Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This announcement is open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees only. Applicants will be referred in the following order: 1. Current permanent Facility employees. 2. Current permanent Agency (Department of Veterans Affairs) employees.

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The Laboratory Manager provides guidance and serves as an authority and subject matter expert on laboratory medicine including research, agency policies, new techniques, and procedures.

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF DUTIES:

• Develop guidelines, assess laboratory effectiveness, and establish and maintain quality assurance and performance improvement programs.
• Set short and long-term goals to improve test offerings, operational efficiency, and patient care outcomes, ensuring these initiatives are communicated to and supported by the Medical Director, Chief of Staff (COS), and the Laboratory Director.
• Exercise full supervisory responsibility for a diverse team of Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS) and support staff, including a GS-12 Lead CLS and lower-grade laboratory personnel.
• Initiate recruitment, conduct interviews, and recommend appointments, promotions, awards, and disciplinary actions.
• Assign work, manage performance evaluations, identify training needs, and verify competencies at established intervals, maintaining a stable and capable workforce.
• Ensure adequate staffing levels, adjust workload, and schedules, and oversees day-to-day operations of multiple laboratory sections (e.g., Chemistry, Hematology, Microbiology, and Off-Shift Operations) to meet dynamic clinical demands.
• Develop and manage program budget and resource usage, inventory, acquisition, and contracting processes.
• Analyze and resolve complex operational, technical, and administrative issues, validating new test systems and integrating technological upgrades in consultation with the Laboratory Information Manager.
• Implement quality management and continuous quality improvement strategies, including proficiency testing, QA/QC measures, and corrective actions, maintaining full regulatory compliance and accreditation readiness.
• Develop, review, and maintain laboratory policies, procedures, and process controls, ensuring adherence to CAP, TJC, CLIA, FDA, OSHA, and other accrediting bodies.
• Monitor test performance, specimen analysis, and QC data, initiating corrective actions as necessary and proactively preparing for inspections and surveys.
• Develop and implement laboratory guidelines, aligning local practices with VHA, medical center, and network-wide objectives.
• Interpret federal, state, and VHA regulations, translate them into practical, actionable policies and oversee their effective implementation.
• Forecast equipment, reagent, and supply needs, engage in market research, obtain vendor quotes, and support contract evaluations and purchases to optimize resource utilization.
• Participate in budget planning and execution, justify requests, and monitor expenditures to ensure cost-effective operations without compromising service quality.
• Serve as a liaison between the laboratory and clinical, administrative, and educational stakeholders, including the CBOC Medical Director, Laboratory Director, Amarillo Laboratory Manager, clinicians, and interdisciplinary teams.
• Communicate effectively in local, VISN-level, and national forums, represent laboratory interests, negotiate resource needs, and advise on complex testing scenarios.
• Provide expert consultation on laboratory medicine issues, recommend alternative testing methods, and address unique diagnostic dilemmas.
• Guide the development of training materials, SOPs, and controlled documents, ensure staff receive orientation, continuing education, & competency assessments.
• Assist with educational outreach programs (e.g., collaborations with MLT/MT training programs) and support document management initiatives to maintain accurate, accessible laboratory records.
• Travel to other facilities within the system to provide on-site assistance, ensuring standardized testing practices and operational consistency across multiple locations.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not authorized.
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).
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: Ad-hoc only.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 80725-F.
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 identification 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

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

BASIC REQUIREMENTS.
To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:
a. Citizenship.
Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).

b. Education.
A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.

c. 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.

(3) Failure to Obtain Certification. In all cases, CLSs must actively work to meet requirements for certification starting from the date of their placement into the occupation. At the time of appointment, the Human Resources (HR) Office staff, in collaboration with the supervisor, will provide the employee with the written requirements for certification, including the time by which the certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. Failure to obtain certification during this time period may result in separation from employment.

d. 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:

• (1) 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,
• (2) 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 above automatically determines the foreign education as creditable and no further documentation or proof of equivalency is needed.

e. English Language Proficiency.
Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403.

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-13 Assignments.
(1) General. For all GS-13 assignments above the FPL, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety, and be performed by the CLS at least 25% of the time.

(2) Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Laboratory Manager), GS-13.
Experience. 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level is required for all GS-13 assignments.

(3) Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Laboratory Manager), GS-13.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(A) Knowledge of regulatory, licensing, accrediting agency requirements and statutes governing clinical laboratory operations used in planning, implementing, and monitoring laboratory programs and services.
(B) Skill in problem solving and applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to measure and improve program effectiveness and/or organizational productivity.
(C) Skill to develop new or modified work methods, organizational structures, records and files, management processes, and staffing patterns.
(D) Skill in administrative management such as budgeting, contracting, procurement, and property management in accordance with VHA regulations.
(E) Ability to balance administrative and clinical functions to coordinate and manage programs and resources.
(F) Ability to plan and execute short-range and long-range programs and/or goals through project management and tactical/strategic planning.
(G) Ability to effectively communicate, orally and in writing, technical information with a wide variety of individuals including senior managers in a medical center or health care setting or higher-level managers in regional or national offices (for example, VISN-level staff and VHA Central Office staff).

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-13.

Physical Requirements: There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019, updated on 4/17/2026.

How you will be evaluated

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

What are KSAs?
In the federal hiring process, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) are a list of special qualifications and personal attributes that you need to have for a particular job/grade level (see Qualifications section of this announcement).

• Knowledge statements refer to an organized body of information usually of a factual or procedural nature which, if applied, makes adequate performance on the job possible. A body of information applied directly to the performance of a function. Skill statements refer to the proficient manual, verbal or mental manipulation of data or things.
• Skills can be readily measured by a performance test where quantity and quality of performance are tested, usually within an established time limit.
• Ability statements refer to the power to perform an observable activity at the present time. This means that abilities have been evidenced through activities or behaviors that are similar to those required on the job. Note that abilities are different from aptitudes. Aptitude is only the potential for performing the activity.

Although not required at the time of application, we highly recommend submitting a supplemental document with your written responses to the KSAs required at each grade level you wish to be considered. If you choose not to submit KSA responses, please ensure your resume includes details of your experience that fully demonstrate the required KSAs as described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement.

5 Tips for Writing a Federal Resume - FederalPay.org (https://www.federalpay.org/articles/5-tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume)

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.