Note: Provided below is a job class description and minimum qualification. To view this information for other State of Colorado positions, please visit the job classifications and minimum qualifications page.
Class Description
Valid as of: July 1, 2015
This class series uses three levels in the Health Care Services Occupational Group and describes professional work in the field of veterinary medicine. Positions in this class series apply the principles, theories, and practices of veterinary science. By statutes CRS 12-64-101 et. seq., a license is required in this class series.
Veterinarians detect, diagnose, control or prevent infectious and contagious animal and livestock diseases; investigate and prevent cruelty and mistreatment of animals; and, regulate animal by- products to detect and prevent the sale of unsafe by-products to consumers. The work involves providing professional advice to local government agencies, practicing veterinarians, private sector industries (agricultural, livestock, and racing), and the general public; inspecting feedlots, auction markets, kennels, race tracks, and slaughter plants to obtain compliance with state and federal government health regulations, and civil and criminal codes; ordering appropriate laboratory tests and initiating animal quarantine restrictions; recommending prosecution or other legal actions to obtain compliance with statutes, codes, and regulations; and testifying in legal proceedings as an expert witness to defend agency policies, procedures, and actions.
VETERINARIAN I C9B1XX
Concept of Class
This class describes the fully operational veterinarian. Positions operate independently in performing the full range of professional tasks. Work requires the use of discretion and creativity within limits of theory and principles of the profession, management’s program objectives, law and regulations, and general systems and guidelines. Judgment is used in the adaptation and skilled application of guidelines to solve the full range of problems related to the assignment. An employee in this class must anticipate and analyze the impact and consequences of decisions made. This level also includes positions receiving orientation to the agency setting within the initial probationary period.
Factors
Allocation must be based on meeting all of the three factors as described below.
Decision Making
The decisions regularly made are at the process level, as described here. Within limits set by professional standards, the agency's available technology and resources, and program objectives and regulations established by a higher management level, choices involve determining the process, including designing the set of operations. The general pattern, program, or system exists but must be individualized. This individualization requires analysis of data that is complicated. Analysis is breaking the problem or case into parts, examining these parts, and reaching conclusions that result in processes. This examination requires the application of known and established theory, principles, conceptual models, professional standards, and precedents in order to determine their relationship to the problem. New processes or objectives require approval of higher management or the agency with authority and accountability for the program or system.
Complexity
The nature of, and need for, analysis and judgment is formulative, as described here. Positions evaluate the relevance and importance of theories, concepts, and principles in order to tailor them to develop a different approach or tactical plan to fit specific circumstances. While general policy, precedent, or non-specific practices exist, they are inadequate so they are relevant only through approximation or analogy. In conjunction with theories, concepts, and principles, positions use judgment and resourcefulness in tailoring the existing guidelines so they can be applied to particular circumstances and to deal with emergencies.
Line/Staff Authority
The direct field of influence the work of a position has on the organization is as an individual contributor or staff authority. The individual contributor may explain work processes and train others. The individual contributor may serve as a resource or guide by advising others on how to use processes within a system or as a member of a collaborative problem-solving team. This level may include positions performing supervisory elements that do not fully meet the criteria for the next level in this factor.
OR
The staff authority is a pacesetter that has a unique level of technical expertise in a field or profession that, as part of the ongoing permanent assignment, is critical to the success of an agency. It is an essential component of the work assignment that has been delegated by management to the position. This authority directly influences management decisions within an agency. For example, management relies on such a position when making decisions regarding the direction that policy or a program should take in the staff authority's field of expertise. Managers and peers recognize and seek this level of technical guidance and direction regarding the application of a program or system within the agency or to its clients.
VETERINARIAN II C9B2XX
Concept of Class
This class describes the first-level of program supervision, including the unit supervisor or the senior authority. Program supervisors manage the daily operation of a work unit that includes determining the annual business plans that integrate with the agency’s mission and goals, determining implementation policies and guidelines, developing budgets, establishing staffing and directly controlling the work of others. Senior authorities possess a unique level of knowledge and expertise in a professional field that is needed by the agency to support its overall mission. Management, inside and/or outside of the agency, routinely relies on the essential consultation of the authority before deciding broad, critical program and policy direction. The consultation provided is accepted as fact and not refuted on its technical merit, even if management does not act on it for political or budgetary reasons. Authorities are authorized to take action and issue expert opinions that provide direction for further action by others. Authorities design strategy, systems, processes, guidelines, rules, and standards that are mission critical and directly impact the agency’s ongoing operation and broad program or policy. Senior authority is delegated by agency management, beyond the immediate supervisor, and has direct influence and impact beyond the agency. Veterinarian II differs from Veterinarian I on Decision Making and Line/Staff Authority.
Factors
Allocation must be based on meeting all of the three factors as described below.
Decision Making
The decisions regularly made are at the interpretive level, as described here. Within limits of the strategic master plan and allocated human and fiscal resources, choices involve determining tactical plans to achieve the objectives established by the highest management level. This involves establishing what processes will be done, developing the budget, and developing the staffing patterns and work units in order to deploy staff. This level includes inventing and changing systems and guidelines that will be applied by others statewide. By nature, this is the first level where positions are not bound by processes and operations in their own programs as a framework for decision making and there are novel or unique situations which cause uncertainties that must be addressed at this level. Through deliberate analysis and experience with these unique situations, the manager determines the systems, guidelines, and programs for the future.
Complexity
The nature of, and need for, analysis and judgment is formulative, as described here. Positions evaluate the relevance and importance of theories, concepts, and principles in order to tailor them to develop a different approach or tactical plan to fit specific circumstances. While general policy, precedent, or non-specific practices exist, they are inadequate so they are relevant only through approximation or analogy. In conjunction with theories, concepts, and principles, positions use judgment and resourcefulness in tailoring the existing guidelines so they can be applied to particular circumstances and to deal with emergencies.
Line/Staff Authority
The direct field of influence the work of a position has on the organization is as a unit supervisor or senior authority. The unit supervisor is accountable, including signature authority, for actions and decisions that directly impact pay, status, and tenure of three or more full-time equivalent positions. At least one of the subordinate positions must be in the same series or at a comparable conceptual level. The elements of formal supervision must include providing documentation to support recommended corrective and disciplinary actions, signing performance plans and appraisals, and resolving informal grievances. Positions start the hiring process, interview applicants, and recommend hire, promotion, or transfer.
OR
The senior authority is a pacesetter that has a unique level of technical expertise in a field or profession that, as part of the ongoing permanent assignment, is critical to the success of an agency. It is an essential component of the work assignment that has been delegated by management to the position. This authority directly influences management decisions beyond the agency. Managers and peers seek this level of technical guidance and direction as the designer of a statewide system or in a subject area for other areas of state government. Managers and peers, both internally and externally to the agency, rely on this pacesetter when making decisions regarding the direction that policy, programs, and systems should take in the pacesetter's field of expertise.
VETERINARIAN III C9B3XX
Concept of Class
This class describes the second-level program supervisor. Positions manage the daily operation of multiple work units through subordinate professional program supervisors. Positions determine the annual business plans that integrate with the agency’s mission and goals, determine implementation policies and guidelines, develop budgets, establish staffing and directly control the work of others as a second-level supervisor. Work involves directing the implementation of policies, rules, and regulations. This class differs from Veterinarian II on DecisionMaking, Complexity, and Line/Staff Authority.
Factors
Allocation must be based on meeting all of the three factors as described below.
Decision Making
The decisions regularly made are at the programmatic level, as described here. Within limits set by organizational policy, general directives, overall goals and objectives, and allocated resources, choices involve formulating or adjusting programs, specifying program objectives, and allocating human and fiscal resources among constituent programs. This involves independently, and under conditions of uncertainty, determining what has been done, what can be done, proposals for long-term policy, and estimates of what new resources are required. The long-term strategic plans, purposes, and staffing determined by this level require integration with other programs in the overall agency plan. Program, as used here, is defined by the mission of an agency or division as opposed to a segment or piece of a program, such as planning, program evaluation, etc. This level does not describe positions that are applying a program controlled by another agency, which has the authority and accountability for it.
Complexity
The nature of, and need for, analysis and judgment is strategic as described here. Positions develop guidelines to implement a program that maintains the agency's mission. Guidelines do not exist for most situations. In directive situations, positions use judgment and resourcefulness to interpret circumstances in a variety of situations and establish guidelines that direct how an agency program will be implemented.
Line/Staff Authority
The direct field of influence the work of a position has on the organization is as a second level supervisor. The second-level supervisor must be accountable for multiple units through the direct supervision of at least two subordinate unit supervisors, and have signature authority for actions and decisions that directly impact pay, status, and tenure. Elements of formal supervision must include providing documentation to support recommended corrective and disciplinary actions, second-level signature on performance plans and appraisals, and resolving informal grievances. Positions start the hiring process interview applicants, and recommend hire, promotion, or transfer.
Entrance Requirements
Minimum entry requirements and general competencies for classes in this series are contained in the State of Colorado Department of Personnel website.
For purposes of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the essential functions of specific positions are identified in the position description questionnaires and job analyses.
History of Changes Made to Class Description
The following is a summary of changes made to this class description.
- Effective June 30, 2015
Updated and removed the purpose of contact.
- Effective July 1, 2002
HCS Consolidation Study. Changed pay grades and revised class description. Draft published 2/21/2001. Published as proposed 5/10/2001.
- Effective September 1, 1993
Job Evaluation System Revision project. Converted Field Veterinarian A and B (55502-3) to Veterinarian I (C2K1), converted Assistant State Veterinarian (55504) and Racing Commission Veterinarian (55514) to Veterinarian II (C2K2), and converted State Veterinarian (55506) to Veterinarian III (C2K3). Published as proposed 4/9/1993.
- Revised October 1, 1991
Changed occupational group from Medical to Health Care Services.
- Revised July 1, 1988
Changed relationship for State Veterinarian (55506).
- Revised July 1, 1982
Changed relationship for State Veterinarian (55506).
- Revised July 1, 1981
Changed relationship for State Veterinarian (55506).
- Revised March 1, 1977
Changed necessary special requirement for Field Veterinarian A and B (55502-3), Assistant State Veterinarian (55504) and State Veterinarian (55506).
- Created January 1, 1977
Summary of Factor Ratings
| Class Level | Decision Making | Complexity | Line/Staff Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinarian I | Process | Formulative | Individual Contributor or Staff Authority |
| Veterinarian II | Interpretive | Formulative | Unit Supervisor or Senior Authority |
| Veterinarian III | Programmatic | Strategic | Manager |
Minimum Qualifications
Valid as of: August 30, 2023
This document includes the following levels:
| Class Title | Class Code |
|---|---|
| Veterinarian I | C9B1XX |
| Veterinarian II | C9B2XX |
| Veterinarian III | C9B3XX |
VETERINARIAN I (C9B1XX)
Education/Licensure/Certification/Experience:
Licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Colorado.
No substitutions.
VETERINARIAN II (C9B2XX)
Education/Licensure/Certification/Experience:
- Licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Colorado
- Two (2) years of experience as a veterinarian
No substitutions.
VETERINARIAN III (C9B3XX)
Education/Licensure/Certification/Experience:
- Licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Colorado
- Five (5) years of experience as a veterinarian, two of which must have been at the level of a unit supervisor, staff authority, or equivalent
No substitutions.
History of Changes Made to Minimum Qualification
The following is a summary of changes made to this minimum qualification.
- August 30, 2023 (Whole Document)
New format (updating to adhere to accessibility standards).
- Oct. 27, 2017 (Whole Document)
Made grammatical changes.
- May 1, 2017 (C9B3XX)
- Removed language specific to the Colorado license. If justified in the Job Analysis, Colorado specific licensure can be included at the time of posting.
- Removed language regarding US specific experience; the classification as written does not support this requirement. If justified in the Job Analysis, US specific experience can be included at the time of posting.
- May 1, 2017 (C9B2XX)
Removed language specific to the Colorado license. If justified in the Job Analysis, Colorado specific licensure can be included at the time of posting.
- May 1, 2017 (Whole Document)
- Part of the 2017 MQ Project
- New format