Summary The Animal Program Compliance Officer (APCO) position is in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHCS) Los Angeles, CA. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION staff, principal investigators, and research administration to maintain compliance with VA, NIH/OLAW, USDA, and AAALAC regulations, policies, and interpretations. This includes identifying, quantifying, and reporting problems in our animal care and use program and providing recommendations regarding attainment and maintenance of compliance with all relevant Federal, State, and local regulations. Acts decisively on issues of potential non-compliance, including working with the vivarium and administrative staff and the research group(s) affected. Supports principal investigators in preparing research protocols that are compliant with VA and PHS requirements. Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Reviews all animal research protocols before they are forwarded for review by the veterinary medical officer, and again after they are submitted for IACUC review. Serves as a non-voting member of the IACUC and attend all IACUC meetings Provides a monthly report to the IACUC covering any compliance issues including updates on earlier noncompliance reports, the status of the semi-annual reviews, and other items of importance; Assists the IACUC coordinator in presenting the on-line meeting and; works on maintaining / updating the IACUC SOP Library. Ensure that all laboratory areas with animal use and all vivarium areas are inspected semi annually by the IACUC, and that a monthly progress report on any deficiencies is presented to the IACUC. Prepare official semi-annual report forms for IACUC approval and submission to leadership, and arrange meetings with IACUC representatives to discuss the results of the semi-annual reports. Provides technical assistance and support to Principal Investigators on the development and submission of animal research protocols and on responding to any changes the IACUC or other oversight committee's request. Assists Principal Investigators in translating complex scientific concepts and experimental designs into lay language, and other matters such as ordering controlled substances, using IRBNet on-line submission system, etc. Approve controlled substance orders by confirming the controlled substance is in the approved protocol, and maintain a spreadsheet of controlled substance orders and maintain copies of approved controlled substance order forms. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved NOTE: This is a TERM appointment not to exceed July 1rst 2030. Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration (more than 1 year but not more than 4). Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition (up to the 4 year maximum). The appointment to a Term position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not 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 identification 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT - Applicants must possess a Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (external link) at the time the degree was obtained. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS - In addition to meeting the above requirement, you must also meet the additional requirement as described below to qualify for this position. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: Experience working as an Animal Program Compliance Officer (APCO) within a medical research organization. Ensures that all laboratory areas with animal use and all vivarium areas are inspected semi annually by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and that a monthly progress report on any deficiencies is presented to the IACUC. Reviews all animal research protocols before they are forwarded for review by the veterinary medical officer, and again after they are submitted for IACUC review. Provides a monthly report to the IACUC covering any compliance issues including updates on earlier noncompliance reports, the status of the semi-annual reviews, and other items of importance; A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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. 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/. 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; religions; 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 There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
