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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

The primary purpose of this position is responsible for the daily operator in all departmental areas, ascertain proper maintenance and enforce animal care standards as defined by regulations regarding laboratory animals. Duties will include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Issues and monitors instructions presented by research investigators, recognizes and improves existing VMU conditions. Plans for future expansion or reduction of animal populations, ancillary or professional personnel, supplies, and equipment utilizing skill in all aspects of animal husbandry of various common species of research animals.
• Supervises employees and provides technical information on animal regulations, caging, feeding requirements, equipment, alternative animal models, modification or creation of new caging or equipment to meet the demands of research projects.
• Establishes an animal technician training program; provides training for staff in animal husbandry, surgical and laboratory procedures, administration, and preventive medicine, etc.
• Acts as the Research Chemical Hygiene Officer to provide technical guidance in the development and implementation of the provisions of the plan, which sets for the Chemical Hygiene plans, procedures, equipment, personal protective equipment and work practices that protect employees from health hazards by hazardous chemical used in the workplace.
• Serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Research Safety, Biosafety and Security, applying leadership abilities to provide a safe workplace.
• Manages and directs the daily activities of the VMU independently. Directs regulatory compliance, the veterinarian, the Animal Studies Subcommittee members, the USDA Veterinary Inspector, or the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Council of Accreditation, and reporting actions accomplished to Chief, Research Administration.
• Creates policies and procedures based on guidelines from the Animal Welfare Act, Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Chemical Hygiene Plan/Safety Manual, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulations, Publications in medical journals, Directives, Station Policies, and OSHA regulations.
• Projects supply requirements, animal and equipment procurement. Submits animal duration inventory reports and other pertinent data to facilitate monetary compensation for VMU operations. Record keeping must be detailed, complete and accurate to properly reflect cost accounting expenditures.
• Perform other duties, as necessary.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Requires one full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service. Experience must have been related to the work of the position for which application is made. The specialized experience required for some positions in this series is normally work performed in a controlled environment. Examples of qualifying specialized experience includes: Research activity or control program work; Nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment; Work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice. Farming experience that was not performed in a controlled environment, or experience as a laborer who was not responsible for planning and scheduling his/her own work, but only performed assigned tasks, would not qualify as specialized experience.

In addition to the basic occupational experience described above for entry level positions; to qualify for this GS-10 grade level, specialized experience includes working as a Veterinary Technician in a research veterinary medical unit supervising/leading staff and providing training on animal regulations, caging, feeding requirements, equipment, alternative animal models, modification/creation of new caging or equipment, and laboratory safety to meet the demands of research projects; and managing supply requirements, animal and equipment procurement. (NOTE: Resume must clearly detail experience performed. We will not make assumptions regarding experience. See the announcement duties section for additional position details.) OR

EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successfully completed two and half years (2½) of Graduate level education may be substituted for the specialized experience only in those instances where the education is directly related to the position. OR

COMBINATION (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED):Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience are also qualifying. Both education and experience must be directly related to the position to be creditable.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS: Employee must possess dexterity, as well as the ability to lift objects weighing 50 pounds; requires walking, bending, stooping, and standing. Employee is exposed to minimum radiation exposure, biohazards, and contact with caustic cleaning chemicals. High noise levels in certain animal rooms, as well as the cage cleaning machine may be experienced. Exposure to bites, scratches, kicks, or diseases due to the unpredictable nature of animals is a potential occupational hazard.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.