Description

Animal Care is pleased to announce the opening of one (1) Veterinary Medical Officer (Senior Staff Officer), GS 0701 14 position. This position may be located in Fort Collins, CO; Ames, IA; Raleigh, NC; or in a location negotiable after selection*. The mega announcement—advertising positions in Animal Care (1) and Veterinary Services (5)—opened today, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and will remain open through Monday, April 20, 2026.

 *The incumbent may be extended the opportunity to remain in their current duty station, provided they are already assigned to an office and not located in the National Capital Region.

 The Senior Veterinary Medical Officer will play a key role in nationwide policy responsibilities across three primary program areas:

•   The humane care and treatment of all horses regulated under the Horse Protection Act.
•   The humane care and treatment of all species during transportation under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
•   The humane care and treatment of pet animals regulated under the AWA.

Duties include industry and inspector education, evaluation of regulations and policies, consultation on problematic persons and facilities, nationwide liaison with industry and regulatory partners, and consultation on enforcement actions within this area of expertise. USDA is seeking a candidate with significant equine experience, particularly involving Tennessee Walking Horses and Racking Horses.

Requirements

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement outlined in the Education section below.

FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

Applying advanced veterinary medical and scientific expertise to analyze complex or emerging animal welfare issues, particularly as they relate to equids, but also includes small pets, and transportation, and develop national solutions, policies, or regulatory recommendations.
Leading or participating in national-level policy development efforts involving multi-disciplinary teams addressing regulatory oversight of veterinary biologics, biologics safety, risk assessment, and animal health programs.
Managing or overseeing national databases or information systems related to veterinary biologics, including evaluating quality control, production standards, validation data, and risk factors for domestic and foreign-produced products.
Conducting expert evaluations of veterinary biologics for potential use during domestic and foreign animal disease outbreaks and advising agency leadership on suitability, risks, regulatory implications, and acquisition strategies.
Providing senior-level consultation to field staff, enforcement units, leadership, or external stakeholders on complex cases, technical issues, regulatory interpretations, or policy impacts.
Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS are required. This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. this education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college or university.
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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
 

Education
BASIC REQUIREMENT: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA website has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools. AVMA website: https://www.avma.org

OR Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education must meet one of the following requirements:
a) Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG);
b) Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT); OR
c) Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. An AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college must have accepted the final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g., residency or graduate program).

In addition, graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below:
a) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE.
b) Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing; OR
c) Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing.

Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must submit test results with their application. Results of more than one test or testing session cannot be combined to meet the standard.

Waiver Provision: English language proficiency assessments may be waived for qualified job applicants whose native language is English (i.e., the official or common language of an individuals country of birth is English) who submit a diploma or other official documentation as proof of graduation from a high (secondary) school where the entire curriculum and educational programs were taught in the English language for the entire 3 or 4 years of full-time attendance.