Veterinary Medical Officer

DutiesThis is a non-bargaining unit position.
The closing date of the JOA may be extended when requested by management.
VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Total RewardsWork Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pmCompressed/Flexible Schedule: AvailableTelework: Not AvailableDuty Location Status: Will work from VA owned or leased spacePosition Description Title/PD#: Veterinary Medical Officer (Laboratory Animal Medicine)/ PD127190Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not AuthorizedPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not AuthorizedFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required.Physical Demands: The work involves some physical exertion to inspect or investigate conditions, products, and facilities of small animal populations. It may involve walking, stooping, bending, lifting, and climbing but also in handling, sampling, and the treatment and inspection of animal facilities.

Supervisory Probationary Statement: Applicants selected for this position may be required to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period. Failure to successfully complete the supervisory probationary period will result in the employee being reassigned to a position in the agency of no lower grade and pay than the one the employee left to accept the supervisory or managerial position.Major Duties:

Provides consultations with research staff to determine the most suitable animal model for achieving desired research goals and utilizing procedures that minimize pain and distress to the animals.Implements a plan of disease surveillance within the animal facility to prevent the introduction of diseases, and to detect any diseases as soon as possible to minimize the impact on animal health as well as investigator research projects.Provides medical treatment to animals, as necessary, as well as providing guidance on proper surgical and postoperative measures taken to encourage a rapid recovery from anesthesia.Oversees and maintains necessary records and documentation to ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal standards, rules, directives, regulations, and laws pertaining to the acquisition, care and use, and disposition of animals.Ensures that all animals used in research protocols are handled in a humane and caring manner and that adherence to the protocol is maintained.Maintains accurate records of animal housing costs and charge backs to investigators; conducts analyses of the annual and accumulated animal costs; recommends section of vendors for supplies, equipment, and repair and maintenance.Requirements Conditions of EmploymentYou must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.Selectees may be required to serve a probationary period.Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.A complete application package, i.e., Resume, Transcripts, etc., as required by job announcement.Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.Participation in the Seasonal Influenza Prevention Program for VHA Health Care Personnel (HCP) is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs HCP.All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.Must be proficient in written and spoken English.Pre-employment physical examination/evaluation may be required.Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/22/2024.
You may qualify based on your education/experience as described below.
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing your qualifications on education.
Individual Occupational Requirements:
a. Education
(1) Possess a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the AVMA Council on Education; or
(2) Graduate from a foreign veterinary medical school not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education possessing one of the following:
(a) Proof of certification of final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG); or
(b) Current, 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 AVMA 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); and
(d) 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 include:
1. 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; or
2. Academic tests (listening, writing and speaking) offered by the International English Language II-F32-3Testing 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
3. 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.
b. Licensure
(1) Possess a current, 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 NAVLE or its predecessors, the NBE and the CCT.
(2) An employee who enters this occupation with the basic requirement for licensure, but fails to maintain licensure must be immediately removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee who fails to maintain licensure may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies if a placement opportunity exists.ANDSpecialized Experience: Specialized experience must demonstrate the ability of the applicant to independently perform the veterinary medical duties required for the position. Only experience gained after completing the basic education requirements described in paragraph 3 and in a biomedical research setting in which Public Health Service Policy and United States Department of Agriculture Animal Welfare Act Regulations were applied under the jurisdiction of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee is creditable. Experience gained at a pet veterinary clinic with species commonly used in research does not count towards meeting the specialized experience requirements. When calculating the length of specialized experience, applicants are considered to have gained 1 year of experience through the completion of either 12 months or 52 weeks of specialized experience, whichever comes first. Qualifying part-time specialized experience is credited according to its relation to the full-time workweek (i.e., 40 hours).
You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: overseeing research staff and investigators to ensure activities follow the approved animal research protocol and that all animals are treated in a humane and caring fashion facilitates the development of biomedical research protocols and successful submission of requests for research project support, experience in providing medical and surgical care for large number of animal subjects in medical research and education; experience as member or consultant to policy making committees; experience in planning work to be accomplished by subordinates, setting, and adjusting short-term priorities; experience in developing, implementing, and monitoring a program for personnel having significant animal contact; experience in maintaining accurate records of animal housing costs and charge backs to investigators; conduct analyses of the annual accumulated animal care costs; and experience in developing, directing and conducting a training program for research investigator and technician and laboratory animal medicine.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Administration and ManagementAnimal HusbandryResearchManages Human Resources
To receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your position, you must provide official documentation of such experience as indicated above.
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; religions; 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.Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at .
Education
Residency and Post-Graduate Training:
Residency or post-graduate training in an ACLAM-approved program is creditable towards meeting the grade level requirements. The discipline or specialty of the residency or post-graduate training program must be laboratory animal medicine, laboratory animal science or in an area directly related to the practice of laboratory animal medicine. Applicants must demonstrate successful completion of a residency or post-graduate training program or a level of satisfactory progression in the residency or post-graduate training program. The number of years of residency or post-graduate training required is as follows:
For the GS-14 grade level: 4 years of progressively responsible training in an ACLAM-approved internship, residency program or fellowship training program.
Board Certification:
Board certification for the laboratory animal medicine specialty is demonstrated by ACLAM Diplomate status. ACLAM Diplomate status is creditable with specialized experience or residency and post-graduate training towards meeting the grade level requirements. ACLAM Diplomate status is awarded to individuals who have completed a rigorous post-graduate training or residency program or who have gained specialized laboratory animal experience. ACLAM Diplomates must also meet publication requirements and pass certifying exams. The certifying exams cover laboratory animal biology, laboratory animal resources management, clinical laboratory animal medicine and surgery, laboratory animal pathology and animal experimentation.
NOTE: Specialized experience and residency and post-graduate training requirements listed below must meet the criteria described in the applicable qualifying category above. An applicant with ACLAM Diplomate status may immediately qualify for a position up to the GS-13 grade level. ACLAM Diplomate status is creditable for each grade level as follows:
For the GS-14 grade level: ACLAM Diplomate status and 1 year of specialized veterinary experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level or ACLAM Diplomate status and 4 years of progressively responsible training in an ACLAM-approved internship, residency program or fellowship training program.PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: . All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.
Additional informationReceiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at .This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The closing date of the JOA may be extended when requested by management.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (or the Act) prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from requesting applicant criminal history record information before extending a conditional or tentative offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S.C § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance to VA at vacofairchanceact@va.gov. Applicant written complaints should include the following:Administration name: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)Office name, employee name and contact information or contractor who made contact (if known).Date of contact.Details regarding the job opportunity announcement applied to, and copies of any documents or other evidence related to the complaint.Visit Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) for more information.If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Help

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.
Review our benefitsEligibility 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 EvaluatedYou 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. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.