Summary The incumbent serves as an Agreements Specialist in Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), Science and Technology (S&T). The incumbent in this position provides a full spectrum of support activities for a variety of agreements and grants. This is a 100% remote position that must be located within one of the 48 contiguous United States. Responsibilities 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: Plans, organizes, and evaluates grants and agreements activities in ST and provides guidance and recommends or implements changes in procedures to improve the overall management. Interprets and applies Federal regulations and APHIS policy concerning all aspects of agreement management and processing. Reviews, and coordinates information related to work and financial plans. Prepares award documents, including selecting appropriate APHIS/PPQ authorities. Participates in budget and accounting discussions to analyze and respond to agreement-related budget issues. Assesses the need for, develops and provides necessary training to Federal Authorized Departmental Officer’s Designated Representatives (ADODR)/Program Managers and nonfederal cooperators. Provides technical guidance for the development, monitoring, and closeout of cooperative and interagency agreements to program and administrative personnel. Apprises program and administrative personnel of changes to agreements and agreement-related policies that affect the ST budget, using the appropriate method. Participates in management control reviews of cooperative agreements and grants. Reviews and/or audits cooperator records and information tracking systems. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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-09 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Analyzing the appropriateness, accuracy, and completeness of records and administration of agreements or grants to ensure compliance with Federal and Agency regulations and guidelines. Participating in budget and accounting discussions to analyze and respond to agreement-related budget issues. Monitoring post award reporting (both accomplishments and financial) by reviewing and appraising reporting documents for completeness and accuracy. Experience using information technology systems and Microsoft Office Suite. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree in Business Administration; Accounting; Public Administration; Finance; Financial Management; or Law OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: You are qualifying for the position based on education. You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-09 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that 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 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. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period. For more information on applying under special hiring authorities explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website. First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee. This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit (union), specifically the National Association of Plant Protection and Quarantine Office Support Employees. If you are selected, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted. Promotion is not guaranteed. 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. Worksite Information: This is a 100% remote position that must be located within one of the 48 contiguous US States. The duty station for a remote designation is the selectee's home and must be established within the defined geographic options prior to start date. The selectee is not required to regularly work from a government facility however, the option may be available.