Veterinary Medical Officer

Full Job Description

The incumbent serves as a Senior Veterinary Medical Officer with nationwide authority and responsibility across multiple mission-critical areas within the U.S.

Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Managing complex policy, technical expertise, regulatory functions and related authorities.

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-14 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Applying advanced veterinary medical and scientific expertise to analyze complex or emerging animal welfare issues, particularly as they relate to equids, but also includes small pets, and transportation, and develop national solutions, policies, or regulatory recommendations.

Leading or participating in national-level policy development efforts involving multi-disciplinary teams addressing regulatory oversight of veterinary biologics, biologics safety, risk assessment, and animal health programs.

Managing or overseeing national databases or information systems related to veterinary biologics, including evaluating quality control, production standards, validation data, and risk factors for domestic and foreign-produced products.

Conducting expert evaluations of veterinary biologics for potential use during domestic and foreign animal disease outbreaks and advising agency leadership on suitability, risks, regulatory implications, and acquisition strategies.

Providing senior-level consultation to field staff, enforcement units, leadership, or external stakeholders on complex cases, technical issues, regulatory interpretations, or policy impacts.

Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level. 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 may include, but are not limited to:
• Serves as the agency’s senior expert on providing authoritative regulatory interpretation of horses covered by the Horse Protection Act, as well as the regulatory requirements for pet animals and the transportation of all regulated species.
• Guides national policy development for the veterinary biologics industry within multi disciplinary teams to ensure consistent, compliant regulatory frameworks.
• Provides senior technical consultation on complex facilities, enforcement actions, and high impact regulatory matters.
• Supports national emergency readiness through guidance on biologics acquisition strategies and regulatory pathways.
• Assesses production methods, validation data, and risk factors for domestic and foreign biologics and advises on national regulatory impacts.
• Evaluates domestic and foreign biologics for suitability during foreign animal disease emergencies and provides expert recommendations to leadership.
• Represents APHIS in national and external engagements with federal and state partners, industry, and scientific stakeholders.
• Reviews applications for US Veterinary Biologic Establishment Licenses, Product Licenses and Permits for conformance with the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act.
• Reviews and evaluates the manufacturing, immunological, microbiological, and clinical effects of new veterinary biological products (vaccines, antibody therapies, and diagnostic test kits).