Veterinary Medical Officer

Full Job Description

As a Veterinary Medical Officer at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, you are responsible for monitoring various disease agents and providing such information to epidemiologists for national surveillance purposes.

You may be called upon to participate in projects directly involving animals to investigate diseases, characterize pathogens, develop diagnostic tests, or produce reagents.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement outlined in the Education section below.

FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Leading, designing, and troubleshooting the interpretation, development and assessment of immunologic or diagnostic assays.

Leading design and implementation of in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate efficacy of biological countermeasures.

Analyzing and synthesizing scientific data from in vitro and in vivo studies for the purposes of peer reviewed publication and standard operation procedure development.

OR Successful completion of a Master's degree in an area of specialization including, but not limited to: animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or other sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position.

OR RESIDENCY/POST GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE GS-12 GRADE LEVEL: Successful completion of two years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position.

Applicants should provide a certificate or letter documenting the completion of this program. TRANSCRIPTS are required.

This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.

this education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college or university.

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. Major Duties:

• The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Identifies problems, makes recommendations, and creates solutions by developing new tests as required for the successful execution of disease control programs.
• Pathogen isolation, identification, and characterization by collecting and interpreting relevant observational data.
• Communicates with external customers regarding sampling and test results.
• Conducts and participates in training schools and seminars by presenting lectures and demonstrations.
• In accordance with ISO 17025 standards, assists in maintaining quality control of tests performed at NVSL and other approved locations.
• Collaborates and consults with various staff and personnel to analyze problems, recommend technology based solutions, and develop strategies for diagnostic assays.