Summary The position of Lead Animal Health Technician is located in the Office of Research & Development Service at the VA Medical Center - Richmond, Virginia. The Lead Animal Health Technician is responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of the animal research facility involving animal care technology, husbandry, clinical laboratory support and requisition of laboratory animals, related equipment, and supplies at the direction of the Veterinary Medical Unit (VMU) Supervisor. Responsibilities Ensure laboratory is in compliance with the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), Animal Welfare Act (AWA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Health (NIH), and VA regulations. Organize post approval compliance program for IACUC approved protocols. Comprehend and monitor a wide range of complex and innovative protocols (surgical procedures, postoperative care, tumor maintenance, agent delivery by gavage or injection, behavioral training, etc.) to ensure compliance with the approved written protocol as well as with the aforementioned regulations. Provide extensive knowledge of a variety of species (including canines, rats, mice) to perform complex procedures, including but not limited to pacemaker implantation, stereotactic guided brain injections, bile duct cannulations, xenograft implantation, etc., independently or assist with research procedures when veterinary assistance is required. Serve as an educational resource to all technicians and researchers by providing technical assistance and training for complex procedures that may not be encountered in the private veterinary clinic environment. Participate responsibly with research scientist in most phases of the animal research process including development of study plan (in the instance of surgery, determination of best surgical approach and independently reviewing the literature to help predict possible complications of the surgery), ensuring compliance during the long-term research process and resolution of any administrative concerns. Coordinate and monitor daily health checks, administration of medications, treatments, post-surgical care, and overseeing of experiments by staff. Monitor the aseptic surgery rooms to ensure proper PPE is available and that all personnel follow aseptic guidelines during survival surgeries. Manage and implement post-surgical care including recording and independently managing all analgesic administration, supplemental I.V. fluids and specialized or unexpected care that may arise due to the surgical procedure. Distribute and balance the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization, assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload, and assure that each employee has enough work to keep busy. Estimate and report on expected time of completion of work and maintain records of work accomplishments and time expended and prepare production reports as requested. Maintain a current knowledge and answer questions of other employees on procedures, policies, directives, etc. and obtain needed information or decisions from supervisor on problems that come up. Report to supervisor on performance, progress and training needs of employees, and on behavior problems; and Provide information to supervisor as requested concerning promotions, reassignment, recognition of outstanding performance, and personnel needs. Monitor and evaluate animal surgery activity for adherence to approved protocol, quality, sanitation, and efficiency. Monitor and review highly complex examinations and tests (including but not limited to pacemaker implantation, neurologic surgeries, bile duct cannulations, xenograft implantations, cardiovascular surgeries, etc.) on a variety of laboratory animals such as dogs, rats, mice, pigs, and other species. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: May be available upon supervisor approval Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: 03150-0 Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/17/2025. MOST CURRENT SF-50 MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL DISQUALIFY YOU FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience: NOTE: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE MUST BE WELL DOCUMENTED AND DETAILED IN YOUR RESUME. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL DISQUALIFY YOU FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION. Individual Occupation Requirement Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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: Extensive knowledge of animal research technique, veterinary medicine theory, procedures, concepts, principles and methods used in support of veterinarians within a research facility; experience with overseeing the safe use and care of animals, executing animal husbandry and caging plans and implementing policies and laws as outlined by regulatory committees and institutions (e.g., Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), Association for the Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)); experience with coordinating and evaluating the day-to-day 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; experience with working with and communicating with facilities, environmental and security management services concerning building maintenance and emergency situations and ensuring facility infrastructure, security and supply chains are maintained; and working with safety committees and research staff to ensure safety guidelines are followed including with the use of laboratory hazards and biohazards. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: 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. 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 Additional Information VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.