Federal Position Descriptions
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Undersecretary for Food Safety

Undersecretary for Food Safety, Department of Agriculture
Responsibility
Management Scope

In fiscal 2016, the undersecretary for food safety received a budget authority of $1.025 billion.3

Primary Responsibilities
  • Assists the secretary in providing policy direction and leadership to ensure that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry and egg products is safe, wholesome and properly labeled and packaged
  • Chairs the U.S. Codex Steering Committees, which provide guidance on U.S. delegations to the Codex Alimentarius Commission4
  • Oversees the policies and programs of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which:
    • Serves as USDA’s public health regulatory agency responsible for ensuring that the commercial supply of meat, poultry and processed egg products moving in interstate commerce or exported to other countries is safe, secure, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged
    • Aims to protect the public health by significantly reducing the prevalence of foodborne hazards associated with consumption of meat, poultry and egg products
Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Master’s in a public health-related field
• Subject matter expertise on public health issues
• Extensive management experience
• Political experience, either for a legislative body or an executive branch (preferred)

Competencies

• Ability to build relationships with relevant stakeholders (essential)
• Ability to project an inspiring vision for the agency that all employees can easily grasp
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent leadership skills
• Ability to work under high pressure
• Excellent negotiation skills

Past Appointments
  • Brian Ronholm (2016 to 2017): Deputy Undersecretary for Food and Safety, Department of Agriculture; House of Representatives Agriculture Appropriations Associate; Policy Analyst, Akin Gump Strauss Haur and Feld Legislative 5
  • Elisabeth Hagen (2010 to 2013): Chief Medical Officer, Department of Agriculture; Director of Human Health Sciences, Department of Agriculture; Attending Physician of Infectious Disease in Virginia6
  • Richard Allen Raymond (2005 to 2009): Director, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Regulation & Licensure; Chief Medical Officer, State of Nebraska; practiced medicine in rural Nebraska for 17 years7
AGENCY

Department of Agriculture

Mission: To provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition and related issues based on public policy, the best available science and effective management; to provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our nation's natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds and healthy private working lands.

COMPENSATION

Level III $165,300 (5 U.S.C. § 5314)1

REPORTS TO

Deputy Secretary and Secretary2

SENATE COMMITTEE

Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

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Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
  2. https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-organization-chart.pdf
  3. http://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/fy16budsum.pdf
  4. OPM
  5. https://www.linkedin.com/
  6. http://health.usnews.com/doctors/elisabeth-hagen-196163
  7. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/18/AR2005111801305.html
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