Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Animal)

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Animal Facility, Research Service within the Central Arkansas VA Healthcare System in Little Rock, AR.

The Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Animal) performs duties related to the care and feeding of research animals.

To qualify for this position at the GS-6 level, you must meet one of the following: Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal service.

Experience must have been related to the work of the position for which application is made.

The specialized experience required for some positions in this series is normally work performed in a controlled environment.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Research activity or control program work; Nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment; Work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice.

Farming experience that was not performed in a controlled environment, or experience as a laborer who was not responsible for planning and scheduling his/her own work, but only performed assigned tasks, would not qualify as specialized experience.

Specialized experience also includes working experience assisting with conducting research by collecting and entering biological data related to animal science; maintaining records for animal care, feeding, treatment, disposal and environmental monitoring; and assisting with training of new personnel.

NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.

~OR~Education: Successfully completed one-half year of graduate education (9 semester hours) that includes courses directly related to the work of this position (i.e., biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics) that may be substituted for the experience required.

Such graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials.

Education cannot be credited without documentation.

~OR~Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience that may be used to meet total experience requirements.

This education must include courses directly related to the work of the position (as described above) and must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job).

Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.

The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience with animal husbandry in a research environment.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) Certification or Veterinary Technician Certification is preferred, but not required.

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/.

Major Duties:

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 4 years).

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.

The major duties include but are not limited to: Follows correct procedures with respect to husbandry requirements as specified by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) standards; Records and interprets environmental data such as room temperature and humidity to recognize aberrations and takes corrective action; Recognizes facility equipment malfunctions and reports to proper authority; Performs minor equipment checks or maintenance after consultation with facility supervisor or service representative; Develops and implements environmental enrichment program with support from facility supervisor; Serves as a resource to research staff, providing input and assistance as experience and time will allow; Utilizes knowledge in bio-safety practices and precautions associated with care of animals and facility; Uses computer software programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel used in facility record keeping; Trains new employees in husbandry duties and facility procedures; Maintains animal facilities neatly, cleanly, and orderly according to established AAALAC accreditation standards; Operates basic equipment as required to maintain facility such as sterilizer, cage washer, glassware washer, incinerator, etc.; Maintains sufficient supplies and equipment necessary to maintain and operate the animal facility; Provides assistance to Investigators; Observes animals on a daily basis to note and record new births, animals being treated fore illness and being used for experiments with infective organisms and making records as indicated; Maintains routine records such as posting receiving dates and dates of birth, recording temperatures, food consumption, number of animals housed in the facility, etc.; Observes animals and notifies investigator and/or technician in charge when obvious changes take place in animal's condition (i.e., sores that develop, tooth problems, listlessness, etc.); and Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required