KEY REQUIREMENTS



• U.S. Citizenship
• Relevant specialized education (See Qualification/Evaluation)
• This Position Has a Training as a Condition of Employment Requirement
• Registered for Selective Service, if applicable (See www.sss.gov)
• Occupational Questionnaire, Resume, DVM Transcripts (See How to Apply)
• Suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation

FSIS will pay travel and transportation expenses to the first post of duty for our newly hired veterinarians.  This incentive is available to new Federal appointees and only includes the actual costs incurred as a result of the employee's travel and transportation of household goods to the first post of duty. 

Our Public Health Veterinarian's are valued members of a dynamic team.  Most importantly, you are in a pivotal role from day one and your work has visible impact.  You will be:

• planning, organizing, coordinating and adapting the full range of meat and poultry inspection operations in slaughter and/or processing establishments;
• ensuring establishments meet requirements of the Pathogen Reduction and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations;
• overseeing other consumer protection, non-food safety concerns such as proper labeling and packaging;
• serving as team leader who works with and supervises other public health professionals to ensure establishments under our jurisdiction comply with sanitation standards and properly implement systems that control hazards from entering the food supply;
• enforcing Federal meat and poultry inspection procedures prior to slaughter and throughout the entire establishment, including humane handling, ante-mortem inspection, post-mortem inspection, processing operations, veterinary dispositions, and transportation and distribution of meat, poultry, and egg products to markets and retail stores.

This position has a training program requirement as a condition of employment. If selected, you must successfully complete a 10-week training program at designated locations which will require travel outside the duty location for an extended period. The Public Health Veterinarian (PHV) training is necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities of a PHV to further the mission of the Office of Field Operations and FSIS. You must begin the training within 90 days of the effective date of your selection, and you must successfully complete it within 12 months of the effective date of your selection. If you are a new hire with FSIS and you fail to successfully complete the training, you will be terminated from Federal Employment. If you are not a new hire to FSIS and have moved into a Public Health Veterinarian position from another type of position in FSIS, you will either be removed from Federal service; returned to your former position (depending on availability and the needs of the Agency); or if qualified, be offered another position at the same or lower grade than the position held immediately before accepting the covered position.

To assist in your understanding the work environment where the majority of our VMO's and Food Inspectors work, click Ante-mortem post-mortem video 

This position has a specialized education requirement.

You must have a DVM degree (or will receive your DVM degree within the next nine months) from an AVMA accredited veterinary medical school. If you have a degree from a foreign veterinary medical school, that is not accredited by the AVMA, click on this REQUIREMENTS link.  If you are selected for a position, you will be required to have official transcripts sent directly from your college, to our Human Resources Office.   

You will start at either the AP-0701-03 or AP-0701-04.  To qualify at the AP-0701-04, you must have: 

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

We will review your resume and transcripts to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate your application package based on the information provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, your resume and your supporting documents. The Questionnaire collects information on your education, training and experiences in the veterinary field. To preview the Questionnaire click  View Occupational Questionnaire  

Incentives:  Working for FSIS offers a comprehensive benefits package including paid vacation, sick leave and holidays; life insurance; health insurance; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.  Details of the current recruitment incentives our Agency may be able to offer can be found at Recruitment Incentives.   The following Web address is provided for your reference to explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees.  To find out more click here Federal government benefits 

OTHER INFORMATION:

We are a qualifying employer of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information on the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program, please visit: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PSF.jsp  Travel:   Some positions will require travel from establishment to establishment
during the work week and/or day.   This position may require travel away from
home for 1 - 5 nights per month.

Promotion Opportunity:  If selected at the AP-3 level and the position has promotion potential to the AP-4, you may be promoted to the AP-4, upon completion of 12 months of satisfactory performance.   The majority of our positions are full performance level AP-4 (GS-12/13); however we do employ some
full performance AP-3 (GS-9/11) veterinarians.

Veterans’ Preference: To receive preference, you must provide documentation (such as a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214, Member 4 copy is preferred, or if you have not yet received your DD-214, you may submit other written documentation from the armed forces certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the documentation was signed.  Prior to appointment, applicants must provide a copy of their DD-214, that includes beginning and ending dates of service and character of discharge.  Applicants claiming 10-point preference, must submit a signed Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference and must also submit a copy of the required supporting documentation (such as an official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying that you have a service-connected disability, other acceptable documents are listed on the SF-15).  For additional information:  Feds Hire Vets

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See Selective Service

Background Investigation:  Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and granting of a federal suitability or security clearance.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture participate in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary,the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.  What is E-Verify?  Why is it required? 

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). The ICTAP and CTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85 or above on the rating criteria for this position. For those instances where the best qualified lists include applicants with scores less than 85, the well-qualified score becomes the lowest score on the best qualified list. CTAP and ICTAP eligible's must submit  a copy of your most recent performance appraisal (at least "fully successful" or equivalent) and one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) noting current position (or position at separation), grade level, and duty location or equivalent that documents separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456. Please click here for additional information on CTAP/ICTAP: Employee's Guide to Career Transition

To begin the online application process in USAJOBS, click on the "Apply Online" button and follow the prompts to sign in or create a new account; submit your resume; submit your applicable supporting documents and complete the Occupational Questionnaire. 

Follow the three steps below to make sure you have a complete application package:

STEP ONE: Submit a detailed resume that includes the information below.

- Detailed work experience relevant to this position including duties and responsibilities; dates/hours worked for each job; research work you performed; credentials; publications; and any other relevant information relating to your veterinary work experience.

- College degrees you have earned

- Current active veterinary licenses

- Vacancy Identification Number 264332  title and pay band(s) for which you are applying

- Full name, mailing address, day and evening telephone numbers and a valid email address

STEP TWO: Complete and Submit the Occupational Questionnaire.

You are encouraged to complete the Occupational Questionnaire Online. If you are unable to complete the questionnaire Online, refer to the “Alternative Methods for Applying” section below for specific instructions. Be sure to check your answers for accuracy before clicking on the "Submit" button. You may take this Occupational Questionnaire assessment only once per year.

STEP THREE: Submit your supporting documents.

- When applying, you must submit a copy of your official college transcripts for your DVM degree and for any other advanced degrees earned. If you are selected for a position, you will be REQUIRED to have official transcripts sent directly from your college, to our Minneapolis Human Resources Office, prior to reporting for duty. 

- Submit a copy of your active veterinary license(s) if applicable, and if you want the license(s) to be considered with your application package.

- If applicable, submit documents for veteran's preference: DD-214 (Member 4 copy), SF-15, and supporting documents click Feds Hire Vets  

- If you are or have been a Federal employee, please submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Form SF-50.  

Alternative Methods for Applying:

- Commissioned Corps Applicants:  Officers on active duty in the Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps, PHS Inactive Reserve Corps Officers, and applicants to the PHS Commissioned Corps, do not apply online.  Please send an electronic resume/curriculum vitae to CAPT Lou Ann Rector at:  LouAnn.Rector@fsis.usda.gov   Applicants to the Commissioned Corps should also submit a copy of their Commissioned Corps application.  Officers and Corps applicants must submit all materials requested in order to be competitive.  For general information on employment as a Commissioned Corps Officer at FSIS, please contact CAPT Lou Ann Rector at (301)344-0757 or email LouAnn.Rector@fsis.usda.gov

- To FAX supporting documents, your cover page must include the Vacancy ID number and your name. The Fax number to submit your  supporting documents is: 1-478-757-3144.To print a copy of the cover page click cover sheet

- Paper application package: If you are unable to apply Online using the internet, please refer to our Contact Information section.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

• Your resume
• A copy of your official DVM transcripts with your initial application package.  If you are selected for a position, you will be REQUIRED to have official transcripts sent directly from your college, to our Minneapolis Human Resources Office, prior to reporting for duty.
• Any applicable supporting documents you want considered with your application package 

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Once the Online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application package, a Notice of Results will be emailed to you.  Please read it carefully.  This is an open continuous announcement.  If a position becomes available in one of the geographic areas you selected, your application package may be referred to the hiring manager.