Supervisory Biological Science Technician (Animal/High Containment)

About the Role

This position is located at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas. The Animal Resources Unit (ARU) supports all aspects of the care and use of animals at NBAF.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical training to staff members in a veterinary setting.
• Coordinate staff and laboratory areas.
• Ensure activities comply with policies, laws, or regulations.
• Perform activities involved in the care, treatment, and management of animals in a high-containment facility.
• Restrain large animals and move feed and equipment (75-100 pounds) with appropriate support and within safety protocols.
• Move large animal carcasses and/or portions of carcasses in carts weighing up to 300 pounds with handling equipment.
• Handle recalcitrant livestock requiring strength and agility.
• Stoop, stand for extended periods, bend, reach, and walk actively.
• Work in a high-containment facility with exposure to bites, scratches, kicks, disagreeable odors, allergens, and animal wastes from diseased or distressed animals.
• Shower out of biocontainment one or more times per day.
• Follow decontamination instructions from biocontainment.
• Escort visitors in laboratory areas and work with high-consequence pathogens.
• Work on weekends, holidays, and occasional evenings as required.

Requirements

• Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience, and/or education.
• Current Federal employees must meet the time-in-grade requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression.
• Qualifying experience for GS-11 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-10, or its non-Federal equivalent, that included:
  • Providing technical training to staff in a veterinary setting.
  • Coordinating staff and laboratory areas.
  • Ensuring activities comply with policies, laws, or regulations.
• Alternatively, three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Agricultural Science, Veterinary Science, Animal Science, or Biology.
• Combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education may be acceptable.
• Experience includes paid and unpaid experience, such as volunteer work through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations.

Qualifications

• Certification as a Laboratory Animal Technician by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) or a related specialty certification is highly desirable.
• Ability to lift 75 lbs. with occasional lifts of 100 pounds.
• Ability to pass a respirator fit test.
• Must meet medical standards for working in a high-containment facility, including:
  • Ability to shower out of biocontainment one or more times per day.
  • No skin conditions preventing showering out.
  • Body piercings must be removable prior to entry.
  • External medical assist devices must be removable or not impede entry into biocontainment.
  • Ability to follow decontamination instructions.
  • No medical conditions that could create an unsafe environment, such as uncontrolled disorders leading to sudden loss of consciousness or inadequate vision/hearing for safety.
• Must pass a pre-employment medical examination and periodic fitness-for-duty physicals.
• Medical clearance required for areas where respiratory protection is necessary.
• Baseline blood sample may be required for employees working in biocontainment facilities.
• Immunization against diseases transmissible to humans may be required, where vaccines are FDA-approved.
• For investigational vaccines, immunization is voluntary, and declination forms must be signed if opting out.
• Psychological and physical health are monitored as part of employment.

Working Conditions

• Work is located in a high-containment facility with potential exposure to:
  • Discomforts such as concrete or slippery floors.
  • Bites, scratches, kicks, disagreeable odors, allergens, and animal wastes.
• Personal quarantine required for employees working in BSL-3, 3 enhanced, 3 Ag, and 4 biocontainment:
  • No contact with restricted species (cattle, sheep, goats, deer, other ruminants, swine) and their premises for five days after leaving biocontainment.
  • Restrictions may apply to horses, birds, and rabbits depending on the contagious agents being studied.
  • Restricted livestock may not be housed on the employee’s premises where quarantine cannot be enforced.
• An approved SRA investigation is required for access to select agent registered spaces.
• May require extra vaccinations, blood tests, and respiratory/pulmonary function tests for specific projects.