State of Maryland

A Chief, Animal Health is highly responsible professional work in the field of veterinary medicine at the supervisory, administrative, and consultative level.  The employee in the classification is responsible for planning, implementing, directing, promoting, coordinating and evaluating both the administrative and technical phases of the Animal Health Section in the Maryland Department of Agriculture.  The employee in this classification is responsible for the administration and enforcement of all laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to Animal Health and serves as the Department expert on these matters.  The employee in this classification, as the Section Chief, has frequent contact with the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Department; officials of the United State Department of Agriculture; members of the State Legislature; local and state public officials; representatives of other state agencies and of private industry organizations; and the general public for the purpose of explaining the Department’s Animal Health program and gaining cooperation and assistance in carrying it out. The employee in this classification in many of these contacts is required to use considerable tact and diplomacy as well as independent judgment in explaining the goals of the Department’s programs and persuading persons of their eventual benefit.  The employee in this classification supervises a staff of professional Veterinarians and other administrative and technical personnel. The employee in this classification also provides supervision to the clerical employees of the section.

The employee in this classification works under the administrative direction of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture or other designated official and confers with the Secretary on matters of policy and program objectives.  Work effectiveness is determined through conferences and evaluation of program results.

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 sections of the class specification.

Directs and coordinates the work of the Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Section;

Administers laws and regulations pertaining to animal health;

Coordinates activities of the Section with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state agencies agricultural advisory groups, practicing veterinarians and other private citizens;

Prepares and recommends new rules and regulations concerning animal health to the Secretary of Agriculture;

Reviews fiscal needs of the Animal Health Section and directs the preparation of the Section’s budget;

Develops programs to combat specific outbreaks of animal disease;

Attends meetings and conferences for planning or corrective work in the field of animal health;

Assists in the preparation and approves departmental training materials, programs, and technical releases regarding activities of the Animal Health Section;

May testify before the State Legislature on matters pertaining to the Section’s activities;

Performs other related duties.

Class Descriptions 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.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Management Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Management Service positions.

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 Annotated Code of Maryland, 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.