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Summary 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. Responsibilities ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Provides proper cage preparation including use and maintenance of cage washing equipment, cages, bottles, sipper tubes, autoclaves and other pertinent equipment. Performs soiled cage preparations, sanitizing, loading proper temperature monitoring of cage washer and autoclave, and the use of dip tanks. Prepares cages for autoclaving and possesses knowledge of the use of the autoclave including liquid, solid and food sterilization, use of indicator tape, proper transportation of items to designated areas and proper storage of sterile equipment. Provides animal room and facility sanitation including the proper use of chemicals, such as disinfectants, sanitizing agents, sterilants and detergents. Reports any abnormal readings of environmental parameters in order to have these corrected immediately. Performs animal receiving including using proper forms, preparation of cages for receiving, transporting animals properly, inspection of vendor transport vehicle to ensure appropriate and legal transport occurred, transfer of animals, separation of animals by species and health status, completion of inspection reports, health status, identifying health problems, ensuring appropriate gender and strain were sent, completing cage cards appropriately and completing all other pertinent records accurately and in a timely manner. Responsible for the health, care and well-being of animals used in research at the facility, including routine, special (e.g., genetically modified rodents), barrier and isolation care. Responsible for the care and well-being of research animals including behavioral needs, appropriate use in research, watering and feeding requirements, ensuring the micro and macro environments are appropriate for the species, use of appropriate bedding and caging. Observes all research animals and reports any signs of sickness, abnormalities, changes or deaths as directed by supervisor. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Tuesday - Saturday, 6:00am - 2:30pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Qualifications 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/. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.