Animal Keeper (Elephant Trails).

Duties

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The Animal Keeper position is located at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) at the National Zoological Park (NZP) in Washington, DC. The employee is responsible for performing a variety of duties that ensure the proper care, feeding, exhibition, and propagation of a collection of Asian elephants.

In This Position, You Will

• Provide daily care of elephants in the collection ensure the health and welfare of the Asian elephants.
• Participate in the training and enrichment programs for the Asian elephants.
• Monitor Asian elephants for symptoms of illness, injuries or unusual conditions and reports to Curator, Assistant Curator or Veterinarian.
• Maintain records including food and water consumption of animals.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Physical Requirements

This position requires the physical ability to perform moderately heavy work including lifting and carrying heavy objects up to 100 lbs.; work outside in all weather conditions with exposure to dirt, dust, pollen and insects; climb ladders and stairs; and stand and walk for extended periods.

The selectee must receive immunizations to guard against zoonotic diseases and is subject to regular medical screening; may be assigned to any eight hour shift and is subject to call at any time, including weekends and holidays; and will be considered to be emergency personnel for purposes of being on call during government shutdowns due to inclement weather, Code Red terrorism alerts, and other emergency situations, to ensure adequate animal care is provided as required.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the job opportunity announcement.

For information on the Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations, see

Qualifications

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the job opportunity announcement.

For information on the Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations, see OPM’s web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/federal-wage-system-qualifications/

In order to be rated qualified, an applicant’s overall experience and training must indicate possession of the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position such as, the skill and ability to carry out routine animal keeper duties; the ability to understand instructions given by higher level animal keeper personnel; the ability to carry out training and developmental assignments; the ability to catch, shift, restrain, and/or trailer animals without injuring the animals or endangering him/herself; familiarity with a range of animal identification methods in order to identify individuals by natural and artificial markings such as color, tags, and brands in group(herd) settings; and the ability to operate motorized vehicles/scooters on NZCBI grounds.

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.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement.

Additional information

This position is included in the bargaining unit.

This vacancy is open for the Public under Job Announcement # 24R-LW-310435-DEU-NZP.

Current or Former Political Appointees: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Office of Human Resources. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

• Position title;
• Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
• Agency; and,
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.

Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.

• The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options.

Please see Benefits at

Flexible Spending Accounts –

Health Insurance –

Leave –

Life Insurance –

Long Term Care Insurance –

Retirement Program –