Summary
This position is eligible for
the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.
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Duties
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The incumbent serves as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) within the Hematology, Coagulation, and Blood Bank sections of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, performing key duties in the clinical laboratory. This is considered all performance levels for nonsupervisory positions.
Major duties and responsibilities of this position includes but is not limited to:
- Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (Veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
- Maintains and demonstrates knowledge of professional clinical laboratory science principles, practices, concepts, and theories that support sound, independent work.
- Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement.
- Utilizes comprehensive knowledge of laboratory equipment and maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs instrumentation and demonstrates proper documentation of corrective action.
- Uses independent technical judgement to analyze and interpret laboratory results.
- Reads, interprets, and applies complex written instructions.
- Communicates, consults, and interacts with other members of the healthcare team, external relations, customer service, and patient education.
- Calibrates, standardizes, adjusts, and maintains instruments. This includes verifying correct instrument operation using established procedures and quality control checks and monitoring. Identifies the cause of common problems and makes simple repairs. Ensures maintenance, calibrations, correlations, and quality control are completed as scheduled and within the required timeframes.
- May perform the processing, ordering, packaging, shipping, and resulting of testing sent to reference laboratories.
- May assist in the receiving and processing of laboratory samples.
- Answers and appropriately and professionally addresses any incoming inquiries to the laboratory, whether via phone, electronic communications, or in-person communications.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm with rotating weekends and holidays.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 92763-0, 92764-0, 92765-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact Margaret.Bordner@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements:
- United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- Education. A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university. NOTE: The Supervisory CLS (Laboratory Director), GS-15, requires unique education requirements. Please reference the education requirements located in that assignment below.
- Certification.
- (1) Candidates must meet one of the certification options below.
- (a) Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT.
- (b) Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT.
- (c) Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT. NOTE: Categorical and specialist certifications are not acceptable for CLS Generalist positions or lab sections unrelated to the categorical or specialist certification held. Categorical or specialist certifications are acceptable for higher-graded positions within the relevant lab section or one of the non-section specific assignments (including, Ancillary Testing Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Laboratory Information Manager, Quality Manager, Laboratory Manager, Regional Technical Specialist, National Quality and Compliance Agent, Regional Program Manager, Regional Director, Laboratory Director, or National Quality and Compliance Officer).
- (2) Exception for Non-Certified.
- (a) Applicants who do not currently hold valid certification may be hired by VA and actively work toward their certification if they meet one of the routes identified in Appendix A that makes them eligible to take the MLS certification exam through the ASCP BOC or the MLS certification exam through AMT Certification Agency.
- (b) Non-Certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure may be given a temporary appointment CLS under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2).
- (c) Non-Certified individuals may only provide care under the supervision of a certified CLS at or above the FPL.
- (d) Non-certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained.
- (e) Temporary appointments of non-certified CLS may not be extended beyond 2 years or be converted to a new temporary appointment.
May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Grandfathering Provision: Employees in VHA in this occupation under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and certification where applicable.
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.
- Clinical Laboratory Scientist, GS-07.
- (1) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.
- (2) Assignment. Employee at this level serves in a CLS entry-level position. It is expected that they receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require daily direct supervision.
- Clinical Laboratory Scientist, GS-09.
- (1) Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet one of the criteria below:
- (a) Experience. 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. OR
- (b) Education. Master's degree or 2 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education in medical technology or a directly related science.
- Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- (a) Knowledge of policies and procedures of clinical laboratory testing.
- (b) Knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance principles.
- (c) Knowledge of laboratory equipment and routine maintenance.
- (d) Ability to work as a team member and effectively complete assignments.
- (e) Ability to read and interpret written instructions.
- (f) Ability to accurately perform pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases of testing.
- Clinical Laboratory Scientist, GS-11.
- (1) Experience or Education Candidates at this level must meet one of the criteria below:
- (a) Experience. 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. OR
- (b) Education. Must have 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in medical technology or a directly related science.
- (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- (a) Knowledge of professional clinical laboratory science principles, practices, concepts, and theories that support sound, independent work.
- (b) Knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement.
- (c) Skill in informatics, laboratory data flow, and laboratory processes.
- (d) Ability to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair instrumentation.
- (e) Ability to use independent technical judgment to analyze and interpret laboratory results.
- (f) Ability to read, interpret, and apply complex written instructions.
- (g) Ability to communicate, consult, and interact with other members of the health care team, external relations, customer service, and patient education.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-11.
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
Education
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accep
