Summary
This position is located in the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Specialty Crops Program (SCP), Specialty Crops Market News Division field office. The assigned office is responsible for collecting, analyzing, preparing, and releasing market news data for fresh fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops. In this position, the selectee will serve as a Market Reporter responsible for covering a large portion of assigned markets with increasing responsibility at each grade level.
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.
Collect, analyze and disseminate daily market information for fruits and vegetables.
Contacts the many firms by face-to-face or telephone interviews, in collecting and analyzing information relative to general and specific market conditions.
Reconciles each price quotation to the originating growing area by commodity unit of sale, size, variety, grade and other distinguishing factors.
Studies daily and seasonal operations as well as market reports from various widely scattered and distant production areas.
Prepares and disseminates a number of daily, weekly, monthly, and special market reports covering local sales on the wholesale market or information that may be of interest to the trade.
Keeps abreast of general economic informational material and new developments and trends in the marketing of fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops.
Education
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
How you will be evaluated
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. This means you will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. 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. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or 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. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13089687