Program Support Assistant

This position is located within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Midwest Area, Cereal Disease Research Unit in Saint Paul, MN. In this position, you will serve as a personal assistant to the Research Leader and other professional staff providing various secretarial, administrative, and program support duties, allowing them to focus on the organization's primary mission. Develops and implements new systems or administrative processes to meet unit needs (e.g., Administrative Office Procedures Handbook, manuscript/abstract/ARIS action tracking system, files maintenance, etc.). Identifies, restructures, and recommends ways of eliminating, combining, simplifying or improving administrative and clerical office procedures and processes. Prepares travel requests and vouchers for foreign and domestic travel. Maintains a detailed knowledge of travel policies and regulations in order to serve as a technical resource to unit personnel. Screens all calls and visitors, answering most questions on established policy or routine matters. When calls are referred to the RL, the incumbent furnishes readily obtainable information to aid in the discussion. Reviews all formal outgoing correspondence for proper format, grammar, punctuation, etc., in accordance with Agency correspondence guidelines. Coordinates the processing of manuscripts and reports for public information; edits material for correct structure, clarity, and arrangement of format for scientific journals and other media. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, 10/20/2026, 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. GS-06: Qualifying experience for GS-06 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-05 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 preparing or reviewing financial documents; using computer programs to prepare and review written documents; and providing information on policies, procedures, or guidelines. G-07: Qualifying experience for GS-07 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06 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 preparing or tracking financial forms or reports; maintaining detailed records or files for an office environment; coordinating all aspects of travel for staff or supervisors; and ensuring compliance with regulations for all program administrative procedures. Applicants must be able to type 40 words per minute. 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. 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/. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period unless previous federal service is creditable. During this time your employment will be evaluated, and we may consider: your performance and conduct, the needs and interests of the agency, whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government, and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. USDA-ARS scientists work on a wide range of agricultural issues. The agency's research aims to find practical solutions to agricultural problems, often translating scientific findings into tools and technologies that can be used by farmers, ranchers, and food producers. The National Farm Security Action Plan elevates American agriculture as a key element of our nation's national security. This position supports and/or assists the research that is being conducted by USDA-ARS scientists and is considered to be sensitive as the duties require protection of private, controlled unclassified, or proprietary information with a moderate impact degree.