Program Specialist

Agricultural Research Service • Manhattan, KS

24d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is with the Agricultural Research Service at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas. The Program Specialist has two primary responsibilities: serving as the Certifying Official for NBAF’s suitability assessment and monitoring program, and organizing and sharing information about NBAF’s high-reliability program to foster leadership capabilities and psychological safety.

The role supports the development and maintenance of the suitability assessment and monitoring program, and works with the Communications Director on short- and long-range activities for NBAF’s high-reliability organization program. It also supports training, surveys, policy and procedure development, performance measurement, and sensitive interviews, while ensuring legal, ethical, and privacy standards are followed.

This is a federal position with GS-11 and GS-12 qualification pathways. The position may be eligible for flexible work arrangements under agency policy and applicable collective bargaining agreements. Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized at the hiring official’s discretion.

Requirements

• GS-11: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09, directly related to the work of the position. Experience must include creating and validating interview and survey methodologies; creating training programs; monitoring staff engagement; developing and executing industrial-organizational psychology program activities; and advising leadership to ensure staff follow facility-wide policies and standard operating procedures.
• GS-11 education alternative: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.M.; a combination of specialized experience and qualifying education may also be used.
• GS-12: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-11, directly related to the work of the position. Experience must include developing and executing organizational programs and policies; creating and evaluating assessment tools and performance metrics; writing and validating interview and survey methodologies; and building and implementing industrial-organizational psychology training programs.
• Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the announcement’s closing date.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Must successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• Must pass a background investigation and/or fingerprint check, subject to satisfactory adjudication.
• Must submit to pre-appointment urinalysis for illegal drug use and random testing thereafter; appointment and continued employment are conditional on negative results.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period unless previous federal service is creditable.
• Federal employees must receive payments by direct deposit.

Responsibilities

• Work with the NBAF Select Agent Team and NBAF Responsible Official to develop and maintain a suitability assessment and monitoring program.
• Work with the Communications Director to implement strategic short- and long-range activities to build and monitor NBAF’s high-reliability organization program.
• Participate in developing and coordinating training programs to manage risks and establish foundations for safe, sustainable operations and processes.
• Help create and deliver measurable surveys to monitor psychological safety and enhance employee well-being, performance, and operational effectiveness.
• Negotiate with management on key issues related to program requirements and methods, engaging stakeholders, anticipating and handling questions, and presenting reports.
• Assist in developing internal policies, drafting and updating standard operating procedures, creating assessment tools, establishing performance metrics, and preparing technical summaries for review.
• Participate in, facilitate, and document complex interviews while ensuring compliance with legal, ethical, and privacy standards for handling sensitive personal information.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.
• Flexible work arrangements may be available under agency policy and applicable collective bargaining agreements.
• Recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized at the hiring official’s discretion.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree