Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The incumbent is responsible for three programs: quality assurance, quality improvement, and continuing education.

• Manages Quality Assurance program for Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service that performs over 1.2 million clinical tests per year and comprises over 40 laboratory employees.
• Ensures continuous readiness and supports the organization's performance improvement and patient safety programs.
• Maintains laboratory performance improvement program, ensures monitoring components and customer feedback, and interacts with management officials and organizations involved in inter-laboratory quality assurance and proficiency testing.
• Develops, implements, and performs quality management policy review. Advises lab management on quality management concerns that could impact other services and assists with the necessary follow ups.
• Provides consultative services for laboratory-related root cause analysis, health care failure mode effect analysis, and sentinel events and develops action plans and outcome measures.
• Directs and administers Quality Assurance activities of defined goals, procedures, policies, tolerance limits, corrective action, and related information. Follows recommended guidelines of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocols for establishing standards and policies concerning an internal Quality Assurance Program.
• Provides consultative services to management at all levels of the organization as it applies to quality management in a clinical laboratory setting.
• Responsible for collecting and aggregating the data of every contract monitor to ensure that quality of service is provided.
• Orders all proficiency testing surveys for the main laboratory, ancillary testing sites, and Community Based Outpatient Clinics. Monitor results of all proficiency surveys for all units and ensures the appropriate corrective actions plans are developed. Maintain records of all survey materials for review by accrediting agencies.
• Directs and administers Quality Improvement activities. These include monthly monitors of all the units in the laboratory.
• Reviews, monitors and analyzes all records of quality assurance/control and reports to the Lab Manager and Chief of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service. Aggregates data and identify trends, recommended corrective actions, monitors corrective action and measure improvement.
• Documents and reviews concerns or complaints with respect to the quality of patient testing and safety and reports to the Laboratory Manager and Chief of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service.
• Reports any deficiencies to the Safety Officer and implements correction of unsafe conditions.
• Reviews and reports on patient safety issues to the Patient Safety Manager.
• Monitors laboratory quality issues at Community Based Outpatient Clinics. Works with Lab Manager, Nurse Manager, and Chief Pathologist to make appropriate changes to procedures, equipment and supplies used in these areas to meet quality measures and regulatory requirements.
• Directs the unit supervisors to correct deficiencies in test performance and potential technical problems in meeting patient needs.
• Prepares the laboratory for all external inspections or audits, which involve completion of applications forms, correspondence, the retrieval of required documentation, and writing responses to inspection findings.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8am - 4:30pm
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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
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.
• 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.


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.
• Candidates must meet one of the certification options below:
  • Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT.
  • Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT.
  • 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).
• Foreign Education:
  • To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational requirements if they meet either of the following:
    • Foreign transcripts are evaluated by an acceptable evaluation agency, and the degree is found to be equivalent to a NAACLS-approved U.S. clinical laboratory science degree program. OR
    • The applicant submits a letter from ASCP BOC or AMT stating the individual is eligible to take the certification examination.
  • NOTE: Possession of a certification identified in above automatically determines the foreign education as creditable and no further documentation or proof of equivalency is needed.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f).

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).

Grade Determinations:

Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Quality Manager), GS-12

• Experience: 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level is required for all GS-12 assignments.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and practices of medical technology sufficient to perform the full range of duties involved in planning, coordinating, and evaluating laboratory services.
  • Knowledge of accrediting agencies and regulatory requirements pertaining to laboratory operations.
  • Knowledge of laboratory operations and relationships to the organization.
  • Skill in applying laboratory quality control/assurance policies, procedures, and principles and safety practices and regulations.
  • Ability to apply quality management performance improvement principles, methodology, and processes to develop and manage a clinical laboratory quality management program.
  • Ability to apply statistical evaluation and analysis to quality assurance data and implement corrective actions when indicated.

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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 pounds; Light carrying, under 15 pounds; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking, 3 hours; Standing, 3 hours; Both legs required; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Works around Electrical energy;

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.