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Animal Facility Specialist

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Office of Research Services (ORS), Division of Veterinary Resources (DVR)

Summary

The position serves as an Animal Facility Specialist in support of one or more research animal care facilities located in Bethesda or the NIH Animal Center (NIHAC) in Poolesville. These facilities house rodents, rabbits, non-human primates, carnivores, and ungulates as well as other species. Facility services include providing animal husbandry, veterinary care and quarantine services.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$85,447 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
NIH-ORS-MP-26-13043620
Control number
881379500

Duties

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If selected for this position, you will perform the following duties:

  • Analyze and evaluate research project requirements for the housing of laboratory animals by species and strain, and allocates facility resources, space, equipment, and manpower to meet expected research demands.
  • Exercises oversight over the maintenance of Government equipment and facility infrastructure.
  • Mediates issues and conflicts by working closely with investigators, veterinarians, technicians, contract supervisors, and the animal care staff to achieve the goals of the facility.
  • Serves as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on a variety of DVR Animal Care Research Support contracts.
  • Identifies program objectives and develops husbandry procedures for each species of animal maintained in the facility.
  • Evaluates animal colony husbandry practices and recommends new procedures to ensure animals are maintained under proper environmental conditions, are provided a nutritionally adequate diet, and are handled in a humane manner.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
  • Applicants must meet all qualifications requirements within thirty (30) calendar days of the closing date of this announcement, including time in grade.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
  • The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
  • This position has a position requirement of being able to lift and move heavy items weighing 50 lbs. with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Qualifications

You qualify at the GS-11 level, if you meet the following qualification requirements: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: providing administrative assistance in managing an animal facility, including procuring equipment, arranging repair and maintenance to facility equipment, and ensuring supplies necessary to provide daily care for laboratory animals in research are maintained and readily available, managing a database system to track, monitor and/or support animal facility, animal care and technical issues; identifying issues and problems in a laboratory animal care and husbandry facility.
OR

EDUCATION:
completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M., if related.
OR

Combination of Education and Experience: a combination of education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

You qualify at the GS-12 level, if you meet the following qualification requirements: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: providing technical assistance in the use of laboratory animals in research; allocating animal facility resources, space, equipment, and manpower to meet expected research demands; resolving issues or problems of a procedural or factual nature relevant to laboratory animal care and husbandry; monitoring laboratory animal colony husbandry practices to ensure that animals are maintained properly.

You qualify at the GS-13 level, if you meet the following qualification requirements: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: evaluating husbandry practices, and modify or establishing new procedures as required to maintain high standards of animal care; evaluating animal welfare laws and/or policies to ensure program compliance; developing guidelines or Standard Operating Procedures covering the administrative aspects of animal husbandry operations for an organization.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13043620

Education

If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

Additional information

  • This position is designated as an "emergency essential" position and the selected candidate will be considered an "emergency essential" employee and will be required to be available, ready, willing, and able to report for duty under all circumstances (e.g., inclement weather, government closings and holidays, lapses in appropriations, non-emergency and emergency situations) for operation 24 hours a day and 365 days per year coverage.
  • At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities: [telework; alternative work schedule].
  • A one-year probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
  • This position requires enrollment of the OMS animal exposure program.
  • Visit Help Applying for helpful information on the application process.
  • Military Spouses selected from this announcement will remain in their current duty location (i.e., the official duty station of the military service member.
  • If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation Information.
  • Veterans' Preference only applies to Schedule A (disability appointment), HHS Reemployment Priority List (RPL) Eligibles, HHS Priority Reemployment List (PRL) Eligibles, and Veterans Recruitment Appointments (if applicable).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

The position(s) advertised in this announcement are covered by the agency's Reemployment Priority List (RPL). RPL candidates will be rated, placed into one of the quality categories below, and referred to the hiring office, once veterans' preference is applied. · Qualified · Well Qualified · Best Qualified

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least 80 points on the assessment(s) and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the largest biomedical research funding organization in the world. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. NIH employs approximately 18,000 employees in varied occupations, all supporting research efforts that improve health and save lives. For more information on NIH's mission and goals, and its 27 Institutes and Centers, visit the NIH website.

Virtually explore the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Bethesda campus, learn about scientific research, and get to know NIH community members who are working to help people live longer, healthier lives: https://www.nih.gov/virtual-tour/.

If you have knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods for assessing management strategies as well as experience working as an Animal Facility Specialist and managing all facility and husbandry aspects of one or more animal research facilities, and want to play a significant role in a dynamic organization, then consider this joining the Facility Management Branch (FMB), Division of Veterinary Resources (DVR) within the Office of Research Services (ORS)!

This position is located in located in Bethesda , Division of Veterinary Resources (DVR), Office of Research Services (ORS). For more information, visit http://www.ors.od.nih.gov.

Agency contact information

Kevin Blake
Phone
843-412-8764
Email
blakekr@mail.nih.gov
Address
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
US

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