Summary This position is located in the Veterinary Medical Unit (VMU) of the Research and Development Service at VA Boston Health Care System in Boston, MA. The Supervisory Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Animal) serves as a VMU Supervisor, overseeing the operations of all VA Boston animal facilities at two locations (Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury). Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION The Supervisory Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Animal) is completely responsible for the management of the (VMU). Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Veterinary Medical Unit and special areas within the centralized facility such as experimental surgery, necropsy, cage washing, waste disposal, and diet preparation areas Controlling the animal population level by setting limitations, approving new animal purchases, and working with investigators to ensure population levels are consistent with the facility's ability to provide proper care Ensuring that the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) standards are maintained and that animal population is treated humanely under guidelines Serving as a permanent consultant to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and keeping them informed on the condition of the facility and research involving animals Overseeing ongoing major construction and maintenance projects occurring in the VMU that can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to complete Administering policies established by the IACUC and SRSS, as well as local and national policies relevant to animal care in a research setting Providing technical consultation to investigators, including facility resources, appropriate animal models, sources of supplies, animals, and equipment, and techniques for animal handling and procedures Assisting with training programs for investigators and technicians who use animal subjects Overseeing the administrative duties concerned with the budget, property, personnel management, and other healthcare facility services in matters of Veterinary Medical Unit operation and management Keeping abreast with up-to-date knowledge and maintains a file of products and sources of medications, instruments, hardware, equipment, and all supplies commonly used in the VMU Originating reports annually regarding facility operations to USDA-APHIS, Department of Human Health Services (DHHS), and AAALAC, Int., Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), and Chief, VMO in VACO Monitoring the cost of animal care, recommending rate adjustments when needed. Handles personnel management and cost analysis, budgetary and bookkeeping matters about the VMU Supervising the VMU facility staff including all aspects such as day-to-day operations and procedures, scheduling assignments, performance evaluation, counseling, instructions, training, etc. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized 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 Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Qualifications Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Supervisory Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Animal) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Specialized Experience (GS-11): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you 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 position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-09). 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. NOTE: 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. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR Education (GS-11): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education, in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related KSAs/competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualifications and perform the duties of the position, i.e., Supervisory Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Animal). NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR, Combination (GS-11): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., 36 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) AND SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: 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 requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience performing duties in a laboratory setting utilizing knowledge of animal physiology, anatomy, restraint, and handling. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Administration and Management Analytical Thinking Database Management Systems 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. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs); As needed - Straight pulling, pushing, walking, standing, repeated bending, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required; both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; emotional stability; ability to see and distinguish depth perception, basic colors, and shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted). Some of the work may need to be performed under hoods. In addition, the ability to deal with constant noise, work around machinery with moving parts, work closely with others or alone and work protracted or irregular hours. 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/. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
