Agricultural Marketing Specialist (GS-1146)

Agricultural Marketing Specialists manage, research, analyze, regulate, and perform other specialized work involved with the marketing of one or more agricultural commodities or products. Agricultural marketing includes the full lifecycle of a commodity, from growing and harvesting, grading, packaging, transportation, preparation for use, storage, shifting and sharing risks, change in ownership, pricing and exchange, wholesaling and retailing. Agricultural Marketing Specialists enforce the marketing agreements and orders designed to assist producers and regulate and standardize the marketing of agricultural products under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937.  These duties may include:

  • Developing or revising official U.S. Standards of quality, condition, and identification of agricultural commodities or products.
  • Insuring compliance with regulatory laws to prevent unfair trade practices, to protect and preserve free and open competition, and to prevent deceptive practices or product misrepresentation, and to uncover fraud. 
  • Performing technical research to improve marketing facilities and equipment, packaging, handling, work methods and transportation at all stages from local assembly through wholesaling and retailing.

This Position is Represented in the Following AMS Programs

woman in a white coat working at a desk with equipment next to her.  View of the back of a man sitting in front of his computer in his office.

Work Environment

Agricultural Marketing Specialists work in a variety of settings and working conditions depending on the commodity assigned. This may include visiting farms and plants, processing and packaging plants, storage facilities, transportation centers, and retail outlets to understand the full lifecycle of a commodity.

Travel is required to some degree.

Minimum Applicant Requirements

GS-10 and Below For GS-11 Level and Above
Not Applicable

Applicants must have:

Experience: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the next lower level in the Federal Service) that demonstrate the ability to:

  • Apply intensive, specialized knowledge across segments of marketing
  • Apply professional, scientific or engineering knowledge to solve problems relative to the marketing of agricultural products
  • Apply professional knowledge of economics in the performance of duties
  • Provision transportation services to the Government or in the regulation of transportation utilities by the Government
  • Work with agricultural commodities or products outside of marketing such items
  • Conduct investigative or enforcement work primarily concerned with alleged or suspected offenses against the laws of the United States, or such work concerned with determining compliance with laws and regulations

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).

Education: This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Common Career Paths

Woman in Blue hard hat and white coat closely examining a beef carcass in a plan

Agricultural Commodity Grader

Group of MN reporters sitting around a livestock auction with a Hereford in the ring

Market News Reporter