Farm Manager

SummaryThis position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Plains Area, located in Lubbock, Texas. The incumbent is responsible for all farming operations of the Cropping Systems Research Laboratory in Lubbock, Texas.ResponsibilitiesManages and oversees all farming operations that support and facilitate the research mission of the location.Prepares planting sites using appropriate heavy machinery and mechanized equipment as required.Responsible for operation, repair and preventative maintenance of all farm equipment and irrigation systems, including machinery with automated guidance systems.Looks for plant diseases, plant pests, and unusual or poor plant growth and informs the scientist responsible for the crop before applying any treatments or taking any alleviating actions.Develops and prepares an annual operating budget for all farming activities at the location, including recommendations for procurement, replacement and/or upgrade of high-cost farm equipment and machinery.RequirementsConditions of EmploymentQualificationsApplicants 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: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: At the GS-09: Qualifying experience for the GS-09 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience managing farming operations, farm facilities and buildings, and farming equipment; and assisting with the development of annual planting and harvesting plans. OR Education: 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. Related degrees include engineering, industrial arts, property management, or business administration or other degrees that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position (i.e. agricultural science, agricultural engineering, industrial arts, mechanotronics, agronomy, horticulture, or plant science.) OR A combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above. At the GS-11: Qualifying experience for GS-11 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience overseeing and managing farming operations, farm facilities and buildings, and farming equipment; developing annual planting and harvesting plans; and consulting on the design, fabrication or repair of customized research equipment required for farming operations. OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. Related degrees include engineering, industrial arts, property management, or business administration or other degrees that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position (i.e. agricultural science, agricultural engineering, industrial arts, mechanotronics, agronomy, horticulture, or plant science.) OR A combination of Ph.D level education and specialized experience. 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.EducationAdditional InformationCareer Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP 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/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion Announcement Number ARS-M20Y-10828544-AED. Current or former Federal employees or other eligible applicants may apply to both announcements to expand all possibilities of consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. See the above announcement for more information. Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.