Consumer Safety Inspector

About the role

Shifts and species will vary based on assignment. Employee will primarily work in one plant but may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Philadelphia District. For additional information call Tisha Smith at 445-233-2120 or email Tisha.Smith@usda.gov.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education as defined below. Specialized experience is experience that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities or other products for human consumption. Such experience may have been acquired in work such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aide, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or similar position with responsibility for sampling, quality control and sanitation in a food manufacturing or production environment, or similar environment for other ingestible items.

• GS-05 Level: At least 52 weeks of qualifying experience that provided knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food or beverages for human consumption, or other ingestible substances such as pharmaceuticals). Resume must show examples such as:
  • Applying proper techniques for collecting samples and/or performing field tests and examinations (e.g., identifying abnormalities in the product or production environment and recommending corrective actions)
  • Developing written reports and/or reporting findings of results orally (e.g., documenting abnormalities in the product or production environment and communicating those findings to others)
  • Skill in maintaining effective personal contacts with a variety of individuals (e.g., discussing findings with internal or external contacts regarding the food safety standards established in the production environment)
  • Other similar work making determinations on products for human consumption or the production environment (e.g., ensuring conformance with established standards)
• GS-07 Level: In addition to the GS-05 qualifications, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level. Incumbents are expected to have performed standard and recurrent duties on an independent basis. Resume should demonstrate at least 52 weeks of experience in independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis that provided knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food for human consumption, and other ingestible substances such as pharmaceuticals).
• GS-08 Level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level. Experience must include:
  • Working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts to inspect meat, poultry and egg products
  • Working with basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices to verify plant HACCP and SSOP responsibilities
  • Performing basic mathematics and elementary statistical concepts and methods to perform testing and sampling procedures
  • Experience in reaching and interpreting conclusions
• GS-09 Level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-08 level. Incumbents are expected to have experience working at a more independent level than lower graded CSIs, which may include duties such as recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage at locations outside of the official duty station.

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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Please view OPM's Qualifications Standards, Consumer Safety Inspector Series, GS-1862.

The below requirements are not an all-inclusive list. Failure to fully meet a functional requirement is not automatically disqualifying.

Benefits

As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a comprehensive benefits package designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

FSIS offers various recruitment incentives to newly hired eligible Consumer Safety Inspectors (CSI). You may be eligible for one or more of the following:

• $5,000 Sign on Bonus: Newly appointed only.
• Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual: Calculated to determine the annual leave accrual rate.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: For more information visit the PSLF Program.
• $1,000 Employee Referral Bonus Award: Paid to employees who refer applicants who are hired with FSIS.

Schedule

Shifts and species will vary based on assignment. Employee will primarily work in one plant but may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Philadelphia District.

Additional information

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for protecting the public's health by ensuring the safety of the Nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products. USDA is a great place to start or continue your career. For more information visit FSIS.

The duties of a Consumer Safety Inspector are performed in a hazardous working environment. For additional information, please click here.