Customer Support & Communication Program Specialist.

Responsibilities

• Communicate professionally and effectively with consumers and others regarding meat, poultry, and egg product storage, handling, safety, labeling, and other areas related to FSIS’s mission.
• Serve a variety of specialized publics with diverse needs and characteristics, focusing on wholesomeness, food safety, storage, nutrition, and labeling.
• Provide information and resources to customers, using sound judgment to tailor responses to each customer’s unique needs, state of mind, and types of questions.
• Utilize previously cleared language and Knowledge Articles (KAs) in knowledge management software (e.g., Salesforce) to ensure responses are timely, accurate, consistent, and in plain language.
• Stay adaptable to changes in tools and methods, actively participate in training, and help capture and report hotline metrics.
• Assess and streamline efficiency and effectiveness of Hotline operations, appraise methods and techniques against metrics, and recommend improvements.
• Identify knowledge gaps, collaborate with senior staff and Salesforce Points of Contact (POCs) to draft, establish, and update KAs, ensuring new or missing information is clearly identified.
• Resolve calls about these subjects, track consumer trends, and ensure the team is trained and prepared for evolving inquiries.
• Recommend methods for promoting the Hotline to target audiences, assist in developing outreach to media outlets and platforms, and act as liaison with food science professionals.
• Take on additional tasks assigned to support the overall mission and effectiveness of the Food Safety Education Staff and Hotline.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
• If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

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.
• To qualify for the GS-9: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates:
  • Knowledge of commonly accepted customer service and support principles.
  • Basic understanding of and the ability to explain regulatory, scientific, technical, and other food safety and nutrition information in writing and orally.
  • Research on the topics of food safety, storage, nutrition, handling, preservation, packing, and/or labeling of food (meat, poultry, and egg products).
  • Basic knowledge of software applications and systems to access and provide information from pre-approved written and approved knowledge articles.
  OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree. OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. OR LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR Combination of education and experience - Your total must equal 100% of the requirement, i.e. if you meet 50% of the education requirement, you must have 50% of the specialized experience requirement. Only education above and beyond the first year of graduate level education will count.
• To qualify for the GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates:
  • Experience using technical software applications and knowledge-management systems.
  • Serving as a liaison with scientific, regulatory, or food-industry professionals.
  • Ability to exercise independent judgment in resolving complex or sensitive consumer inquiries.
  • Communicating complex regulatory, scientific, or technical