Job Description

Summary

This Job Opportunity Announcement has been extended to: March 15, 2024, to attract additional applicants.

This position is located within the Veterinary Medical Unit (VMU). The VMU is responsible for husbandry and housekeeping for animals used by the veterinary health technicians and biological laboratory technicians for research purposes. The Animal Caretaker is responsible for the care and maintenance of a variety of species of laboratory animals.

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Overview

* Accepting applications

* Open & closing dates

02/23/2024 to 03/15/2024

* Salary

$20.12 - $23.47 per hour

* Pay scale & grade

WG 5

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

* Omaha, NE

* Remote job

No

* Telework eligible

No

* Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

* Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

* Appointment type

Term - 366 days

* Work schedule

Part-time - 20 Hours

* Service

Competitive

* Promotion potential

None

* Job family (Series)

5048 Animal Caretaking

* Supervisory status

No

* Security clearance

Other

* Drug test

No

* Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

* Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

* Announcement number

CARZ-12325593-24-DEG

* Control number

778141800

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This job is open to

* The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

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Duties

NOTE: This is a part-time position (4hrs 5days week). Benefits and time-off accrual will be prorated and based on your part-time work schedule.

NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 1-year and 1- day). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration (more than 1 year but not more than 4). Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition (up to the 4-year maximum). The appointment to a Term position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment.

Major duties and responsibilities include:

* Examining each animal daily for health conditions.

* Observing and recognizing animal appearance or health abnormalities, and reporting these to the animal facility supervisor or Veterinary Medical Officer (VMO).

* Administering prophylactic treatment and simple medications to animals, including injections of antibiotics, anesthetics, analgesics, etc. as directed by the supervisor.

* Holding and restraining laboratory animals (all species) while they are manipulated by other caretakers or VMO.

* Assisting the supervisor, or VMO in receiving and processing newly arrived animals.

* Collecting biological specimens (feces, urine, blood, and microbiological specimens) for clinical laboratory examination as directed by the supervisor.

* Checking and maintaining the animal and cage identification system as directed by the supervisor.

* Euthanizing animals, using prescribed methods, when so directed by the supervisor.

* Performing other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm; Part-time, typically 5 days per week, at 4 hours per day. May occasionally need to work earlier or later, on weekends, and on holidays.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

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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

* You may be required to serve a probationary period

* Pre-employment physical required

* Subject to background/security investigation

* Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

* Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

* Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: The physical strength and manual dexterity to safely work with all species of animals, both wild and domestic, are required. Animal enclosures, including cages, vary in size from shoebox dimensions to the size of a moderate dining table, and can be heavy and quite bulky. The incumbent will be required to manipulate these items around a large cagewasher and sterilization equipment, which also requires strength and dexterity to work safely. Varies from the aseptic, ideally controlled environment (such as that of the surgical suite) to that of excesses of temperature, humidity and poor air quality encountered in field conditions. Work in the rack/cagewashing area involved exposure to high temperatures and humidity. The work environment includes exposure to allergens, humidity and odors in animal rooms and necropsy areas, exposure to exotic and zoonotic diseases, animal bites and scratches, and biological and carcinogenic hazards. Requires physical strength and manual dexterity to safely work with animals and equipment. Required to lift and carry light (under 15 lbs), moderate (15-44 lbs), and heavy (over 45 lbs) items. Work requires repeated bending, and climbing.

Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume.

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

* Dexterity and Safety

* Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)

* Materials

* Measuring Instruments

* Technical Practices

* Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment

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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (202) 020-2020.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

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* Benefits

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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.

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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.

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;

* 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.

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Financial disclosure not required.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Job Tags

Hourly pay, Holiday work, Permanent employment, Full time, Temporary work, Part time, Work experience placement, Relocation, Monday to Friday,

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