This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/472532400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans.
As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities. For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov/
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.
The incumbent for this position may be eligible to apply for the Education Debt Reduction Program. Please contact Human Resources at this medical center and speak with the Education Debt Reduction Program Coordinator for additional information.
Learn more about this agency06/20/2017 to 07/07/2017
$53,044 - $73,784 per year
GS 07 - 09
1 vacancy in the following location:
Not required
No
Permanent - Excepted Service Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
9
No
BH-17-ML-1976470-BU
472532400
This position is at the VA New Jersey Health Care System in the Pathology and Laboratory Service, East Orange campus. The incumbent serves as a Medical Technologist in the microbiology/serology/immunology/molecular microbiology unit of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service involving the disciplines of bacteriology, anaerobic bacteriology, mycobacteriology, mycology, parasitology and serology, and molecular microbiology. Responsibilities include performing a variety of procedures on patient samples, reference samples and CAP performance surveys, including complex analyses; evaluating abnormal results; notifying physician of all critical values; using and maintaining equipment; utilizing the laboratory computer for all specimen accessioning and result reporting; and setting up and monitoring quality control. The Medical Technologist rotates through all sections of the microbiology department and works Monday through Friday on varying shifts, with rotating weekends and holidays as priorities demonstrate a need. The duties and responsibilities of the Medical Technologist (Microbiology) include, but are not limited to, the following:
WORK SCHEDULE: Monday -Friday: Noon - 8:30pm with rotating weekends and holidays (weekend and holiday shift is 7:30am to 4:00pm).
FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT TITLE: Medical Technologist (Microbiologist) 2017
Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as standing for long periods of time, bending over microscopes, etc. The work involves regular and recurring risks on discomforts associated with working in a clinical laboratory, e.g., working with infectious substances and irritant reagents. The technologist follows standard precautions guidelines at all times by wearing protective clothing such as coats, goggles, or gloves and takes special safety precautions such as adopting sterile techniques. The technologist follows all safety regulations as detailed in the Laboratory Safety Manual and Chemical Hygiene Plan.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Citizenship:
Education and/or Experience Combination
OR
OR
Certification
Preferred Experience/Education:
A. One year of credible experience equivalent to the next lower grade level which is directly related to the position to be filled. OR
B. A Master's degree or 2 academic years or progressively higher-level graduate education in medical technology or directly related field.
Specialized Experience:
One year of creditable experience conducting the duties related to the Medical Technologist (Microbiology) position. Examples of duties include, but are not limited to: Inoculating specimens onto appropriate solid and liquid media and incubates media in the prescribed environmental conditions (atmosphere, temperature, etc.); Preparing, staining, reading and interpreting gram stains and other special stains (Wayson, Ziehl-Neelsen, India Ink, KOH, etc.); Examining culture media after the prescribed incubation periods and utilizing independent judgment in the selection of organisms which may be potential pathogens for further subculture and identification; Identifying microorganisms isolated from clinical specimens while differentiating those contributing to an infectious process from those associated with normal body flora by using the colonial morphology, gram reaction, fermentation reactions, enzymatic reactions, physiological characteristics, serological reaction with specific antisera, atmospheric and optimal temperature requirements, etc.; Determining antibiotic susceptibility using standardized techniques such as disk-diffusion (Kirby-Bauer), broth dilution and broth-disk elution procedures as well as non-standardized and automated techniques; Examining blood cultures visually for signs of growth and using the current blood culture machine; Identifying parasites, fungi and yeast.
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; religious; 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.
GRADE DETERMINATIONS:
a. Creditable Experience:(1) GS-7 (Entry Level):
(a) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
(2) GS-9 (Full Performance Level)
(a) Experience: Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) which is directly related to the position to be filled.
OR,
(b)Education: Must have Master's Degree or 2 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education in medical technology or directly related field.
(c)Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Ability. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs listed in the preferred experience section above.
References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/72, PART II, APPENDIX G24. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.
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.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
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, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), or 10pt (CP/CPS, XPP, XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP), on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section(s) provided. A legible copy of your DD214(s), disability certification, SF-15 (if claiming 10 pt. preference) or if you are currently serving on active duty and expected to be released or discharged within 120 days; documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Documentation is required to award preference. (See "Required Documents" section).
NOTE: The full performance level of this vacancy is [GS-9]. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of [GS-7] to [GS-9]. The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will recommend the grade and salary at which the candidate will be placed. For internal selectees eligible for promotion, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.
All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):
Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s), which may not be required for all applicants:
Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify) or documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.
Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents:
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online or unable to upload your supporting documents to your online application, follow the directions located at the following site: Fax Options. The Vacancy ID of the job opportunity announcement is 1976470.
NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the View Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Friday, July 07, 2017 to receive consideration.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant notification points can be found in the USAJobs Resource Center.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/472532400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 1976470