We will be collecting applications for this position at the 2024 MANRRS Conference, as well as on-line. Please see "How to Apply".
If selected for this internship position, you'll serve as an APHIS trainee working at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. You'll learn husbandry and management techniques for large/small mammals or reptiles. The focus project will be Andean bear pregnancy and maternal care.
Summary
We will be collecting applications for this position at the 2024 MANRRS Conference, as well as on-line. Please see "How to Apply".
If selected for this internship position, you'll serve as an APHIS trainee working at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. You'll learn husbandry and management techniques for large/small mammals or reptiles. The focus project will be Andean bear pregnancy and maternal care.
Students who have been accepted for enrollment or who are enrolled at least half-time in an accredited high school, college, professional, technical, vocational, or trade school pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate.
Performs varied assignments designed to provide on-the-job training and experience in activities conducted by Animal Care.
Performs animal technician work with a highly technical Biologist or Curator whose duties consist of performing inspections to determine the physical and psychological well-being of animals covered by
Observes and performs routine inspections on reptiles and exotic animals, including lions, tigers, and bears, elephants, and primates that are owned by or in the custody of the National Zoo.
An oral presentation will be required at the completion of the project.
Must be available to work at the National Zoo during internship period 2 days per week. This position is eligible for telework 3 days per week.
Rabies vaccination required.
Weekly contact with Carnivore Curator required.
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.
ELIGIBILITY: Students who are currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis at a qualifying educational institution in a certificate, degree, or diploma program.
Applicants can qualify by meeting the EDUCATION requirements specified below.
GS-4: Completion of 2 full academic years (60 semester or 90 quarter hours) of post-high school study or an associate's degree.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
Worksite Information: This position is located at the duty station(s) listed in this vacancy announcement and is eligible for telework. You will be expected to report on-site two days a week and tele
This is a temporary Pathways Internship Program appointment not-to-exceed one year and may be extended based on program needs and if the student meets program requirements.
Housing and travel expenses will not be paid.
If selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entrance on duty.
Proof of enrollment or acceptance for the upcoming academic term or semester will also be required unless graduating in the current semester.
A Pathways Participant Agreement will be required if you are selected for a position. The agreement must be signed by all applicable parties prior to entrance on duty.
Student Interns must continue to meet the Pathways Program requirements throughout the duration of the appointment. Incumbents will be required to provide proof of continued enrollment and good standing each semester or grading period throughout the internship program. Failure to do so will result in termination of the appointment.
This is a time limited internship of no more than 12 weeks and does not confer eligibility for conversion to a permanent position.
First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute offers exciting and unique internships that help participants reach a range of academic and professional goals.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Before you submit an application for this vacancy, please carefully review the position requirements. Please apply only if you meet the required minimum qualifications AND Pathways Internship program eligibility requirements described in the announcement. Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. If you have reviewed the announcement and believe that you meet both the minimum qualifications and the program requirements, you should document your experience and education in your resume. Since traditional resumes do not always provide all the information needed to determine your status, you should create a more detailed resume to use when applying to Federal positions. Your resume should include:
Type of degree and date it was received or is expected to be received
Statement of U.S. citizenship
Job announcement number
Work and/or volunteer experience including employment dates, hours worked per week, salary and supervisor information
References
Please ensure that your resume contains your full name, permanent address, contact phone number and email address.
Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements of the Pathways Internship program and the basic qualification requirements established for the position may be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Qualified applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference.
Note: 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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications; and 5) supervisors name and phone number for each work period listed and whether or not they may be contacted for reference checks.
College Transcripts: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. For further information, visit the following: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Proof of student status is required. Applicants must submit one of the following: a letter of acceptance to an accredited college or university for an upcoming academic term; OR Transcripts showing current enrollment at an accredited college or university; OR A letter on college/university stationery stating that you are enrolled for the current academic term.
If claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions within 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The certification must be on the letterhead of the appropriate military branch and include the dates of military service. Veterans' preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. The following instructions outline our application process for this announcement.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will be at the 38th Annual Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) Conference accepting applications for this position. We will be accepting applications in person from 1 PM to 5 PM on Friday, March 22nd. The location of the conference is the Chicago Marriott Downtown located at 540 Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611 and applications will be accepted or redirected in Booth #616 at the Career Expo. For directions or information about the venue please call 312-836-0100 or visit https://www.manrrs.org/manrrs38-travel-information
If you cannot apply in person, you may submit your complete application online. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
If you cannot apply in person, you may submit your complete application online. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on an as-needed basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
APHIS conducts hiring events such as this one throughout the year as part of our overall recruitment strategy. We will announce additional Pathways job opportunities in the future. You are encouraged to monitor USAJOBS for future vacancy announcements.
What to expect next: After the conclusion of the event and deadline for alternative submission, your application package will be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualification and eligibility requirements for the position. Qualified veterans' preference eligibles will receive selection priority over non-veterans. You will be notified if you are referred to the selecting official for consideration, and then if you were selected or not selected. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
If applying in person or online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account. You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.
NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA APHIS MRPBS
250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410
Minneapolis, MN 55401
US
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to MRP.Fairchance@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications; and 5) supervisors name and phone number for each work period listed and whether or not they may be contacted for reference checks.
College Transcripts: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. For further information, visit the following: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Proof of student status is required. Applicants must submit one of the following: a letter of acceptance to an accredited college or university for an upcoming academic term; OR Transcripts showing current enrollment at an accredited college or university; OR A letter on college/university stationery stating that you are enrolled for the current academic term.
If claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions within 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The certification must be on the letterhead of the appropriate military branch and include the dates of military service. Veterans' preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. The following instructions outline our application process for this announcement.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will be at the 38th Annual Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) Conference accepting applications for this position. We will be accepting applications in person from 1 PM to 5 PM on Friday, March 22nd. The location of the conference is the Chicago Marriott Downtown located at 540 Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611 and applications will be accepted or redirected in Booth #616 at the Career Expo. For directions or information about the venue please call 312-836-0100 or visit https://www.manrrs.org/manrrs38-travel-information
If you cannot apply in person, you may submit your complete application online. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
If you cannot apply in person, you may submit your complete application online. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on an as-needed basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
APHIS conducts hiring events such as this one throughout the year as part of our overall recruitment strategy. We will announce additional Pathways job opportunities in the future. You are encouraged to monitor USAJOBS for future vacancy announcements.
What to expect next: After the conclusion of the event and deadline for alternative submission, your application package will be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualification and eligibility requirements for the position. Qualified veterans' preference eligibles will receive selection priority over non-veterans. You will be notified if you are referred to the selecting official for consideration, and then if you were selected or not selected. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
If applying in person or online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account. You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.
NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA APHIS MRPBS
250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410
Minneapolis, MN 55401
US
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to MRP.Fairchance@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
