Summary

This position is located in the Raleigh District, providing in-plant coverage. You will be responsible for veterinary duties associated with food safety, animal welfare, foreign animal disease surveillance, antemortem and postmortem procedures and dispositions, and export certification.

Shifts and species vary based on assignment.

For information contact Laura Hutchison, (919) 214-1984, laura.hutchison@usda.gov.

Employee may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Raleigh District.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to current Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) employees with competitive status, individuals eligible under the USDA Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or employees on the USDA Reemployment Priority List (RPL).

Duties

Interpret and analyze guidelines and regulations.
Implement guidelines, policies, and regulations to provide personnel support.
Conduct research and investigations to make judgments and recommendations.
Foster working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Communicate guidelines and process to plant personnel.
Draft recommendations, reports, and guidance documents.
Apply veterinary medical concepts, principles, and practices.
Perform routine onsite humane handling and good commercial practices.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt from registration
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
You may be subject to a one-year supervisory probationary period unless previously completed. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.

Qualifications

Please reference the specific Office of Personnel Management (OPM) qualifications standards for the 0701 Job Series.

You must meet all the experience and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Time in grade: You must have completed 52 weeks at the GS-12 grade to meet the time-in-grade requirement.

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade that demonstrates the ability to perform, plan or manage veterinary medical activities, including:

Experience applying and enforcing policies, practices, and regulations.
Knowledge of veterinary medical concepts, scientific literature, and emerging issues related to food safety.
Experience coordinating new or revised veterinary medical policies, methods, or procedures.
Experience interpreting and applying the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures of the inspection program such as humane handling, antemortem, postmortem, inspection procedures conducted in slaughter establishments, Hazardous Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), or Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP).
Experience establishing and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

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

Education

In addition to the specialized experience requirement, you must meet the following basic education requirement to qualify:

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA website has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools.

Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (Refer to AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org(external link)for information about schools in this category) must meet one of the requirements in the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications standard for the Veterinary Medical Science Series 0701: Veterinary Medical Science Series 0701

Additional information

Applicants must:

Be physically and medically able to efficiently perform the essential job functions, without being a direct threat to themselves and others.
Have full range of motion to perform rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level.
Be able to stand and walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks, and climbing stairs and ladders.
Be able to lift, carry, push and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
Have manual dexterity of the upper body, including arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in both hands.
Have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye.
Have the ability to distinguish shades of color. Any significant degree of color blindness (more than 25 percent error rate on approved color plate test) may be disqualifying.
Individuals with some hearing loss and/or requiring hearing amplification will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in the announced duty locations

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified or above, based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Accountability
Decision Making
Oral Communication
Organizational Awareness
Technical Competence (Veterinary)
Written Communication

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

You must complete all required steps in the application process. In addition to the application and assessment questionnaire, this position requires a preliminary resume and education review to evaluate competencies and education required to perform the job.

The experience and education described on your resume must be accurate and sufficiently detailed information to clearly demonstrate that you have the listed competencies. All information used to evaluate your application must be received by the closing date of the announcement. No documents can be accepted once the announcement closes.

If we determine that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12972499

The preview does not initiate the application process. To begin the application, click the "Apply" button.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume Your resume cannot be longer than two pages and must include the following:

Personal information: name, address, contact information
Education
Work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications.
Your application may be disqualified if you include any of the information listed here: What should I leave out of my resume?

Transcripts: This position has a basic education requirement that must be met to qualify. Transcripts are required, and you must submit a copy of all relevant college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty.

Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation, and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

Current and former Federal employees:

Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade
Performance appraisal dated within eighteen months showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.

Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP or RPL: You must provide proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and submit the documents as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EDT) to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.

2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.

3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (EDT) on the announcement closing date.

4. If you are required complete any USA Hire assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click Track this application to return to your assessment completion notice.

5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.

6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.

7. Set aside at least three hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.

8. In most cases, your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year from the date you complete the assessment. If future applications require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: USA Hire Assessments..

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit My Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on Job Status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.

If you do not have access to the Internet, you are strongly encouraged to visit your library, state employment office, or another establishment that provides internet service to complete the online application and the assessment questionnaire. If this is not an option, refer to the Alternative Methods for Applying section below for specific instructions.

Agency contact information

James Morrin

Phone: 612-852-7619
Email: james.morrin@usda.gov

Address: Food Safety and Inspection Service
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US

Next steps

Once you submit your application, you will receive a notification that it has been received. Your application will be reviewed to ensure you meet the basic qualification and eligibility requirements. We will review resumes and transcripts for eligible applicants to determine those who are the most highly qualified for the position.

You will receive a notification through USAJOBS once the most highly qualified applicants are referred to the selecting official for consideration, adn when a selection has been made. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness for the position 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.

Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to fsis.fca@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

Veterinary Medical Officer (District Veterinary Medical Officer) Job