Summary Join the NIH Office of the Director, Office of Intramural Research, Office of Animal Care and Use (OACU), where you will help advance excellence in research animal care and oversight. As a Veterinary Medical Officer, you will ensure NIH programs comply with Federal laws and policies while collaborating with Federal and international partners to strengthen animal care and use. Responsibilities Provide expert laboratory animal medicine and science advice, program liaison on laboratory animal medicine and science issues, trends, policies, procedures, and scientific and regulatory issues; Develop and implement Intramural animal research program policies and guidelines. Recommend to the OACU Director, policy and/or management changes to improve IRP programmatic compliance with existing internal IRP policies, guidelines, and federal regulations. Provide advice regarding NIH animal health care policies and research practices to the IC Animal Care and Use Committees through daily communications. Serve as the lead of the OACU education and training program. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications 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. To qualify at the GS-14 level: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following @types of tasks: administering and evaluating laboratory animal welfare compliance programs by interpreting and applying the Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the Animal Welfare Act, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and related regulations to ensure institutional compliance; providing expert veterinary consultation and technical guidance to research institutions, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs), investigators, and senior officials; and developing and delivering policy guidance, educational resources, and outreach activities related to laboratory animal welfare. You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13016704 Education Basic Requirements Degree: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org (external link), has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools. OR Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (Refer to AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org (external link) for information about schools in this category) must meet one of the following requirements. Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT). Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Under this provision, equivalency is established only if an AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college accepts the graduate's final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g. residency or graduate program). Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE; Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing; OR Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing. Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must submit test results with their application. Results of more than one test or testing session cannot be combined to meet the standard. This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education. Additional Information This position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave. Based on your appointment, a one-year probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period. PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should also apply online to this announcement in order to receive consideration. The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus. Military Spouses selected from this announcement will remain in their current duty location (i.e., the official duty station of the military service member. Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. Visit our Help Applying page for helpful information on the application process. If selected, you may be eligible to receive a salary above the minimum based on superior qualifications and/or a special need of the Government for your services. This applies to employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (FWS) pay systems and is at the discretion of the hiring manager. A salary above the minimum must be approved before the appointment.
