This position is located with the Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center in Ames, IA. You will provide services in veterinary care and research support consistent with animal welfare and overall animal use programs.

Duties

Provides primary veterinary care during a daily work schedule and on-call basis outside of operating hours on a rotating basis. Responsible for supervising a team of supervisory technicians and veterinary technicians, as well as indirectly supervising animal care technicians. Ensures that appropriate facilities, personnel, equipment, and services are available to provide care and that appropriate methods are used to control, prevent, diagnose and treat injuries and diseases. Keeps abreast of scientific developments for the proper care and maintenance of animals and supports the implementation of these procedures. Conducts the training of employees, and other personnel, such as field personnel, stakeholders, regulatory officials, and international visitors involved in care, treatment, and use of animals. Ensures that staff are following established regulations, policies and guidelines for animal care and biocontainment procedures. Reviews and/or writes standard operating procedures (SOPs) that involve the use of animals. Maintains appropriate state veterinary license, State and Federal Controlled Substances registration for dispensing and administering controlled substances.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born 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 E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
• Must be medically able to wear personal protective equipment, including but not limited to disposable and full facepiece type respiratory protection.
• Department of Justice (DOJ) background investigation for Select Agent usage required.
• Required to have or obtain an Iowa Veterinary License and maintain it during employment with NADC. Also required to have or obtain a DEA permit for controlled substances.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.

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. Basic Requirements: 1. 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 web site, http://www.avma.org (external link), has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools. OR 2. Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (Refer to AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org (external link)for information about schools in this category) must meet one of the following requirements. Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG). 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). 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. Under this provision, equivalency is established only if an AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college accepts the graduate's 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). 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: 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; 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 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. Specialized Experience: Qualifying experience for GS-13 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-12 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience providing primary veterinary care; upholding and securing animal holding and biocontainment facilities to regulation and procedural standards; performing major and minor surgery on animals; maintaining a pharmacy of controlled substances; and authoring and reviewing research and operating procedures for a research facility. OR Education Substitution: Ph.D. degree in an area of specialization, including but not limited to, animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position. OR Residency/Post-Graduate Training Programs: Successful completion of three years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position. OR Board Certification: Successful completion of all requirements for a Diplomate status in an American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) recognized specialty organization. Such specialties may include, but are not limited to, veterinary toxicology, laboratory animal medicine, poultry veterinary medicine, theriogenology, veterinary anesthesiology, veterinary behaviorists, veterinary clinical pharmacology, veterinary dermatology, veterinary emergency and critical care, veterinary internal medicine, veterinary microbiology, veterinary nutrition, veterinary ophthalmology, veterinary pathology, veterinary preventive medicine, veterinary radiology, veterinary medicine, and veterinary dentistry. 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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 5601 Sunnyside Ave Beltsville, MD 20705 US
• Name: Nelly Wilson
• Phone: (703) 259-9360
• Email: [email protected]