Agricultural Commodity Grader (Meat)

Agricultural Marketing Service•Fort Morgan, CO

About The Position

The Agricultural Commodity Grader (Meat) performs the full range of meat grading and quality assurance monitoring duties. The role examines meat to evaluate product-quality factors, selects samples and meat products within specifications, explains evaluation determinations to plant management, and prepares and issues certificates based on quality standards. The grader may also assist supervisors with on-the-job training of meat graders and other employees. At developmental grade levels, assignments are more limited in scope, complexity, and independence. The position requires compliance with federal employment conditions, including U.S. citizenship or national status, applicable Selective Service registration, background checks, E-Verify, and Continuous Vetting. The selectee must complete a pre-employment medical statement and/or examination and sign a memorandum acknowledging geographic mobility as a condition of employment. Work may involve physical exertion, prolonged standing and movement, exposure to cold processing environments, and the possibility of weekend, holiday, overtime, or rotating-shift work.

Requirements

For GS-05: Three years of progressively responsible general experience, including one year equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-04 level; experience must demonstrate problem identification or data gathering or solution recognition, work planning and organization, and use of office software such as Adobe, Excel, or Word. General clerical experience consisting of routine repetitive tasks is not creditable.
For GS-05, qualifying education may be a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree; equivalent combinations of education and experience may qualify.
For GS-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05 involving determination of food-grade product grade, quality, acceptability, processing, packing, storage, or transportation, and/or ensuring compliance with food-grade or sanitation regulations and standards in a relevant workplace.
For GS-07, qualifying education may be one full year of graduate-level education in Agriculture, Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Business, Economics, or a related field; qualifying superior academic achievement with a bachelor's degree may also qualify. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may qualify.
Applicants must meet qualification and eligibility requirements by the announcement closing date. Transcripts are required when qualifying based on education, a combination of education and experience, or superior academic achievement.
Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
Individuals born male after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
Must successfully complete applicable background investigation and/or fingerprint checks, E-Verify, and a pre-employment medical statement and/or examination.
Must complete a one-year probationary period unless previously served.
Must enroll in Continuous Vetting and sign a memorandum of understanding accepting geographic mobility as a condition of employment.
May need to lift and move boxes and product cartons often weighing more than 50 pounds; stand, walk, stoop, bend, and climb for prolonged periods; and use physical coordination and finger dexterity in both hands for digital commodity examinations.
Must have normal or corrected vision in at least one eye for distance, depth perception, and color sufficient to detect product abnormalities.
May be required to work weekends, holidays, overtime, multiple shifts, and/or changing or rotating shifts.

Responsibilities

Examine meat to evaluate factors related to product quality.
Select samples and meat products within specifications.
Explain evaluation determinations to plant management.
Prepare and issue certificates based on quality standards.
Assist supervisors with on-the-job training of meat graders and other employees.