Animal Health Technician

Overview

Animal Health Technician (Veterinary Technician) at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Position is primarily based at the zoo in Washington DC.

• Provide technical support to veterinarians and consultants in areas such as animal anesthesia, treatment, surgery, dentistry, radiology, and preventative medicine.
• Monitor hospital equipment and notify the appropriate departments for servicing when necessary.
• Assist veterinary staff with taking and developing radiographs for diagnostic purposes, collecting blood, urine, or fecal samples, preparing blood smears, performing diagnostic tests, and completing clinical pathology forms.
• Assist in maintenance of medical and surgical records.
• Manage inventory and supplies by following standard operating procedures for ordering, purchasing, and restocking.
• YOU MUST APPLY THROUGH USAJOBS.gov LINK - https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

• Conditions of employment:
  Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Basic Qualifications:

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include work:

• As a laborer, manager, or owner of a livestock ranch or farm involving direct work with livestock.
• With livestock in a feed lot.
• As a Livestock Market Inspector.
• As an Animal Welfare Inspector.
• As an assistant to a veterinarian who works with livestock.

Experience:

You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as providing veterinary technical support in delivering healthcare to a range of non-domestic animals and providing clinical laboratory support through record maintenance and equipment management.

Your resume must be no more than two pages and should clearly demonstrate alignment with responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.

Experience includes paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work. Volunteer work helps build competencies and can translate to paid employment. You will receive credit for qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine total experience. Note the number of paid or unpaid hours per week.

Education:

To qualify at the GS-09 grade level based on education, complete 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the work of the position. Or a Combination:
Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. Foreign education: if using education completed in a foreign college/university, provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study.

Additional information

• Recruitment Incentive:
  Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized; approval depends on availability. If authorized, an incentive may require a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period.
• Note:
  
  This statement does not imply or guarantee an incentive will be offered.
• Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution. By applying, you agree to allow your application and personal information to be shared with SI hiring officials for similar positions.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Applicants may be evaluated in multiple stages, including online questions assessing experience, education, and training for job-related competencies.

Competency categories:

• Veterinary technician work in an AZA-accredited Zoo (or similar) setting
• Clinical laboratory support duties and veterinary clinical laboratory testing on zoo and exotic species
• Operation and maintenance of veterinary equipment, and dispensing veterinary prescriptions and products for zoo animals
• Veterinary clinical support duties on zoo and exotic species
• Communication, collaboration, and project participation

Important Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Ensure your resume accurately reflects your education and experience relevant to this position.