Program Analyst

Full Job Description

This position is in the Regulations Development Staff (RDS) of the Office of Policy and Program Development.

RDS has primary responsibility for the analysis and development of all FSIS regulations published in the Federal Register and subsequently incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

The staff also prepares responses to petitions for rulemaking. In addition, the staff is responsible for the tracking and publication of regulations, directives and notices.

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.

Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-13 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 level.

(Must submit your non-award SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade.) MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

GS-14: Specialized experience for a GS-0343-14 Program Analyst must demonstrate one year of specialized experience (equivalent to GS-13) experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

This experience must include all of the following: Researching and analyzing complex or technical issues by examining statutes, regulations, legislative history, case law, program data, and other relevant sources to develop well-supported conclusions that inform policy and regulatory development.

Experience includes drafting policy and regulatory documents that explain and interpret complex legal and technical issues for leadership, program personnel, and external stakeholders.

This may include policy memoranda, instructions for program staff, industry guidance, petition responses, and Federal Register documents such as proposed rules, final rules, and notices, or comparable legal or policy writing that demonstrates the ability to produce clear, precise, and well-supported written products.

Experience also includes reviewing and analyzing stakeholder input, for example evaluating public comments on proposed rules or notices, determining the feasibility of suggested revisions, and preparing legally supportable responses.

Experience leading and collaborating with subject matter experts is required to develop policy approaches, integrate legal and technical analysis, resolve issues, and build consensus on the content of regulatory or policy documents.

This includes facilitating discussions, identifying areas of disagreement, and guiding teams toward resolution.

Experience managing multiple regulatory or policy projects is also required, including planning work, establishing schedules, meeting milestones, coordinating reviews, navigating clearance processes, and ensuring timely publication.

Experience resolving legal issues, for example working with the Office of the General Counsel to ensure the legal sufficiency of policy and regulatory documents, is also required.

Specialized experience must be thoroughly outlined and supported in your résumé.

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:

• Lead the development of major changes in direction for performance standard-based food safety and consumer protection regulations.
• Implement instructions to field staff and other regulatory programs based on new or revised regulations.
• Manage the resolution of complex regulatory issues.
• Plan the development, clearance, and publication of new regulations to accomplish program changes.
• Analyze issues and developments affecting the meat, poultry, and egg products industries that may require changes to FSIS operations.
• Develop and implement regulatory actions ranging from simple rule changes to complex rulemakings.
• Draft, review, or guide the writing of directives and notices for FSIS program personnel.
• Identify and resolve conflicts or problems during document development to ensure consensus among management officials.
• Investigate regulatory initiatives and systems used by other agencies and organizations.
• Propose improvements to FSIS regulatory development processes, including the use of graphics and improved readability in documents.
• Develop guidelines for the use of new regulatory strategies.
• Keep FSIS management informed of regulatory and strategic initiative progress through briefing papers and presentations.
• Coordinate with FSIS staff responsible for public affairs and congressional relations regarding regulatory initiatives.
• Design regulatory controls to accomplish specific purposes without conflicting with existing regulations.
• Work with the Office of the General Counsel to define and resolve legal issues.
• Consult with FSIS decisionmakers, State regulatory officials, Federal Register personnel, and other stakeholders to resolve regulatory problems and differences of opinion.