Summary The incumbent serves as the Secretary to the State Conservationist, which includes the state's top management team members, providing secretarial and executive level assistance. Responsibilities Screens all calls and visitors, identifies urgent matters and concerns that may require immediate or personal attention of state conservationist or Leadership Team. Determines when to refer calls to an alternate, resource, such as another staff member, work area, or more appropriate agency. Participates in planning meetings with the Leadership Team, prepares agendas, and documents meeting minutes. Provides technical advice and assistance to offices across the state, supervises disposition of records, and prepares and submits required reports. Analyzes all correspondence delivered to the state conservationist and determines appropriate routing for action and information. Serves as the state office correspondence coordinator to ensure that all controlled correspondence is answered accurately, completely, and in a timely manner. Independently handles minor questions and complaints, response dates and deadlines, appointments, location of current policy and/or procedures. Arranges travel including securing related reservations for the state conservationist or Leadership Team members. Arranges conferences or site visits within the state. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. Specialized Experience: For the GS-06 Level: To qualify for the GS-06 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Examples of such specialized experience have included: providing a variety of administrative and technical support relating to personnel, procurement, budget and/or general administrative management; organizing travel and meeting arrangements for management officials and program staff. For the GS-07 Level: To qualify for the GS-07, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through federal service that demonstrates that demonstrates secretarial work. Specialized experience is defined as: coordinating monitoring and performing all the clerical and administrative functions, duties, priorities commitments, policies, and program goals of an office. In addition, experience demonstrating knowledge of grammar, punctuation, format, and style to prepare correspondence, memorandums and other documents utilizing word processing and other automated systems, experience in support of a business or program office, assisting in preparing operating budgets, making purchases of office supplies, equipment, vehicles and tracking expenditures, providing timekeeping services and reconciling time and attendance documents and making travel arrangements. Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-06 and GS-07 level. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Clerical and Administrative Support Positions 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. Education There is no basic educational requirement for this position. Education cannot be substituted for specialized experience. Additional Information Career 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. Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following: If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted. If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline. This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Current USDA policy includes telework for an 8 hour work day, 4 days per week; other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and/or the position and its associated duties. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor. Physical Demands: The work is sedentary - there is some walking, standing, bending and carrying items such as books, supplies, and/or papers. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. Work Environment: The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of offices or similar settings. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.