Bioeconomy Coordinator @ Office of the Chief Economist

Job Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of the Chief Economist (OCE), Office of Energy & Environmental Policy (OEEP), Office of Energy Policy & New Uses (OEPNU). The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a critical role in the bioeconomy by providing resources and scientific research; ensuring that American farmers remain globally competitive; and enabling businesses to produce innovative products in the bioeconomy.

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.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must meet the Specialized Experience requirements as shown below. If qualifying based on experience, your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized Experience: At the GS-15: Qualifying experience for GS-15 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-14 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 in

• 1) Overseeing and leading special projects and initiatives related to the bioeconomy;
• 2) being a subject matter expert on the bioeconomy;
• 3) conducting program and policy analysis to support strategic planning for bioeconomy initiatives;
• 4) leading efforts to develop partnerships and engage in outreach with other organizations on bioeconomy-related issues; and
• 5) preparing bioeconomy-related written and oral products to support senior-level decision making.

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

• Responsible for synthesizing research and analysis across the spectrum of policy and technical issues pertaining to biofuels, biomass feedstock production, biomaterials, and bio-manufacturing.
• Supports OEEP’s engagement on international biofuel issues.
• Responsible for developing domestic and international approaches to advance the bioeconomy through USDA programs and authorities.
• Serves as a subject matter expert (SME) and principal authority to Agency representatives goals, objectives and issues on related to bioeconomy as they pertain to the forest and agriculture sectors.
• Represents the Department in meetings with other agencies.
• Evaluates conclusions and recommendations reached on bioeconomy-related policy issues by USDA agencies, task forces, and study groups, as well as by private agricultural, trade, industry, conservation and environmental groups.
• Represents USDA programs and activities in various outreach-related forums.
• Provides expert program advice and strategic guidance to OCE leadership and senior departmental officials on biomass, biofuels, and the bioeconomy.
• Prepares and delivers authoritative issue papers, strategic assessments, briefing documents, and decision memoranda to support high-level policy decisions.
• Independently plans and conducts comprehensive program and policy analysis to support Department-wide strategic planning for bioeconomy initiatives.
• The incumbent will prepare options and alternatives for future work, engage in the Office’s international efforts, including bi-lateral international discussions, policy development, and programmatic activities.
• Leads efforts to develop partnerships and engage in outreach with other organizations

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. 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. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. If selected, you may be required to serve a probationary or trial period as applicable to appointment type. Refer to Next Steps section for additional information.