Biological Science Laboratory Technician

Description:

Employee will be assigned to Research Service, VA Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, performing husbandry, enrichment, cage wash duties, animal health checks, animal transfers and all other husbandry functions associated with maintaining a rodent and rabbit animal facility.

Requirements:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE : Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level in the 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. This specialized experience also includes performing animal husbandry; handling and caring for research animals; maintaining records for animal care and treatment; and maintaining equipment used in the care of animals.
OR
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE ( TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED )
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.
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE ( TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED )
Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-5.


You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Animal Husbandry
• Facilities
• Research
• Visual Identification

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. 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.

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.

Physical Requirements: Duties require long periods of sitting or standing as well as regular and recurrent stooping, bending, and occasional carrying of moderately heavy equipment and supplies (up to 50 pounds). Exceptional hand-eye coordination may be required to perform animal procedures, to make precise measurements, and to assemble and calibrate delicate laboratory equipment.

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/ .