Lead Animal Health Technician

Summary This position is located within the Research Service at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System in Richmond, Virginia. Duties ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Serves as the lead floor manager of the animal facility assisting the VMU Supervisor in daily operations of animal husbandry processes; Organizes and implements a post approval compliance program for IACUC approved protocols; Monitors a wide range of complex and innovative protocols (surgical procedures, postoperative care, tumor maintenance, agent delivery by gavage or injection, behavioral training, etc.); Coordinates and monitors the administration of multiple biomedical research projects; Develops a systematic quality assurance and improvement program; Coordinates and monitors daily health checks, administers medications, treatments, post-surgical care, and oversees experiments by staff; Distributes and balances the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow; Monitors and reviews highly complex examinations and tests on a variety of laboratory animals such as dogs, rats, mice, pigs, and other species; Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 4:00am-12:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Requirements 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 dentification 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 TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-10 GRADE LEVEL, YOU MUST MEET ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service, that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes work such as a laborer, manager, or owner of a livestock ranch or farm involving direct work with livestock, with livestock in a feed lot; as a Livestock Market Inspector; as an Animal Welfare Inspector; or as an assistant to a veterinarian who works with livestock. Additional Specialized Experience at this grade level is supporting veterinarians within a research facility; coordinating and evaluating the operational and environmental procedures of an animal research facility; and communicating with Investigators, biotechnicians, and veterinarians regarding the application of research requirements and training techniques. -OR- EDUCATION: Successfully completed two and one-half (2 ½) years of graduate education directly related to the work of this position with a major study or at least 24 semester hours of courses in zoology, biology, chemistry, or agricultural subjects, which are directly related to the work of this Lead Animal Health Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the 2½ year) and specialized experience (as described above) to meet the requirements of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. A Quality Ranking Factor* has been requested by the facility to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for a position. The quality ranking factor for this position is: "a Master's degree in Lab Animal Science." Applicants who meet this quality ranking factor must submit a transcript with their application to support their response. *Quality Ranking Factors are skills, knowledge, abilities, or other worker characteristics which could be expected to result in superior performance on the job. Quality ranking factors will not be used for screening, but may be used as ranking criteria. Applicants with higher proficiency levels may rank above those with lower proficiency levels on a quality ranking factor. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Animal Husbandry Compliance Inspection Quality Ranking Factor Technical Competence 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. Physical Requirements: Work requires some physical exertion. Most activity will be walking, but other activities will involve standing for extended periods, considerable bending, climbing of step stools/ladders, and carrying of items less than 50 lbs. Involvement in pre-surgical situations may involve some lifting of larger animals such as dogs or pigs. Other situations may involve moving modestly heavy equipment such as portable x-ray machines or cage racks, while using appropriate mechanical assistance (cart, dolly, etc.). 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/. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. 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. Benefits 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 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.