Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to the pulic. If you are a current employee of the Agency, or of another Federal Agency, please apply to the announcement: CBTC-12628929-25-JML

Videos

Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf

Medical Technologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Medical-Technologist-Career-Flyer.pdf

The Quality Management Technologist (QM) is responsible for the overall quality assurance and compliance oversight of the laboratory at the Orlando VA healthcare system facility. They plan, develop, and maintain the appropriate laboratory hospital and VA standards and measures to ensure an exceptional laboratory for our patients and providers. They provide authoritative consultative services to management at all levels of the organization as it applies to quality management in a clinical laboratory setting. They are responsible for developing and or assisting in review of validation plans for equipment and methodology evaluations and evaluates statistical and data collected assignments include full liaison responsibility for theoretical and technical aspects of the laboratory quality management to resolve complex problems and considerations. They are also responsible for laboratory continuous readiness for regulating agency inspections and accreditation from outside regulatory agencies. Other duties include but are not limited to:

• Serves as a liaison between administration's, and staff regarding the management processes associated with each specific quality assurance and management program.
• Develops and reviews laboratory general operation and quality management procedures and policy. Recommend laboratory and lab section procedures and policy changes as appropriate.
• Administrator of the Orlando VA Healthcare System pathology and laboratory document control software system.
• Performs statistical analysis in (variations, standard deviation), and trend analysis and privacy on quality control and quality assurance data collected.
• Monitors quality measures and activities of the laboratory to determine conformance with established policies, regulatory or accreditation requirements; makes recommendations for appropriate corrective action and follow up as necessary.
• Ensures compliance with local and national policies and procedures, and federal agency regulations for the quality management program.
• Facilitates planning and implementation of new quality management procedures and policies for pathology and laboratory medicine service.
• Reports and resolved clinical, business operational, technical issues through approved channels.
• Assesses and monitors clinical workflow and outcomes pre and post implementation.
• Coordinate and train laboratory supervisors and bench level personnel on the necessary data collection, analysis and statistical aspects of each individual laboratory section, instrument, and test.
• Serves as a liaison between the laboratory and the various educational programs that send students to the laboratory for training.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Available, Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 82330F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.

English Language Proficiency. MTs must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Education and/or Experience Combination (Transcripts required)

1. A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.). ANDcompletion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post- baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four- year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. OR
2. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND Two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP- BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. OR
3. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND Five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory.

Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described in paragraph 2b(2) or (3) above. This finding may be based on either of the following:

1. A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree.
2. A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination

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).

Certification-Submitted Documentation.

Candidates must possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT.

Physical Requirements. This position does not require a pre-employment physical. (This position may require a pre-employment examination which is different than a physical).

Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-11 Quality Management Technologist:

Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the full performance level (GS-9), which is directly related to the position to be filled. Examples of GS-9 level experience is: routine testing, quality control, routine maintenance of instrumentation and troubleshooting. Performs, evaluates, interprets, correlates and validates the accuracy of lab procedures and results ensuring all laboratory regulatory requirements are met. Testing procedures performed on a variety of biological specimens and or environmental samples using manual of our automated techniques, following practice and regulations governing biosafety and bio security procedures. This level requires a broad exercise of independent judgment and responsibility, including organizing and setting priorities with minimal technical supervision. The work performed is in a variety of laboratory disciplines such as chemistry, microbiology, immunology, hematology, and immunohematology. Such positions include requirements to monitor quality control systems and measures; Collaborate in the diagnosis and treatment of patients; And provide education for laboratory healthcare professionals and the public in a professional, courteous and effective manner.

OR

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 field.

Preferred Experience: Experience in a Quality Management or Quality Control Laboratory.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.