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

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-11. At the GS-09 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.

The major duties include but are not limited to:

Program Management and Supervisory Duties

• Sets the overall objectives and resource allocations to support all research activities within the Animal Care program;
• Possesses delegation with complete responsibility and authority for both VA staff and non-VA staff in the Research Animal Care programs;
• Sets work schedules and agendas and supervises staff to ensure that all matters of animal program administration are addressed;
• Assigns and directs the work of the VMU caretaker staff in the day-to-day operation of the facility, including feeding, cleaning, and other aspects of research animal husbandry, ensuring the health status of the research animals;
• Works with Chemical Hygiene officer/committee manager to ensure all aspects of the animal laboratory research program are conducted following strict and complex guidelines;
• Develops and analyzes Animal Care and Use program priorities and objectives;
• Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets and adjusts short term priorities, prepares schedules for completion of work, assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, the difficulty of the work to be performed, and the capabilities of employees, and develops performance standards for subordinates;
• Advises, counsels, and/or instructs all subordinates on both work and administration matters;
• Hears and resolves complaints from employees;
• Possesses responsibility for all VMU cost accounting and daily record keeping;
• Prepares and recommends the annual budget and VMU changes;
• Advises all principal investigators about laboratory and surgical methods, material transfer agreements, and memorandums of understanding;

• Ensures that the VMU's physical plant, its staff training, and day-to-day operating procedures conform with the National Research Council's "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals", in order that the CVHCS's Veterinary Medical Unit facility can maintain full accreditation by Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), International;
• Plays a critical support role in developing and coordinating internal review systems to ensure that animal welfare, scientific, and administrative activities are compliant with agency accrediting and regulatory requirements;
• Prepares for inspections of animal facilities by accrediting bodies such as AAALAC, International, and other inspecting bodies such as institutional animal care and use committees;
• Maintains relationships with private company representatives and VA and non-VA oversight officials to identify, obtain, and implement the most innovative and efficient means for the care and treatment of research animals;

• Develops, recommends, and implements procedures and policies to comply with current regulations and accepted standards regarding animal welfare, facility maintenance, and safety practices;
• Conducts routine health examinations on incoming animals and recognizes signs of common lab animal diseases;
• Recognizes and reports abnormal health and behavioral conditions, and properly collects a variety of biological substances for chemical, microbial or serologic tests using proper techniques to obtain samples for culture, serology, and analyses;
• Makes rounds to observe, evaluate, and record progress of animal patients;
• Administers common drugs properly by a variety of routes and acts as a resource person for research staff when anesthesia is needed for common rodent species;
• Administers prescribed pre- and post-surgical care and physiologic monitoring for animal patients; and,

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)

• 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.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: You must meet one of the following Basic Requirements below to be eligible for the Supervisory Animal Scientist, GS-0487-9/11. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcript (unofficial or official) with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Display copies of degrees or course listings do not provide the information needed. Education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. Experience must be fully documented in your resume.

Degree: Successful completion of a Bachelor's degree (or higher) in animal science, dairy science, poultry science; or a related discipline or field of animal science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic biological and agricultural sciences, and 20 semester hours in animal science. For animal scientist positions, at least 10 of the required 20 semester hours in animal science must have been in courses dealing with the breeding, feeding, production, and management of livestock, and the care and preparation of their products*. ~OR~

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major in the basic biological and agricultural sciences, including a minimum of 20 semester hours in appropriate animal science subjects, as described above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. For animal scientist positions, at least 10 of the required 20 semester hours in animal science must have been in courses dealing with the breeding, feeding, production, and management of livestock, and the care and preparation of their products*.

Evaluation of Education: Course work in such subjects as agronomy, animal, dairy, or poultry science, biology, botany, zoology, microbiology, physiology, genetics, and biochemistry may be used to meet the general 30-semester-hour requirement in the basic biological and agricultural sciences.
*Course work in such subjects as zoology, embryology, animal breeding or genetics, physiology, biochemistry, and any phase of animal, dairy, or poultry science may be used to meet the 20-semester-hour requirement in animal science.
*Course work in animal science includes those subjects dealing with the specific kinds and classes of livestock, e.g., cattle, swine, sheep, or fur bearers, their breeding and development, nutrition, management, and utilization; and the qualities and uses of their products, e.g., meat, wool, or leather.

Note regarding Graduate Education: To be qualifying, graduate study must have been in animal, dairy, or poultry science; or in a specialized subject-matter area of science directly related to these sciences, such as feeds and feeding or nutrition, breeding, and development, physiology, or genetics, where the curriculum or pattern of training placed major emphasis on one of the recognized specialized subject-matter areas of animal science. Graduate study in related disciplines or fields of science, such as agronomy, microbiology, biochemistry, biophysics, and dairy, food, or fiber technology (if it dealt with pertinent products or their production) may also be qualifying, provided the graduate work placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on one of the recognized fields or subject-matter areas of animal science. ~AND~

In addition to the Basic Requirements above, to qualify for this position at the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following:

Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Supervisory Animal Scientist at a development level, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is performing duties similar to that of a GS-11 grade level but of a more limited scope and with less independence such as lead/supervisory experience directing the work of subordinates, managing performance, handling employee complaints, reviewing training needs, etc.; applying knowledge of animal science/animal husbandry to manage animal services for a laboratory research facility; performing work related to animal care and management, conducting policy and guideline reviews, and serving in an advisory capacity regarding research activities involving the use of animals and safety procedures for investigative purposes; ensuring compliance with appropriate laws and regulations; performing analytical studies and interpretation of results to coordinate the evaluation of a facility's research programs/policies and to recommend improvements. ~OR~
Education: Successful completion of two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a Supervisory Animal Scientist. ~OR~
Combination: A combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which may be used to meet total experience requirements for this grade level. This education portion must include graduate courses that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a Supervisory Animal Scientist.

In addition to the Basic Requirements above, to qualify for this position at the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following:

Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Supervisory Animal Scientist, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is lead/supervisory experience such as directing the work of subordinates, managing performance, handling employee complaints, reviewing training needs, etc.; applying knowledge of animal science/animal husbandry to manage animal services for a laboratory research facility; performing work related to animal care and management, conducting policy and guideline reviews, and serving in an advisory capacity regarding research activities involving the use of animals and safety procedures for investigative purposes; ensuring compliance with appropriate laws and regulations; performing analytical studies and interpretation of results to coordinate the evaluation of a facility's research programs/policies and to recommend improvements. At this level, you must have excellent organizational skills, as well as exceptional judgment and decision-making skills; sufficient experience and skill to train research investigators and staff in the handling of animals during procedures and promoting well-being of research animals. ~OR~
Education: Successful completion of three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Supervisory Animal Scientist position. ~OR~
Combination: A combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which may be used to meet total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Supervisory Animal Scientist position.

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

• COMPLIANCE
• ANALYTICAL THINKING
• ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT
• TECHNICAL CREDIBILITY

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.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure your resume include up-to-date contact information (phone number(s), email address(s), etc.)

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• Transcript

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Other (2)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps