Fresh Listing

Posted: February 19, 2026 (0 days ago)

This job was posted recently. Fresh listings typically have less competition.

Supervisory Agricultural Commodity Grader (Poultry) (Federal State Supervisor)

Agricultural Marketing Service

Department of Agriculture

Fresh

Location

Cherokee, Iowa

Salary

$74,678 - $116,362

per year

Closes

February 25, 2026More USDA jobs →

GS-11 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $62,107 - $80,737

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-10. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 years graduate study.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves leading a team to oversee the grading, inspection, and verification of poultry and other agricultural products like meat and eggs, ensuring they meet federal and state standards for quality and safety.

The role includes supervising staff, planning work schedules, and working with regional offices to maintain consistent regulations.

It's a good fit for someone with hands-on experience in food grading who enjoys managing teams and solving complex inspection challenges in agriculture.

Key Requirements

  • One year of specialized hands-on grading experience in meat or poultry at GS-09 level (for GS-11) or GS-11 level (for GS-12)
  • Ability to independently grade rare or unusual products and evaluate complex processing equipment
  • Knowledge of grading standards, inspection regulations, and identifying defects or diseases
  • For GS-11: Ph.D., 3 years of graduate education in relevant fields (e.g., Agriculture, Science), or equivalent combination of education and experience
  • Supervisory skills including planning work, assigning tasks, scheduling leave, and providing technical guidance
  • Experience performing shell egg surveillance inspections under the Egg Products Inspection Act
  • Current federal employees must meet 52 weeks time-in-grade at the next lower level

Full Job Description

You will serve as Federal-State Supervisor and is responsible for administering and implementing the programs that are responsible for developing, implementing, and administering programs for the grading, verification and/or inspection of beef, veal & calf, lamb, pork, shell eggs, poultry, and rabbit products.

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.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience of hands on grading experience in the commodity of Meat or Poultry (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that demonstrates: Independently grading and/or inspecting rare or unusual products or product types Inspecting or evaluating more complicated processing equipment procedures, and conditions of storage or transportation Applying grading standards and/or inspection regulations to make difficult, controversial, and borderline determinations and to recognize and identify extremely rare commodity defects and diseases.

OR Ph.D.

or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in Mathematics, Economics, Science, Engineering, Agriculture or Business; OR LL.M., if related.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience of hands on grading experience in the commodity of Meat or Poultry (equivalent to the GS-11 level) that demonstrates: Performing the full range of grading and/or inspection tasks involved in directly supplying agricultural grading services to producers or members of the trade Serving as technical expert performing final grading reviews, making appeal determinations, resolving controversies, and providing broad guidance on difficult and controversial grading inspection problems.

Advises other graders on difficult determinations and instructs trainee graders. Note: There is no education substitution at this level.

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements.

The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level.

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:

  • The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.
  • The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Utilize federal and/ or state cooperating employees, supervises and directs programs for voluntary grading
  • Performs shell egg surveillance inspection at registered plants to assure the control of restricted and inedible eggs under the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA)
  • Assures the uniform interpretation and application of the regulations, instructions, standards, and specifications governing the services
  • Plans and assigns subordinates’ work. Schedules and approves leave. Provides guidance to employees on both administrative and technical matters
  • Works closely with Regional Office personnel to recruit employees; conduct interviews, and recommend selections to the Regional Director
  • Conducts technical reviews of audit programs and the performance of audit personnel who conduct quality system verification audits throughout the U.S. Conducts audits as needed.

Check your resume before applying to catch common mistakes

Browse Similar Jobs

Posted on USAJOBS: 2/19/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 2/19/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: MP-12885509-26-LP