The National Detector Dog Training Center plays a crucial role in safeguarding America's agricultural and natural resources from harmful pests and diseases by training specially selected dogs and their human handlers to perform vital tasks aimed at detecting, restricting entry, and/or eradication of foreign plant pests. The Animal Caretaker Supervisor is responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing work performed in the care and maintenance of working canines.
To qualify, you must show you have had training and experience of sufficient scope and quality to provide you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Your answers to the vacancy specific questions must be supported by the work experience in your resume. For example, if you respond in the affirmative when questioned whether you have experience in animal care taking your resume must include this experience, mindful that experience may not be inferred by job title. 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.
The duties may include, but are not limited to:
Provides training, establishes priorities in line with work center operational goals, and reviews work for adequacy of technique and performance.
Provides written guidance and instructions on aspects of animal care.
Coaches and mentors new animal care takers to ensure understanding and application of agency directives, guidelines and standard operating procedures.
Establishes work procedures, evaluates performance and addresses identified deficiencies.
Provides initial screening of all canine issues prior to contacting veterinarian.
Implements complex care and treatment issues through instructions and demonstration to staff.
Develop policy (Bio-Security Plan) and standard operating procedures (SOP) to maintain optimum health status of employees and canines.