State of Maryland

A Veterinarian III, Agriculture Virology is the supervisory or specialty area level of work in the field of veterinary in the Maryland Department of Agriculture.  Employees in this classification serve as staff Virologists in the Central Diagnostic Laboratory. Employees in this classification are responsible for supervising, coordinating, and performing virological tests and examinations; for interpreting test results for the purpose of diagnosing diseases and to furnish diagnostic guidance to other Veterinarians and technicians engaged in virological work. Employees in this classification supervise technical laboratory personnel.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from the Director of the Central Laboratory.

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 III Agriculture Virology is differentiated from the Veterinarian II, Agriculture in that the Veterinarian III Agriculture Virology serve as a staff Virologist in the Central Diagnostic Laboratory while the Veterinarian II Agriculture performs the full range of duties and responsibilities in the areas of field inspection or laboratory under general supervision.  The Veterinarian III Agriculture Virology is differentiated from the Veterinarian IV Agriculture in that the Veterinarian IV Agriculture serves as the Veterinarian-in-charge of the Central Laboratory, Animal Health Section, Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Serves as staff Virologists at the Central Diagnostic Laboratory;

Makes disease diagnosis from cell samples or specimens of birds and animals submitted for examinations;

Performs or supervises laboratory tests and procedures using Serum Neutralization tests, Hemagglutination (HA) and Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) tests, Fluorescent Antibody cell tests, Fluorescent Antibody Tissue Section (cryostat) tests; EIA Agid tests, and Elisa tests on materials from necropsies or samples submitted from the field;

Conducts technical experiments for the development of cell counting techniques;

Diagnoses virosis caused or related diseases;

Performs virus search and virology research using electron microscope and electron microscope photography;

Provides consultation to regional veterinarians and veterinarians of branch laboratories on virological studies and findings;

Supervises technical laboratory personnel.

Prepares technical, written reports;

Reviews technical manuals and journals to remain current in veterinary techniques;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge, at the expert level of proficiency, of cellular virology pertaining to the wide variety of animal diseases;

Knowledge of microbiology, hematology, serology, toxicology, fluorescent antibody studies, culture and antigen production, cell culture maintenance and subculturing, virus isolation techniques, cryogenic techniques and procedures, and electron microscopy and photography;

Ability to interpret and coordinate the findings of the above disciplines;

Ability to supervise and coordinate the work of other professional and technical employees;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others;

Ability to communicate effectively.

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

Experience: Three years of experience in cellular virology in a veterinary diagnostic laboratory.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Doctor of Philosophy degree or Doctor of Science degree in Virology for the required experience.

2. Candidates Applicants may substitute the possession of a Master of Science degree in Virology for two years of the required experience.

3. 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 not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded 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.