This position is located within the Veterinary Medical Unit (VMU) of Research Service. The VMU is responsible for husbandry and housekeeping for animals used by the veterinary health technicians and biological laboratory technicians for research purposes. The Animal Caretaker is responsible for the care and maintenance of a variety of species of laboratory animals (mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish).

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities include:

Requirements

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: The physical strength and manual dexterity to safely work with all species of animals, both wild and domestic, are required. Animal caretakers may need to use strength or agility to capture and restrain stronger or more active animals. Incumbent must walk or stand for extended periods of time and frequently work in a bent position. Often light physical exertion is required to lift, restrain, or handle laboratory animals. Incumbent must lift and carry feed material weighing up to forty pounds (e.g. cages and feed bags) and handle feed trays that weigh up to twenty pounds. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Dexterity and SafetyMaterialsTechnical PracticesUse and Maintain Tools and Equipment IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. 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, knowledge, and skills 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 job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Contacts

• Address Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System 11301 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90073 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]