JOB TITLE: ANIMAL HEALTH SPECIALIST

JOB CODE: 53100

DEFINITION: This is professional and administrative work developing, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating animal health and animal disease prevention, containment, and response programs within the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

An employee in this job develops and implements guidelines, protocols, and procedures for one or more assigned programs and provides guidance in the application of related laws, rules, regulations, and policies for animal disease prevention, containment, and response. Work involves analyzing the activities of regulated entities for compliance with applicable laws, regulations, quarantine orders, and policies; developing, reviewing, and evaluating producer biosecurity plans, emergency response, and disease management plans; reviewing proposed legislation for impacts on animal health program policies; and preparing interagency agreements concerning animal health program policies, protocols, and procedures. Work includes evaluating bureau training needs and developing and conducting program-specific training courses; developing and conducting educational outreach courses for poultry and livestock producers and affiliated entities; and delivering formal presentations to stakeholders. Work is performed with considerable independence and is reviewed upon completion for quality, effectiveness, and accuracy.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: (NOTE: The examples of work are representative of the work, but every position classified to this job may not perform all examples of work listed. Conversely, this is not an all-inclusive list of work examples.)

• Develops disease prevention, containment, and response guidelines, protocols, and procedures for animal health and animal disease prevention, containment, and response programs.

• Evaluates the effectiveness of assigned animal health programs and disease response policies and submits recommended revisions to meet program goals and objectives.

• Evaluates biosecurity plans and emergency response plans submitted by producers, processors, and other industry operators for compliance and adequacy for permit issuance.

• Reviews federal regulatory changes and evaluates implementation policies for the commonwealth.

• Prepares interagency agreements, memoranda of understanding, quarantine orders, and cooperative agreements for the implementation of animal health programs and policies, protocols, and procedures.

• Provides interpretation of animal health laws, regulations, policies, protocols, and procedures for agency staff, industry representatives, and other stakeholders.

• Participates in state and national committees and work groups representing animal health programs to ensure program effectiveness.

• Develops and conducts training courses for agency staff.

• Develops educational outreach materials and conducts training for government officials, poultry and livestock producers, and affiliated entities.

• Assists with emergency response planning by contributing to the development of incident action plans, coordinating logistics of personnel and equipment deployment, data collection, field operations, and interagency communication as part of an incident management team.

• Develops and administers disease surveillance tools and compiles and analyzes the data.

• Evaluates the activities and compliance of regulated entities and recommends and implements corrective or remedial action.

• Operates motor vehicles.

• Performs the full range of supervisory duties.

• An employee in this job may participate in the performance of subordinates’ work consistent with operational or organizational requirements.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

ENTRY LEVEL KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of disease transmission, prevention, and control practices.

• Knowledge of laws, regulations, and protocols for disease prevention, containment, and response.

• Knowledge of the use and functionality of Microsoft Office Suite software.

• Ability to use electronic databases.

• Ability to read and interpret written information including laws, regulations, policies, protocols, and procedures.

• Ability to operate motor vehicles.

• Ability to communicate effectively orally.

• Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: (NOTE: These are expected of an employee performing the work of this job at the full performance level. These are not used for merit system evaluation or examination purposes and are not position-specific performance standards.)

• Knowledge of animal disease transmission, prevention, and control practices applicable to production animals.

• Ability to interpret, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of laws, rules, regulations, policies, protocols, and procedures concerning the movement of animals and animal health programs.

• Ability to assess activities and compliance of regulated entities and implement corrective or remedial action.

• Ability to implement animal disease prevention and control practices.

• Ability to implement bureau emergency response activities and National Incident Management System framework as applied to disease control.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: (NOTE: Based on the Entry Level Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities)

• Two years as a Domestic Animal Health Inspector (Commonwealth title);

or

• Two years of experience working in production animal agriculture, infectious disease control or investigation, or related field, and a bachelor’s degree in biology, animal science, dairy science, poultry science, environmental science, public health, agriculture, or a closely related field;

or

• Four years of experience as a Certified Veterinary Technician, Registered Veterinary Technician, or Licensed Veterinary Technician;

or

• An equivalent combination of experience and training.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• All positions require possession of an active motor vehicle license.