The employee will serve as a Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Animal) at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Medical Center, in Cleveland, OH. This position requires a broad practical knowledge of animal husbandry and behavior. The employee's primary responsibility is to serve as the technical support to the animal husbandry program of the Veterinary Medical Unit (VMU). They must be able to work independently, work with multiple species of animals and communicate both orally and in writing.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 4 years). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration (more than 1 year but not more than 4). Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition (up to the 4-year maximum). The appointment to a Term position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-5. At the GS-4 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-5. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. Duties will include but may not be limited to the following: Feeds and waters all animals in accordance with verbal and/or written instructions to include special diets as needed. Maintain records for animal care, feeding, treatment, disposal and environmental monitoring. Monitors usage of supplies and notifies supervisor as necessary in order to restock in a timely manner. Collects specimens (blood, urine, tissues) for chemical or histological examination. Prepares for procedures on animals such as anesthetization, surgery and postmortem examinations. Prepares biologic samples for research projects and disease surveillance. Treats customers, internal and external in a courteous, tactful and respectful manner. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, requires occasional weekend and holiday coverage to maintain the Animal Housing Unit. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required.

Requirements

Qualifications

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-4 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-4: Applicants must possess six (6) months of general experience and six (6) months of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. General Experience is (1) any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Experience must have been related to the work of the position for which application is made. To be creditable, the specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-3 grade level if in Federal service. The specialized experience required for some positions in this series is normally work performed in a controlled environment. Specialized experience includes: research activity or control program work; nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment; work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice. This also includes performing animal husbandry and handling of small laboratory animals such as mice, rats, rabbits, etc.; and use and maintenance of various laboratory instrumentation. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE GS-4: - Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to the position to be filled. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION GS-4: - Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-4. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-5 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-5: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level in the Federal Service. Experience must have been related to the work of the position for which application is made. The specialized experience required for some positions in this series is normally work performed in a controlled environment. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: research activity or control program work; nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment; work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice. This specialized experience also includes performing animal husbandry; handling and caring for research animals; maintaining records for animal care and treatment; and maintaining equipment used in the care of animals. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics? At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. The successful completion of a full course of study of at least 12 months in a school for clinical laboratory technicians may be substituted for the 1 year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level for positions involving microbiology and biochemistry technician work. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION GS-5: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-5. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Animal HusbandryAttention to DetailBiologyCommunication 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. Physical Requirements: The work involves pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying objects weighing at least 50 pounds., along with prolonged periods of standing, walking, bending/stooping and twisting. Must be able to restrain, lift or manipulate animals that may weigh in excess of 50 pounds. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address Cleveland ORD VISN 10 Federal Building, 1240 East 9th St Cleveland, OH 44199 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]