Summary The position is based in the Veterinary Medical Unit in Aurora, CO. The animal caretaker performs various duties relating to the maintenance, operation, and animal care in the Veterinary Medical Unit. The primary responsibility of this position is to ensure the sanitation of the support areas within the Veterinary Medical Unit and to assist in animal care duties, cage wash duties and technical support. Responsibilities Major duties and responsibilities include: Ensures sanitation of the Veterinary Medical Unit support areas, using specialized chemicals and techniques for this purpose. Support areas include the Veterinary medical unit procedure rooms, hallways and stairwells, office and staff rooms used by Veterinary medical unit personnel, and storage areas housing food, bedding cages and equipment; Responsible for observation of laboratory animals, to detect basic sign and/or symptoms of infectious disease, and changes in appearance and activity, so the supervisor may be notified immediately; Assists in the feeding and watering of research animals; Keep a daily log that includes room temperatures and humidity, animal census, supply inventory status and notification of supervisor when changes occur; Assist the supervisor, other animal care staff, researchers and research technicians in handling and restraint of a variety of research animals, including mice, rats, hamsters, frogs, rabbits, etc.; Assists the other animal care staff in changing of animal cages, which involves proper handling of research animals; Assists in the decontamination, sanitation and sterilization of animal cages and accessory equipment; Responsible for removing dead research animals from cages, completion of necessary forms, notifying designated individuals of the death and disposal of the animals in an accepted manner to include incineration; Performing other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 07:00 am to 4:30 pm for 5 day/week to include weekend and holidays. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved 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 Pre-employment physical required 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Must have the ability to do the work of an Animal Caretaker without more than normal supervision. Related experience includes working with rats, mice, rabbits, hamsters and frogs in an Animal Laboratory Research environment providing a variety of care, observation and assistance for animals, to include: preparing feeding menus, including special feeds; observing animals conditions and making changes in the habitat to resolve problems; maintaining the animals and their environment (e.g., proper heat, light, humidity, air conditioning, etc.); cleaning animals, cage areas, laboratory and equipment using a wide variety of cleaning solutions and disinfectants and tools; assuring proper disposal methods are followed; handling/restraining animals for procedures, tests, evaluations, etc. and administers medications; monitoring post-surgical recovery; handling the animals in a safe manner and following rules and regulations. NOTE: Experience must be documented in your resume to receive full credit. PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: Work often requires lifting and carrying feed materials weighing up to 75 pounds and frequently handling such items as feed bags weighing up to 50 pounds. Animal caretakers walk or stand for extended periods and frequently work in a bent position. Often, light physical effort is required to lift or handle docile animals. Work is performed in the Veterinary Medical Unit. There is daily exposure to materials in a controlled environment that may be infections and/or hazardous to one's health. Proper protective equipment is issued, and the incumbent will be trained in its proper use. In addition, the employee must perform when confronted with unpleasant conditions such as noise, heat, odors and sick animals. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Dexterity and Safety Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials Measuring Instruments Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment 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. Education Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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.
