Animal Health Technician (Mounted Patrol Inspector)

About the role

The role involves making unassisted horseback patrols through rough and remote terrain in an assigned sector along the United States-Mexico border.

Responsibilities

• Inspects premises in and bordering the quarantine zone, and investigates additions to or losses of livestock from such herds.
• Makes periodic inspections of vacated premises to detect bad fences, cattle tracks, or other evidence of illegal use of the premises.
• Rides horseback and checks all fences in and bordering the assigned sector to ascertain that they are adequate to prevent intermingling of livestock and consequent exposure to disease carriers.
• Collects physical information which may involve sign-cutting and tracking techniques, and uses this information to detect and apprehend strayed or smuggled Mexican livestock.
• Affords assistance with inspection and testing of livestock, poultry, and other avian species on ranches, farms, auctions, markets, etc., to detect animal diseases and parasites.
• Aids in arranging with owners and independently drawing blood samples from animals and poultry, conducting necessary serologic tests, tagging, branding, appraising reactor animals, and reporting findings.
• Oversees the cleaning and disinfection of vehicles and premises that are contaminated by disease organisms or as a precautionary measure.

Requirements

Must be born male after 12/31/1959 and be Selective Service registered or exempt.

Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.

Successfully complete one-year probationary period, unless previously served.

Qualifications

• To be referred for consideration, candidates must meet the selective placement factor as described below. This is a minimum qualification requirement. By confirming you meet the selective placement factor you are also acknowledging that you will provide enough detail in your resume to describe your experience performing the full range of activities described in the selective factor.
• For the GS-07 level: Experience includes independently working with livestock in a feedlot, farm, or ranch setting, which included experience inspecting the premises for irregularities, interviewing livestock owners and other involved parties to obtain information for investigations and document findings, reading and interpreting records and reports to determine applicable information and courses of action, and monitoring the activity of livestock to identify risk, inspecting and detecting problem areas.
• OR
• Successful completion of eighteen (18) semester hours of related graduate education obtained from an accredited college or university. Qualifying graduate courses include: agribusiness, agricultural chemistry, agricultural development, agricultural economics, agricultural education, animal breeding, animal genetics, animal health, animal nutrition, animal physiology, animal products, animal reproduction, animal science, animal toxicology, animal welfare, biological and agricultural engineering, beef cattle production, dairy herd management, dairy marketing, equine production, farm management, feeding management, meat science, physiology of lactation, poultry science, ruminant nutrition, swine production, and wildlife and fisheries sciences.

Benefits

Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.

Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.

All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.

Pay

Final salary determination will be made upon selection.

Schedule

A specific duty station will be identified within the counties listed at time of selection.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.