranda, correspondence, briefing books, market profiles and other background information for APHIS, USDA, and other entities on a variety of subjects. Prepares oral/written briefings as required, with thorough analysis of political, policy options and strategies. Provides analytical information/advise on plant health issues in conjunction with APHIS goals and strategies. Participates in the identification, monitoring and removal of technical, sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to agricultural trade. Assists in coordinating Departmental objectives in the World Trade Organization (WTO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), U.S. CODEX, and other international organizations. Investigates, researches, prepares, and gives advisories identifying pest alerts, new regulations and other updates affecting all entities of export/import trade. Develops effective working relationships with international and domestic agricultural industry representatives, trade associations, cooperators, and other APHIS stakeholders. Coordinates/facilitates duties related to the import/export of animals and/or plants and their byproducts. Works with APHIS programs to determine the absence of infectious, contagious or communicable disease or parasitism.

Education

This is an interdisciplinary announcement. This means that applicants may qualify for either the 0701 job series as a Veterinary Medical Officer; the 0414 job series as an Entomologist; or the 0434 job series as a Plant Pathologist to serve as a Foreign Service Officer Trainee, dependent on the selectee's educational background and qualifications. BASIC REQUIREMENT 0701 series: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA website has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools. AVMA website: https://www.avma.org OR: Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education must meet one of the following requirements: a) Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG); b) Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT); OR c) Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. An AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college must have accepted the final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g., residency or graduate program). In addition, graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below: a) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE. b) Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing; OR c) Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing. Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must submit test results with their application. Results of more than one test or testing session cannot be combined to meet the standard. Waiver Provision: English language proficiency assessments may be waived for qualified job applicants whose native language is English (i.e., the official or common language of an individuals country of birth is English) who submit a diploma or other official documentation as proof of graduation from a high (secondary) school where the entire curriculum and educational programs were taught in the English language for the entire 3 or 4 years of full-time attendance. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT for Entomologist in the 0414 job series: A degree in entomology; or a related discipline of the biological or physical sciences that included at least 16 semester hours in entomology. OR: Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major that included 16 semester hours in entomology, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education qualify at this level. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT for Plant Pathologist in the 0434 job series: A degree in Plant Pathology; or a another directly related scientific discipline that included at least 20 semester hours in basic botany or plant science, and 10 semester hours in plant pathology. NOTE: Graduate Level Education must have been in plant pathology or in one of the recognized related subject-matter fields or have followed a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on these fields or one of the recognized related subject-matter fields, such as those dealing with particular types of pathogens, diseases of particular kinds of crops, or chemical or biological controls. Graduate study in related fields such as microbiology, entomology, plant physiology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, or chemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on plant pathology or entomology. A CV or additional documentation from the university may be needed to determine the subject matter of capstone, dissertation or related field coursework if it is not identifiable from the transcript that they are related to the required fields above.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Applicants who meet basic and minimum qualifications and are among the top scoring individuals will be invited to attend the Assessment Center. Scoring for this first assessment will be based on the applicants' answers to the application questionnaire and the extent they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies: Decision Making Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. PLEASE NOTE: This is a highly competitive vacancy with a limited number of openings available. Applications will be rated based on the information provided in the resume and responses to the occupational questions to determine the level of knowledge, skill and ability related to the job requirements. ASSESSMENT CENTER (AC) PROCESS: This is a multi-phase assessment process. The top scoring applicants from this initial USAJOBS assessment will be invited to participate in a one day long, mandatory AC for further evaluation. There are a finite number of seats available for the AC. In the event top scoring candidates decline invitations, the candidate with the next highest score will be invited until all available seats are filled. The Assessment Center will include tests of the candidates' skills in a series of written, group, and oral exams. Successful candidates will demonstrate the skills, abilities, and qualities deemed essential to the work of the Foreign Service as per the following Foreign Service Job Competencies: Management & Supervision Critical Thinking & Analysis Organizing & Executing Tasks Technical Expertise Communication & collaboration Intra/Interpersonal Savvy Assessment Center Scores will include a cut-off score. Applicants that meet that cut-off will be placed on an inventory of eligible candidates, which will be retained for 2 years and used to fill current and future vacant FSO positions. Notification of being placed on the inventory, or of not meeting the cut-off will be issued as quickly as possible once the assessment center concludes. Selections and appointments traditionally happen in score order, but the agency will also consider how applicant experience and expertise meet the needs of the agency for each vacancy. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12949295 For more information regarding APHIS' Foreign Service, please see the link below: APHIS Foreign Service | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (usda.gov)

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resume cannot exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application. Step 2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account. You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement). Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue. NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Only one resume will be reviewed. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.

What to Expect next

If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, your will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. This announcement may also be used to fill additional like vacancies, including vacancies elsewhere within the agency or other USDA organizations. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to MRP.Fairchance@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications; and 5) supervisors name and phone number for each work period listed and whether or not they may be contacted for reference checks. Resume cannot exceed two pages. Only one resume will be reviewed. Education is required so you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. For further information, visit the following: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Proof of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Degree or Equivalent: A legible copy of college transcripts showing a conferred DVM degree from a veterinary medical school or college accredited by the AVMA Council on Education. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application. As an alternative, proof of possession of a current permanent unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States can be submitted as provisional proof of eligibility. If selected, an official college transcript showing a conferred DVM degree from a veterinary medical school or college accredited by the AVMA Council on Education will be required prior to entering on duty. Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education must submit a copy of their DVM transcripts and required documents (i.e., proof of ECFVG certification; or copy of Veterinary license; letter documenting acceptance into an advanced degree, post graduate, residency or graduate program at an AVMA accredited veterinary medical school; AND an English proficiency score report documenting required acceptable minimum scores, from TOEFL, IELTS or CAEL) that prove basic qualification for this position as stated in OPM's qualification standards. Applicants who are substituting education or advanced training for specialized experience must submit: 1) an unofficial transcript showing a conferred master's degree in a qualifying specialty or 2) a letter or certificate documenting the completion of at least two years of an internship, residency or fellowship in a specific discipline or specialty. All education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Official transcripts will be required if selected for the position. Although veterans' preference doesn't apply, applicants are encouraged to provide documentation of their eligibility. You must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. Proof of entitlement for preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference is also welcome. FEDSHIREVETS

Other Information

Selectees will have a strong background in science and upon successful completion of a training program, will be APHIS Foreign Service Officers Career Candidates ready to serve at overseas posts. The training program lasts from 6-18 months. Appointees will be onboarded remotely from their current home location and may be expected to travel to the APHIS office in the DC Metropolitan area for parts of their training. Trainees that complete all medical and security clearances, fulfill all training requirements, and gain approval by APHIS management, will be posted overseas at US Embassies representing the interests of the USDA abroad. Applicants should be interested in and enthusiastic about living in a foreign country for extended periods of time. The Agency will use an inventory of eligible applicants from this announcement to fill future vacancies for the APHIS Foreign Service Officer Trainee positions. The applicant inventory will remain in effect for two years. See below for additional info. Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection. Appointments are in the excepted service with the Foreign Service and are not to exceed a term of 5 years. During the first 5 years you will be a "Career Candidate". After your first 3 years you will be reviewed by a Commissioning board for permanent tenure. If not nominated and approved for commissioning within 5 years you will be removed from the Foreign Service position. In order to become a career Foreign Service Officer that 5 year period, you must be able to pass a speaking, reading, and writing language proficiency exam. Language training is part of the position This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit (union), specifically the American Foreign Service Association. This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series/position titles listed. In addition to the specialized experience requirements, applicants must submit proof that they meet the educational requirements for at least one of the series described in the announcement. Applicants may only be appointed to job series/position titles for which they meet all experience and educational requirements. Promotion Potential: These positions do have promotion potential. FS Officers and Career Candidates are reviewed by a FS Selection board each year to determine if their service justifies recommendation for promotion and awards based on agency policy. Veterans Preference does not apply to these excepted service Career Candidate-Trainee positions. However, the fact that an applicant is a veteran or disabled veteran will be considered as an affirmative factor in the selection of candidates for appointment as Foreign Service Officer Career Candidates. Veteran documentation will be needed prior to appointment. The Assessment Center is scheduled to be held virtually from September 14th-18st, 2026. Invitations to the Assessment Center will be emailed to selected candidates. Invited candidates are responsible for having computer systems capable of attending the virtual meetings in Zoom and/or Microsoft Teams, required for the assessment. APHIS will not reimburse any costs associated with the candidate's Assessment Center participation. If you need Reasonable Accommodation for the Assessment center, those requests need to be submitted no later than August 15th 2026.