Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Animal)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Ann Arbor, MI seeks a Biological Science Laboratory Technician - Animal Care Technician for the Veterinary Medical Unit. The role requires animal care in a research setting, including feeding, monitoring health, and assisting in procedures.

On-site position with a Monday to Friday schedule and responsibilities across animal husbandry and equipment coordination. Qualifications emphasize at least GS-5 level experience or a bachelor’s degree with relevant

Qualifications

• Specialized experience or education required for GS-5 level.
• Ability to perform animal husbandry tasks in a controlled environment.
• Education substitution options include a 4-year degree with science courses.
• Transcripts may be required to verify education and experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform complex animal husbandry duties in a research environment.
• Feed, water, and care for a variety of animals.
• Identify signs of illness and report abnormalities.
• Administer special diets and maintain feeding records.
• Maintain daily census of animals.
• Receive and house new animals and coordinate work of others.
• Assist with surgical anesthesia and animal treatments; euthanize animals as needed.
• Initiate supply and equipment orders and assist in equipment maintenance.
• Participate in safety, security, and general operations of the unit.
• Work schedule: M-F (8am - 4:30pm).

Skills

Animal care

Laboratory work

Record keeping

Education

Bachelor's degree with relevant science courses

Tools

Laboratory equipment

Job description

Summary

This position is Biological Science Laboratory Technician - Animal Care Technician - Veterinary Medical Unit - at VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

Qualifications

For GS-5: Specialized Experience: Possess at least one 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 work of the position to be filled. To be creditable - specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level of GS-4 in Federal service. 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. 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. NOTE: 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. OR Education for experience: Possess a successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology - chemistry - statistics - entomology - animal husbandry - botany - physics - agriculture - or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. The successful completion of a full course of study of at least 12 months in a school for clinical laboratory technicians may be substituted for the 1 year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level for positions involving microbiology and biochemistry technician work. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR Combining Experience and Education: Possess an equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education and experience as described above to meet the total experience required for this position. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study - or 60 semester hours - beyond the second year is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience. Determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then determine the education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for GS-5. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) 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/.

Duties

• THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION - YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Performs complex animal husbandry duties in a research environment
• Feeds - waters and cares for a variety of animals
• Identifies and reports signs of illness and abnormality
• Administers special diets and maintains feeding records
• Maintains a daily census of animals
• Receives and houses new animals and coordinates the work of others
• Assists with surgical anesthesia and animal treatments and euthanizes animals
• Initiates supply and equipment orders
• Assists in surgery as needed and initiates work orders for equipment that needs to be serviced
• Participates in equipment system maintenance
• Performs test sampling of equipment output on a regular basis
• Assists in monitoring the safety and security of the Veterinary Medical Unit
• Performs all duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: M-F (8am - 4:30pm) Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized