Veterinary Medical Officer (Pathology Branch Chief)

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Pathology Branch (PB) of the Eastern Laboratory (EL), Laboratory Regulatory Operations (LRO), Office of Public Health Science (OPHS).

OPHS develops (i.e., collects, analyzes, and reports) scientific information for meat, poultry, egg products, Siluriformes, and related products and uses that information to assess potential for human health risks at different points throughout the farm-totable continuum.

For the GS-14 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 level) that demonstrates: at least one year of progressively responsible professional veterinary experience equivalent to a GS-13 that demonstrates the ability to administer a Pathology program in accordance with U.S.

and international standards.

Examples of qualifying experience include: providing scientific expertise in pathology to assist others in decision making, participating in investigations with other scientists to diagnose and evaluate physiological conditions that affect animals, utilizing diagnostic tests to identify special disease conditions in animals, and communicating pathology based scientific data and interpretations to ensure understanding and implications of the information.

For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: Veterinary Medical Science Series, 0701.

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

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:

• Provides scientific expertise in pathology to plan, develop, and update analytical and laboratory standards to meet the needs and priorities of FSIS testing programs.
• Supports all related science and public health programs and initiatives as assigned to accomplish the OPHS mission.
• Conducts investigations utilizing services of pathologists, microbiologists, and chemists, as may be required, to diagnose and evaluate the infectious, traumatic, toxic, or abnormal physiological conditions that affect animals.
• Conducts a quality control and assurance program, which meets ISO 17025 standards for measurement of laboratory analytical performance and adherence to official program methodology.
• Organizes and coordinates the proper approach of the Pathology laboratory to complex food safety and wholesomeness issues.
• Oversees the pathology activity which identifies diagnostic tests to be used in identifying specific disease conditions in animals.
• Communicates complex information, both orally and in writing to scientists, program managers, veterinary inspectors, and food inspectors.
• Provides advice concerning the usefulness of certain inspection procedures to ascertain the safety and wholesomeness of carcasses and for the purpose of formulating regulatory and inspection procedures.