You will serve as a Canine Instructor, in charge of the training and care of Detector dogs, such as the Jack Russell terrier, that are used to inspect outbound cargo for BTS and the canine handlers assigned to the canine program.

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: Provides regular training to Canine Handlers. Oversees and tracks canine health care, kennel care and maintenance, and training records. Provides new employee orientation, canine program familiarization, protocol training, and testing. Provides annual proficiency training to existing Canine Handlers and evaluates handlers following completion of proficiency training. Provides feedback to the Canine Program Manager and Canine Team Leaders concerning the performance appraisal of Canine Handlers. Manages fleet of government-owned vehicles assigned to canine training program. Coordinates regular maintenance and repair work for vehicles, as necessary. Represents WS when interacting with the general public and other federal, state, and local government agencies, including Department of Defense and commercial shipping companies. Maintains a proficient understanding of USDA, Plant Protection and Quarantine canine training standards, and provides feedback to the Canine Handlers on their activities. Assists the Canine Program Manager and Assistant State Director with hiring of new personnel. Administers written test on canine health and behavior, for all Canine Handlers, annually.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male 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 E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
• Successful completion of one-year trial period.
• Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
• Work may be conducted in remote or isolated environments, including work outside of normal business hours to include nights, weekends, and holidays.
• COLA- In addition to locality pay listed above, this duty location is eligible for COLA. This duty location may also be eligible for partial Post Differential Allowance and Home Leave.
• The combined total of COLA and Post Differential Allowance may not exceed 25% by law.

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. FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level) that demonstrates: Experience utilizing working dogs to inspect cargo, luggage, vehicles, aircraft, urban or wilderness areas (not a complete or exhaustive list) in an indoor and outdoor setting for one or more target odors. Must have basic knowledge of the principles of detector dog training. Basic knowledge constitutes an understanding of how training is done but does not require that the candidate has trained dogs on their own in the past. Basic knowledge could be obtained from on-the-job training, official training from a training instructor, or other comparable source. Experience interacting with the general public, private companies/organizations, and other federal, state, and local government agencies while working with working dogs and establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with those individuals/entities. OR 1 full year of graduate level education OR Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND 1) have a class standing in the upper third of the graduating class, 2) membership in a national scholastic honor society (excluding Freshman honor societies), or 3) must meet certain GPA requirements. GPA requirements: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcripts or as computed based on 4 years of education, or courses completed during the final 2 year of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, e.g., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9). Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Must demonstrate a strong knowledge of the principles and theory of detector dog training. The candidate must have trained detector dogs in the past either on their own or working directly with an experienced detector dog trainer. Strong knowledge could be obtained from on-the-job training, official training from a training instructor, or other comparable source. Experience providing dog team training, evaluations, or quality control tests to canine handlers. Must have a basic knowledge of canine health care, be able to track, organize, and maintain canine health records, and experience establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with veterinarians. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. OR LL.B. or J.D., if related Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: You are qualifying for the position based on education. You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. You are qualifying for this position based on Superior Academic Achievement. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-07/09 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.

Education

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Contacts

• Address Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service USDA APHIS MRPBS 250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410 Minneapolis, MN 55401 US
• Name: MRP Human Resources
• Phone: 612-336-3227
• Email: [email protected]