As the District Director, you will be responsible for formulating, coordinating, and directing all Field Operations activities and personnel within the assigned States that make up the District for Veterinary Service (VS). You must plan, organize, coordinate and conduct animal health and disease programs; your work will have direct effect upon the Nation's agricultural economy and public health.

Duties

The duties may include, but are not limited to: Supervising subordinates more than 25% of the time including, but not limited to, recruitment, selecting, appraising, rewarding, addressing performance problems, and fostering an inclusive workplace. Represents VS on all matters for the District, including with the media and Congressional contingents, at national meetings, and on standing or ad hoc committees and work groups. Fulfills program objectives within resource allocations or the effect of advice and influence on overall VS program administration. Collaborates with others to recommend funding levels, develop budget plans, operating plans and emergency response strategies, and integrate programs. Provides opportunities for District cross FiOps sub-unit consultation and collaboration in anticipating, assessing, and addressing organizational, logistical, medical, and regulatory issues. Leads the coordinated implementation of complex scientific animal health programs and initiatives. Directs efforts to combat incursions of foreign animal diseases through prompt detection, assessment of needs, and appropriate response. Reviews and evaluates individual program efforts to determine disease risk and to ensure cost effectiveness, public and industry acceptance, productivity, and overall efficiency. Oversees the preparation and approval of administrative reports, briefings, position papers, and other written materials related to the Districts operations and expertise.

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.
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
• In accordance with Office of Government Ethics regulations concerning conflict of interest, the incumbent will be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of their effective date of appointment and annually thereafter.
• All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
• Conferred Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree with application. See "Education" section below for more details.
• In accordance with Office of Government Ethics regulations concerning conflict of interest, the incumbent will be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of their effective date of appointment and annually thereafter.
• Travel to field locations is subject to unscheduled, extensive, overnight details of undetermined lengths in the event of animal health emergencies or other conditions requiring immediate response.
• Travel to foreign countries requires obtaining an Official Government Passport.
• Directs subordinate supervisors and/or contractors, each of whom direct substantial workloads and are physically dispersed in many different locations throughout the District.
• Frequently deals with issues and concerns that require intervention and decision making by the highest level of medical authority in the agency.
• The work requires normal safety precautions typical of office settings, meeting rooms, and commercial travel.
• Occasional, infrequent assignments may require visits to secured areas, such as import centers, laboratories, etc., where protective gear will be required.
• There is a high risk potential for exposure to unsafe working conditions and disease causing agents, some of which are highly contagious, infectious, and communicable to humans.
• Special safety control coordination, biosecurity, and biosafety precautions must be exercised and followed at appropriate times.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement outlined in the Education section below. FOR THE GS-15 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-14 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Clearly interpreting and effectively executing State and Federal laws, regulations, procedures and guidelines applicable to animal health and veterinary medicine. Planning, conducting, coordinating and evaluating animal health and disease programs and emergency responses in a collaborative and team-based environment. Leading teams of personnel in a manner that motivates employees to establish, promote and achieve program goals. Developing organizational, budget and staffing plans to meet strategic objectives. Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. 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

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA website has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools. AVMA website: https://www.avma.org

OR

Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education must meet one of the following requirements:
a) Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG);
b) Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT);OR
c) Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. An AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college must have accepted the final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g., residency or graduate program).

In addition, graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below:
a) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE.
b) Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing; OR
c) Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing.

Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must submit test results with their application. Results of more than one test or testing session cannot be combined to meet the standard.

Waiver Provision: English language proficiency assessments may be waived for qualified job applicants whose native language is English (i.e., the official or common language of an individuals country of birth is English) who submit a diploma or other official documentation as proof of graduation from a high (secondary) school where the entire curriculum and educational programs were taught in the English language for the entire 3 or 4 years of full-time attendance.

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]