Under the direction of the Director, Division of Animal Health Laboratory Services, in the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, develops, implements, and evaluates veterinary pathology services to study nature, cause, and development of animal diseases; applies existing theory, literature, and research findings to define casework, collects data, establishes facts, and draws conclusions; supervises, coordinates, and conducts detailed necropsy examinations (autopsy on animals), biopsy examinations, microscopic examinations, and analyzes bodily fluids to diagnose presence and stage of diseases in animals and probable sources of disease or infection; determines appropriate routines and specialized adjunct laboratory/diagnostic test procedures necessary to establish a case diagnosis, selects/collects appropriate specimens for diagnostic procedures for all support laboratories; plans, organizes, and directs animal cruelty investigations and disease outbreak investigations; documents legal cases as appropriate for admission in court, acts as a witness in the prosecution of alleged law violations; manages veterinary pathology autopsy program: co-ordinates testing schedule; develops work plans; determines, resource needs; supervises, trains, and directs subordinate staff; evaluates program operations and performance to meet objectives, adheres to specific guidelines/regulations (e.g., animal disease regulatory programs) and disposes casework accordingly; supervises and operates equipment required to perform duties: microscopes, necropsy equipment, and other laboratory equipment; develops and updates pathology section SOPs ensuring compliance with quality assurance programs and laboratory safety in the pathology section; coordinates the disposal of animal remains and disinfection of necropsy premises and other areas per rules and regulations; plans, organizes, and conducts the development and implementation of educational and outreach programs e.g., makes public speeches, promotes laboratory services, develops posters and presentations for professional meetings, prepares work-related reports/studies in professional journals etc.; acts as lead consultant and provides assistance to agents of livestock, poultry and other allied agricultural industries, private veterinarians, county extension agents, vocational agriculture teachers/students, state and federal regulators, and other stakeholders; prepares and supervises preparation of comprehensive veterinary medical reports to veterinarians regarding case investigations; performs other related duties as required. |