Veterinary Medical Officer

Summary

You will serve as a Veterinary Medical Officer U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6, National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: As a Veterinary Medical Officer, you will be responsible for the coordination, review, development and implementation of medical and scientific strategies addressing health and related issues associated with the captive breeding program and associated activities to ensure the propagation of the Black-footed Ferret (BFF). Provides veterinary oversight for all animals at the Center including the breeding population of endangered black-footed ferrets. This includes diagnostics and treatment, vaccinations, surgery, emergency response, and reproductive care. Supports breeding efforts at the Center including reproductive assessments, cytology, gamete collection, and pre- and post-natal care for females and their offspring. Collects and synthesizes data to direct and contribute to research on black-footed ferret health, disease, reproduction, and captive breeding. Assists field personnel at black-footed ferret reintroduction sites with monitoring the health of free-ranging ferrets through collection of biomedical information and vaccination. Serves as primary veterinary advisor to senior Service staff, partner organizations, and Black-footed ferret SAFE facilities. Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/ Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. Travel with overnight lodging at commercial facilities or camping in field situations, as well as attending meetings in other agency offices or locations is required. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. This position will require on-call and ability to respond to emergencies any day of the week. Occupancy of Government furnished housing may be required. Condition of employment: Must obtain a Colorado Veterinary license upon employment and maintain this license in good standing. Condition of employment: Must obtain and maintain a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration within six months of employment. Additional Requirements located under qualifications Qualifications

Requirements Continued... Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/16/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. If you do not provide evidence that you possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified. License Requirement: Applicants hired under the Veterinary Science Medical Series (0701) must have and maintain a current, valid veterinary license from one of the 50 United States upon application. In order to qualify for this position, you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualifications. Basic Requirement for 0701 series: Education: 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/, 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/ 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: 1. 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; 2. 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; 3. 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. In addition to the requirements listed above, you must also meet the minimum requirements listed below: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-11 in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Examples of qualifying specialized experience includes: Performing veterinary procedures and providing medical care to small mammals including activities such as diagnosing, treating, and preventing illness or injury, collecting samples and performing diagnostics, and performing or assisting with surgeries and necropsies; handling and working with wildlife in a veterinary, research, or captive propagation setting. -OR- Education: In addition to completing a DVM or an equivalent degree, completion of a Master's degree, or higher, 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 sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position.-OR- Residency/Post-Graduate Training Program Substitution: Successful completion of two years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position.

Education

Volunteer Experience: 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, 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. This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification How You Will Be Evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories: Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Critical Thinking Scientific Knowledge Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structred resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Other Information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive. Physical Demands: Frequent travel may be required. The incumbent is at times required to exceed normal working hours, particularly during travel status. Normal activities include movement throughout a large facility both indoors and outdoors, to observe, husband, treat and otherwise manage the health and welfare of up to 1,000 small animals. Other activities will include sitting, standing, walking in an office or meeting environment, and/or travel by motor vehicle or commercial aircraft. The incumbent may also be required to lift and carry heavy equipment or other items weighing up to 50 pounds. Field investigations may involve travel throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada and travel in off-road vehicles or walking long distances during inclement weather or over wet, frozen, rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces. Working Conditions: The work requires both office and outdoor work. Temperature and weather extremes may be encountered in the performance of outdoor work. The incumbent is expected to perform duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow workers, or property with which entrusted. Travel with overnight lodging at commercial facilities or camping in field situations, as well as attending meetings in other agency offices or locations is required. Appropriate Departmental uniform attire is expected to be worn while conducting work both at and away from the duty station. The incumbent is subject to hazards of working with animals, including diseases, bites, or other physical injuries. All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions. The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.