Animal Health Technician Job in Fort Belvoir, VA

Vacancy No. CHDE241194000925D Department U.S. Army Medical Command
Salary $55,924.00 to $72,703.00 Grade 7 to 7
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/23/2024 Close Date 1/6/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Fort Belvoir, VA


Summary

About the Position: Serves as an Animal Health Technician for the Fort Belvoir Veterinary Center (VETCEN). Duties include performing technical procedures involving diagnostic imaging, surgery, medicine, critical or general care in support of the VETCEN. Responsible for medical care of Military Working Dogs (MWDs), Government Owned Animals (GOAs), and Privately Owned Animals (POAs) assigned to Belvoir Branch.

Licensed/Certified/Registered Veterinary Technician or Equivalent Licensure preferred.

Duties

  • Prepares records and health certificates for domestic and international travel.
  • Distinguishes normal from abnormal anatomical and physiological findings such as pathological heart and respiratory sounds, abnormal abdominal palpation findings, ataxic gait, and abnormal behavior.
  • Initiates and maintains medical and radiological records for patients in accordance with (IAW) local policies.
  • Monitors condition of wounds under bandages, removes sutures and surgical drains, and administers topical medications.
  • Obtains blood (venipuncture), urine ("clean catch" and cystocentesis), fecal sample, and other clinical specimens from animals for laboratory diagnosis.
  • Monitors vital signs and condition of sedated or anesthetized animals.
  • Monitors patient recovery and rehabilitation following surgery or illness.
  • Performs dental cleaning, dental radiographs, and prophylactic dental care.
  • Cleans, sterilizes, and maintains surgical instruments, equipment, supplies, and premises IAW local policy and guidelines.
  • May need to carry a cell phone and be on call 24 hours a day on a rotational basis to provide emergency veterinary care to Military Working Dogs, based on the needs of the organization.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment. A background investigation and credit check are required.
  • IAW Army Regulation 40-562, this position requires Immunization screening. Hepatitis B immunization is required for all positions with direct patient contact.
  • Applicants tentatively selected for appointment to this position will be required to sign a statement (Condition of Employment) consenting to seasonal influenza vaccinations.
  • This position may require travel away from duty station, TDY 5%. Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.
  • A pre-employment physical may be required, and periodic physicals may be required. Incumbent will have to pass a pre-employment physical to meet the physical efforts requirement.
  • This position may be a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing.
  • Applicants tentatively selected for appointment to this position will participate in drug urinalysis testing, unless currently occupying a TDP within the Department of Defense.
  • Applicants will be required to sign DA (Department of the Army) Form 5019 requiring participation in random drug testing as a condition of employment.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes1) performing technical procedures to facilitate small animal medical and surgical care; AND 2) supporting the work of veterinary medical officers or veterinary medical programs; AND 3) determining vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, hydration status, attitude, etc.) of animals presented for routine sick call or medical evaluation clinics. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-06).

OR

Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field directly related to the work of the position, such as Animal Health and Behavior, Zoology, Biology, Chemistry, or agricultural subjects. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Medical Supply Inventory Management
  • Patient Record Administration Support
  • Technical Credibility

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a(n) Medical Career Field position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • A Licensed Veterinary Technician, Certified Veterinary Technician, Registered Veterinary Technician or Equivalent Licensure is preferred.
  • Recruitment, relocation, or retention incentives MAY be authorized for this position.

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

  • Best Qualified. Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
  • Highly Qualified. Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
  • Qualified. Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position.
You may claim Military Spouse preference.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
2. Other supporting documents:
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
  • This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/06/2025 to receive consideration

  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12650925).
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Address
M1-W08WAA US ARMY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMAND ATLANTIC
DO NOT MAIL
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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