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 job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies, and all US Citizens.

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Duties outlined are at the full performance level GS-6

-Performs a broad range of laboratory procedures to include pre-analytic, analytic and post analytic processes with minimal technical supervision.
-Performs testing in one or more of the following areas: Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waived testing, phlebotomy, hematology, immunohematology, clinical chemistry, immunology, toxicology, urinalysis, referral laboratory, microbiology, and specimen processing.
- Recognizes data with life threatening (critical) implications and understands the importance of immediately bringing the data to the attention of the patients' physician and/or nursing staff.
- Evaluates and solves problems related to collection and processing of biological specimens for analysis considering physiologic processes and requirements.

Administrative Duties
Incumbent performs administrative duties as necessary for laboratory services. Primary responsibilities are to receive and direct calls to appropriate laboratory department/section. Provide guidance to clinical and non-clinical staff on clinical and anatomical laboratory testing services. Document customer concerns, complaints, or compliments. Advise clinical and non-clinical staff on proper ordering protocols for patient testing and fiscal efficiency based on established guidelines or pathologist approval. Perform supplemental testing (add-on) function for the clinical laboratory and anatomical pathology. Incumbent must have technical knowledge of specimen requirements, storage, online laboratory services manual, and established policy or procedure to identify viable samples for the request determining suitability for requested testing, to include specimen location and routing for supplemental testing. Incumbent must maintain required information of all calls, physician encounters, and supplemental request.

Client Support Services
Incumbent must utilize these skills to perform primary duties of client support services. Duties are the reception of patients, performing positive patient identification procedures, verifying test orders in computer information systems, organizing patient workflow based, and processing orders correctly.


***Duties continued in Qualifications section***

Work Schedule:
Compressed/Flexible:Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:40pm
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.
Functional Statement #: 53220-F/53221-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 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

***Duties continued in Qualifications section***

Specimen Collection and Processing
The incumbent maintains skills and is proficient in phlebotomy and follows established guidelines by accrediting agencies (i.e. TJC, CLSI, CAP) guidelines for blood collections. The incumbent uses two unique patient identifiers and active communication with identifying patients for blood collections and all other specimen collection processes; collects vacutainers in accordance to laboratory policies and procedures; organizes the STAT and timed draws and reviews the collection list for uncollected data for outpatient blood draw and assists staffing to ensure the needs of the service; acts as information specialist for the section and assists clinical and non-clinical staff with results, supplemental testing, collection procedures education, handling requirements and any special requirements for esoteric testing; processes specimens using appropriate equipment, instruments and techniques required for specific analysis, controls physical conditions and responds to time factors to ensure that physiologic integrity of the specimen is maintained; identifies unusual results or discrepancies/conditions that cause erroneous results (e.g. instrument malfunctions, improper test conditions, specimen appropriateness and viability); investigates and documents processing, labeling, collection and other specimen errors using problem report forms; enters reference lab results in the lab computer package, evaluates the validity of the result in relation to the test system, assay procedure, age, and gender of the patient.

Reference Laboratory Testing
The incumbent processes biological and non-biological specimens for reference laboratory testing in accordance to established policy and procedure. The incumbent creates shipping manifest, sort samples into batches according to storage stability requirements, and verify for accuracy. The Incumbent makes informed decisions based established guidelines and protocols.

Ancillary Testing/Point of Care Testing
The incumbent performs analysis using ancillary testing systems. Incumbent follows established for ancillary/point of care testing. Incumbent performs all duties independently with minimal supervision. Incumbent is to adhere by all established protocols, policy, and procedures. May perform other related duties as assigned by management which are appropriate for this grade and assignment.

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. Candidates must meet the applicable educational requirements for certification.
• Certification. (1) Candidates must currently possess one of the appropriate certifications as an MLT granted by the following organizations. (a) American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) i ASCP, Board of Certification. OR ii ASCP, Board of Registry. (b) American Medical Technologists. OR (c) American Association of Bioanalysts.
• Exception. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification may receive a temporary appointment up to the full performance level not to exceed two years as a graduate MLT under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2) without the option to extend.

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:

GS-5 Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-6 (Full Performance Level)
Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level.
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
i Knowledge of MLT principles, practices, concepts and theories for sound independent work.
ii Knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures to manage reagents and supply inventories using document control systems.
iii Ability to maintain, troubleshoot and repair instrumentation.
iv Ability to work as a team member in a laboratory setting to effectively complete assignments.
v Ability to use technical judgment to interpret laboratory results.
vi Ability to apply complex written laboratory instructions.
vii Ability to consult with other members of the health care team, patients and external customers.

Preferred Experience:

• One year of phlebotomy experience with all age groups.
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of medical terminology.
• Experience in specimen collection and processing for different disciples to include in house testing and reference lab testing.
• Experience in advance phlebotomy services to include, blood culture collection, H. Pylori Breathe Test collection, Glucose Tolerance Collection, and Chain of Custody Drug Testing.
• Experience with point of care testing to include quality control and quality assurance.
• Ability to communicate, consult and interact with other members of the healthcare 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-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-6.

Physical Requirements: Must be able to perform moderate lifting, straight pulling, pushing, reaching above the shoulder, use of fingers and both hands, walking, standing, kneeling, sitting, repeated bending, and use of both arms and legs. Specific visual requirements include vision for both eyes, depth perception, the ability to distinguish colors and shades of colors (color blindness), and the ability to read ordinary type without strain. The incumbent must have adequate hearing (aids permitted) and must have the ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously.

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.