Senior Consumer Safety Officer

Individual Occupational Requirements The education must have been obtained at a college, university, or an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements.

A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in quality assurance or a related degree that included at least 30 semester hours in one or a combination of the following: consumer laws, biological sciences, food science, chemistry, pharmacy, physical sciences, food technology, nutrition, medical science, engineering, epidemiology, veterinary medical science, legal investigations, law enforcement, or related scientific fields that provided knowledge directly related to consumer safety officer work.

The 30 semester hours may include up to 8 semester hours in statistics, or course work that included the principles, theory, or practical application of computers or computer programming. OR Combination of education and experience--courses consisting of at least 30 semester hours in the fields of study described in paragraph A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

For additional information please review the Individual Occupational Requirements Consumer Safety Series 0696 Specialized Experience:?Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for grade level advertised.

The specialized experience requirements for this position include one year of specialized experience (equivalent to GS-12) experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically related to the work of the position to be filled. A GS-13 Consumer Officer requires at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level.

Your experience must include all of the following: Reviewing establishment food safety systems or microbiological or chemical residue sampling programs to determine whether they meet agency requirements for meat, poultry, and egg products. Evaluating sanitation, HACCP, sampling, and enforcement procedures, identifying deficiencies, and recommending corrective actions.

Preparing technical analyses, decision documents, and recommendations to support management decisions for establishment food safety systems or microbiological or chemical residue sampling programs. Working with agency specialists, laboratories, legal advisors, public health experts, and other program areas to resolve technical issues and support accurate decisions. Explaining agency requirements and providing technical assistance to stakeholders.

A GS-14 Consumer Officer requires at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level. Your experience must include at least 5 of the 8 of the following: Lead complex and controversial equivalence decisions involving foreign or State inspection systems, interpret regulatory differences, and make expert recommendations. Develop and interpret agency equivalence policy for new or unusual inspection issues, including drafting rules, directives, notices, and compliance guidance.

Set technical direction and review strategies for major equivalence matters and provide expert guidance on agency review and policy implementation. Assess the international, state, public health, operational, or trade effects of proposed equivalence decisions and advise senior leaders through briefings and policy analyses. Lead evaluations of foreign inspection systems or State MPI programs, identify systemic deficiencies, assess corrective action plans, and help resolve disputed technical information.

Represent agency in high-level international or State negotiations, defend FSIS technical positions, and negotiate solutions with other governments and stakeholders. Improve agency processes and documentation standards, establish new evaluation criteria, strengthen decision-making tools, and promote consistent agency-wide determinations.

Coordinate agency positions with other program areas and Federal or State agencies, resolve disagreements about policies or regulations, and support alignment on significant equivalence matters. To meet specialized experience requirements, the applicant's work experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies necessary to perform at the grade level of the position.

Qualifying experience involves enforcing laws and regulations to protect consumers from foods, drugs, cosmetics, fabrics, toys, equipment, and household products that are defective, dangerous, impure, unwholesome, ineffective, or improperly or deceptively labeled or packaged.

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.

**Duties and responsibilities vary according to grade level. Responsibilities below are represent at the GS14 grade full performance level**,Lead high-impact equivalence determinations involving complex foreign meat, poultry, and egg product inspection systems.,Resolve controversial, disputed, or precedent-setting differences between foreign requirements and FSIS requirements.,Establish the technical basis for recommendations concerning market access, continued recognition, modification, suspension, or withdrawal of equivalence.,Lead comprehensive evaluations of foreign inspection systems, including systemic deficiency and corrective action assessments.,Conduct reviews to assess whether foreign food safety inspection systems meet applicable FSIS equivalence requirements.,Analyze foreign laws, regulations, and procedures governing meat, poultry, and egg product inspection.,Assess inspection system controls, including inspection procedures, laboratory systems, and enforcement systems against FSIS equivalence criteria.