Federal

Supervisory Agriculturist (Overseas Preclearance Area Director)

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ยท Department of Agriculture
๐Ÿ“ Santiago, Chile GS-14 $107,446 - $139,684/yr
Posted: Feb 25, 2026 Deadline: Mar 3, 2026 (Closed days left)

About This Position

Help lead Preclearance and Offshore Programs' mission to reduce the risk associated with the entry and establishment of plant pests into the United States by providing oversight, management, and facilitation of offshore safeguarding activities, clearances, and mitigations.

You will be assigned to Santiago, Chile with responsibility for multiple preclearance programs and multinational employees.

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. Current GS-14s interested in this temporary reassignment are preferred.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR: Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Leadership with plant diseases, pests, and agricultural systems programs using science-based solutions to address complex problems.

Management of plant quarantine programs, including inspections, treatments, and compliance with international standards. Experience running cost-effective preclearance programs that included budgeting, staffing, and cost recovery. Supervisory experience creating an inclusive work environment, setting work assignments based on agency mission, measuring and adjustment of workload distribution, and performance evaluation.

Work solving technical and policy challenges between the US and international industry and government partners.

Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. 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 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.

Major Duties

The duties may include, but are not limited to:

Display proficiency in the following five competencies essential for leading and managing people: Accountability, Conflict Management, Developing Others, and Human Capital Management.

Ensuring the preclearance programs area of coverage is in compliance with APHIS, other Federal, and local requirements for personnel, staffing, budget and accounting, facilities, safety and security, and transportation.

Ensures all aspects of work and obligations for preclearance programs in foreign countries are met in a timely manner and consistent with APHIS and U.S. government requirements.

Manages assigned personnel, which may be foreign based and/or U.S. assigned, and coordinates the effective and efficient implementation of preclearance program operations.

Provides technical, financial, operational, and administrative oversight for assigned programs, and works to continually evaluate and improve them from a programmatic and cost-effective perspective.

Fulfills all reporting requirements in a timely manner as identified and/or assigned.

Resolves disputes and problems with others by using effective problem solving, conflict resolution, and negotiation techniques.

Provides recommendations for how best to use information and insights to improve programs and procedures.

Communicates how organizational and management goals are linked and cascaded to individual and work performance, and how the accomplishments support organizational goals through staff meetings.

Education

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements.

Your resume must address experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification will be referred to the hiring manager 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 you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12894154

Additional Information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. The intent is to reassign a current GS-14 into this position for three to five years.

After the completion of this temporary assignment, you will return to your current agency and a like position. If applying from outside of PPQ, you must secure return rights with current agency in writing prior to receiving an official offer letter. The temporary nature of this assignment will be documented on an acknowledgement agreement prior to entrance on duty.

If a temporary promotion is used, it will have a not to exceed date of three years, but may be extended up to five years. The selectee will return to the former position of record or like position (same, grade, full performance level and location if available), after completion of the temporary appointment. The selectee will be hired in place and will complete travel requirements from their current duty location.

Relocation assistance to Foreign Duty Station will be provided.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin.

You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged.

We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

Resume cannot exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.

It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application. Step 2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account.

You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement). Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required.

You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.

NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX).

Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Only one resume will be reviewed. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted.

Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information;2) education;3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) all supervisors' phone numbers and if they may be contacted; and 5) other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed two pages.

Only one resume will be reviewed. If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient if it includes your name and all course information.

If selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been obtained from an accredited institution. Education completed in a foreign institution must include an evaluation by an organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs that it was deemed equivalent to an accredited U.S. education program.

For further information, see: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Current and former career/career-conditional Federal employees. Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service (block 24 must contain a 1 or 2 and block 34 must contain a 1), highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade.

If your current grade is not your highest permanent grade, submit an additional SF-50 showing your highest grade. Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (e.g., length of time in current position). A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.

Screenshots or printouts of electronic systems, including eHR Apps (ePMA), will not be accepted unless it is of the actual appraisal form with the end-of-year rating summary Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), last performance appraisal, and the most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Supervisory Agriculturist (Overseas Preclearance Area Director) position at Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service?
The salary range for this position is $107,446 - $139,684/yr. This is a GS-14 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Supervisory Agriculturist (Overseas Preclearance Area Director) job located?
This position is located in Santiago, Chile. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
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 servic...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Mar 3, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
Yes, a Secret clearance is required.
What does GS-14 mean?
GS-14 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.