Research Biological Laboratory Technician (Animal)
Summary
PLEASE NOTE THIS POSITION HAS NO PAY OR BENEFITS.
The Research Biological Laboratory Technician (Animal) will conduct research for the Palo Alto VA Healthcare System to develop transplantable novel biomaterials for the treatment of ocular diseases and to enhance therapeutic efficacy, as well as to establish new strategies for biological factor delivery. The effectiveness of these approaches will be evaluated through in vitro cell studies and in vivo animal experiments.
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Duties
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Duties primarily include those described in the "summary" paragraph above, and may also include
- collection of blood samples and tissues
- cell cultures
- different surgical techniques
- design and execution of different project activities
Requirements
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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
- 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 ([click to reveal website link]). 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
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/12/2026.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
- Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is defined research activity or control program work such as that performed by a Biological Laboratory Technician (Animal). Examples of qualifying specialized experience include but are not limited to collection of blood samples and tissues, performing routine techniques in the laboratory such as cell culture, different surgical techniques, design and execution of different project activities, collecting, analyzing, and storing samples for further analysis. NOTE: Examples of such specialized experience MUST be documented in your description of your experiences listed on your resume in order for you to be referred for consideration. . OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one (1) year of education beyond high school that included at least 6 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. NOTE: If you are using education to qualify, you MUST provide a transcript with your application.
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; religions; 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.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.
Physical Requirements: The work is predominantly sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there will be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of items of moderate weight such as large binders, banker style file boxes, meeting materials, papers, books or small parts. Hand and eye coordination for delicate testing procedures may be the only special physical demand required to perform the work.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at [click to reveal website link].
Education
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: [click to reveal website link]. 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: [click to reveal website link].
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.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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There are no benefits associated with this without compensation (WOC) position.