Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Veterinary Medical Officer

Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

If selected, you will be working within an assigned geographic area as an entry level Veterinary Medical Officer within Veterinary Services (VS), Field Operations (FiOps) to promote animal health through disease detection and diagnosis, analysis, control, eradication, and prevention. Your work regarding the health status and disease potential of animals and their products and by-products may affect state-federal disease control programs nationwide.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/28/2022 to 05/04/2022
Salary
$66,214 to - $119,922 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Locations
21 vacancies in the following locations:
Jacksonville, FL
Statesboro, GA
Hawaii County, HI
Bonner County, ID
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DH-11475307-22-VS
Control number
651380700

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy. Current veterinary students who will complete their degree by June 30th, 2022, may also apply, however DVM conferral is required before start date.

Duties

Help
  • 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:
  • May potentially be supervising subordinates less than 25% of the time including, but not limited to, monitoring work, providing advice, evaluating performance, initiating awards, and authorizing leave approval.
  • Develop and revise medical, program, and inspection procedures to safely and securely handle animals exposed to contagious diseases and properly release or quarantine animals with disease risks.
  • Inspect animals for evidence of disease conditions, assess health status, diagnose clinical symptoms of suspect animals, advise avenues for seeking treatment, and recommend preventive care.
  • Inspect animals, facilities, and records for compliance with federal laws related to animal health and welfare.
  • Certify the health of animals and their by-products to be exported to other countries.
  • Collaborate with local, state, and federal officials with similar responsibilities involving the oversight of animal health and welfare.
  • Evaluate animal health program operations that are experiencing herd or flock disease problems to determine solutions needed to adjust veterinary medical or program procedures.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • 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.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • 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/
  • Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
  • Conferred Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree with application. See "Education" section below for more details.
  • This position is subject to unscheduled overnight details of undetermined lengths in the event of animal health emergencies or other conditions requiring immediate response, as required by the agency.
  • As an essential function, travel and work both in and outside of the United States in the performance of assigned duties is required.
  • Employees may be asked or assigned to participate in rotating temporary duty assignments in foreign countries to support port services or emergency programs which requires obtaining an Official Government Passport.
  • There is exposure to discomforts and disease conditions and toxic agents, some of which are highly contagious, infectious, noxious, and communicable or harmful to humans. Special clothing, equipment, and other safeguards are required.
  • This position has been designated as Remote eligible with Geographical Restrictions. The locations advertised are not all-inclusive; selectees are required to establish a home address near the advertised region prior to start of employment.

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. Current veterinary students who will complete their degree by June 30th, 2022, may also apply, however DVM conferral is required before start date.

All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement outlined in the Education section below.

FOR THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants who meet the basic requirements as outlined in the "Education" section qualify for this grade level.


FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of professional veterinary experience obtained after receipt of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

OR

Successful completion of a Master's 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 other sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position.

OR

RESIDENCY/POST GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE GS-12 GRADE LEVEL: Successful completion of two years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position. Applicants should provide a certificate or letter documenting the completion of this program.


TRANSCRIPTS are required. This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. this education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college or university.


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.

Additional information

  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be well qualified, which means having knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies that exceed the minimum qualification requirements for this position.
  • First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
  • Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
  • This position may be eligible to telework based upon the duties of the position.
  • Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
  • Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
  • The work involves strenuous physical demands of conducting animal inspections involving various species and various settings, which may include handling and restraining animals, monitoring situational awareness to mitigate risks of physical attack (or other impact) by animals, crouching during the examination of animals and animal facilities, safely moving around animal facilities constructed of a variety of materials, and, as it relates to work with livestock, the manual restraint of livestock, prolonged kneeling in areas of high animal concentration for collection of blood samples, climbing during inspection of livestock market facilities, vehicles, or abattoirs, and lifting during the transport and set up of portable cattle chutes.
  • The environment is extremely variable; you will encounter widely varying conditions on farms, ranches, and animal facilities, and may work in confinement units or space, where the work area may be very dusty and have extremely slippery surfaces, with temperatures ranging from very cold to very hot, with varying degrees of humidity, high levels of ammonia from feces, and excessively high pitched noises
  • If selected in Hawaii, employees are subject to a cost of living adjustment (COLA).
  • Some vacancies require duty locations be established in specified counties or cities based on the needs of the position and mission area.
Each of the duty states have the following vacancies:
  • Maine - 1
  • North Carolina - 1
  • Tennessee - 1
  • Virginia - 2
  • Minnesota - 1
  • Wyoming - 1
  • Washington / Oregon - 1
  • Texas - 2
  • Hawaii - 1
  • Ohio - 1
  • Idaho - 1
  • Missouri - 2
  • Kansas - 2
  • Massachusetts - 1
  • New Jersey - 1
  • Florida - 1
  • Georgia - 1
  • California - 1

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all tentatively eligible applicants will be referred to the selecting official. The selecting official will review the applications and make determinations of who to interview and consider further. Applications will be reviewed at the request of the Hiring Manager to ensure that all qualification requirements have been met prior to tentative offers being extended. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11475307

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.