Veterinary Medical Officer

Veterinary Medical Officers promote the health and welfare of animals and the public through diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. They investigate, inspect, and deal with animal diseases, animal pollution, animal welfare, contamination of food of animal origin, health and safety of imported animals and animal products, and safety and efficacy of a wide variety of animals. Multiple positions may be filled through this vacancy announcement through June 29, 2027. Incentives may be authorized. 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. FOR THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants who meet the basic requirements as outlined in the "Education" section qualify for this grade level. FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: In addition to the Basic Requirements, applicants must have one year of professional veterinary medical experienced obtained after receipt of a Doctor of Veterinary Medical degree. Specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Identifying, enforcing and documenting compliance with relevant veterinary regulations and laws within prescribed guidelines. Serving in a professional Veterinary Science position and maintaining liaison with stakeholders, industry and the general public. Professional Interpretation of Veterinary Medicine information into written and oral presentations to customers to promote animal health and/or animal welfare. OR Successful completion of a Master's degree in an area of specialization including, but not limited to: animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or other sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position. OR RESIDENCY/POST GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE GS-12 GRADE LEVEL: Successful completion of two years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position. Applicants should provide a certificate or letter documenting the completion of this program. TRANSCRIPTS are required. This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. this education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college or university. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. The duties may include, but are not limited to: Some positions will be supervising subordinates less than 25% of the time including, but not limited to, monitoring work, providing advice, evaluating performance, initiating awards, and authorizing leave approval. Inspecting and examining a variety of animals, herds, flocks, and or aquatic species, for evidence of disease conditions, animal welfare purposes, or other veterinary activities. Diagnosing and treating diseases and parasite conditions affecting the various types of animals and of acceptable and non acceptable training and handling practices. Planning, coordinating, adapting, and modifying medical and program procedures to deal with a variety of animals. Providing information, guidance and training to ensure consistent delivery and interpretation of existing and new animal health-and-welfare-related regulations, guidelines and policies. May serve on an emergency disease eradication task force. Some positions may complete inspections, and oversight of facility operations. Some positions will be reviewing and certifying the health status and disease potential of livestock and other animals, their products and byproducts, being exported and/or imported. Under sensitive situations, some Veterinary Medical Officer positions may inspect facilities including animal dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities who have applied for a license under the Animal Welfare Act. Education BASIC REQUIREMENT: 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 website has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools. AVMA website: https://www.avma.org OR Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education must meet one of the following requirements: a) Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG); b) 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); OR c) 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. An AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college must have accepted the 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). In addition, 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: a) 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. b) 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 c) 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. Waiver Provision: English language proficiency assessments may be waived for qualified job applicants whose native language is English (i.e., the official or common language of an individuals country of birth is English) who submit a diploma or other official documentation as proof of graduation from a high (secondary) school where the entire curriculum and educational programs were taught in the English language for the entire 3 or 4 years of full-time attendance.