State of Maryland

A Veterinarian II, Agriculture Field Inspection is the full performance level of professional veterinary activity in the Maryland Department of Agriculture.  Employees in this classification perform a variety of routine assignments with a minimum amount of supervision in the field inspection program specialty area.  Employees in this classification investigate outbreaks of disease and initiate prevention, control and/or eradication measures in an assigned geographical area of the State.  Employees in this classification have frequent contacts with livestock owners, practicing Veterinarians and others involved with animal health in the field inspection program.  Employees in this classification have responsibilities that include scientific, regulatory and administrative aspects of animal health programs within field inspection.  Employees in this classification may be assigned limited duties in options other than the one in which they are classified.  Employees in this classification normally supervise technical assistants, or livestock Inspectors.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision and guidance from a higher-level Veterinarian Agriculture or other program administrators and are expected to maintain a level of professional competence through continuing formal or informal education activities.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work of the class specification.

The Veterinarian I, Agriculture and Veterinarian II, Agriculture are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Veterinarian I, Agriculture performs the duties under close supervision.  The Veterinarian II, Agriculture performs the full range of duties and responsibilities in the area of field inspection or laboratory under general supervision.  The Veterinarian II Agriculture is differentiated from the Veterinarian III Agriculture in that the Veterinarian III Agriculture is the supervisory or one of four specialty areas of work in the field of veterinary medicine.

Conducts animal disease investigations, including required tests and postmortem examinations when necessary;

Establishes, continues or releases quarantines as the disease situation dictates;

Directs the handling and disposition of animals which have reacted to official tests;

Manages livestock inspections for disease problems, sanitation and enforcement of regulations at auction markets, sales, fairs or shows;

Contacts and consults with practicing veterinarians, extension agents, agricultural instructors and livestock owners within the assigned geographical area;

Supervise livestock inspectors within the assigned geographical area;

May perform limited duties in the Laboratory option;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the elementary concepts of the principles and practices of regulatory veterinary medicine;

Knowledge of the principles concerning the cause, transmission, prevention, control and/or eradication of common infectious disease of livestock;

Knowledge of gross pathology, microbiology and epidemiology of animal diseases;

Ability to learn and apply the rules and regulations pertaining to infectious diseases and movement of livestock intra and inter-state;

Ability to assign appropriate priorities among a variety of disease control activities and the activities of assigned subordinates;

Ability to supervise the work of others;

Ability to function effectively with a minimum of supervision;

Ability to establish and maintain effective administrative procedures and policies;

Ability to communicate effectively.

Education:   A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or a Veterinary Medical Doctor’s degree from a college or university      accredited or recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Experience: One year of full-time experience in Veterinary Medicine.

Note: Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in veterinary preventive medicine classification or veterinary preventive medicine specialty codes in the veterinary medical science field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required education and experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit E- Health Care Professionals classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.