Summary Incumbent performs nonprofessional technical work in one or more areas such as chemistry, blood banking, hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, or microbiology. The work requires a practical knowledge of the techniques of medical laboratory practice in one or more areas of clinical laboratory work, and of the chemistry, biology and anatomy involved. The incumbent takes assignment for all on call duty rotation, as well as, rotating weekends and holidays. Responsibilities Maintains the laboratory facilities, equipment and controls supplies. Monitors specimens, equipment and the environment for contamination. Maintains laboratory supplies and equipment in such a manner as to provide for safety and efficiency of laboratory operations. Processes requisitions, receives and stores shipments. Daily calibrates, controls, and maintains a variety of instrumentation and laboratory equipment against standards. Uses independent judgment in adjusting either the procedure of the mechanical device to bring the procedures into good quality control. Recommends changes in procedures to improve efficiency, accuracy and safety. Assists in training personnel or students in laboratory safety.Maintains and controls laboratory records. Maintains complete and accurate records of all test results. Prepares reports of data collected and tests performed. The incumbent is responsible for some data analysis and for presenting the data to the supervisor in a logical and systematic fashion. Must be aware of and strictly adhere to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act and local/agency requirements. Maintains comprehensive records of written and practical quality control measures to monitor all systems/processes for significant change that could indicate discrepancies of control of results. Incumbent uses information to take corrective measures to correct deviations for established quality control limits. Audits records to ensure appropriate classification, quantity, catalog information, etc. Prepares production or other reports as schedules or requested by the supervisor. Records information pertaining to storage of specimens or reagents and completes appropriate tracking/inventory system information.Performs specimen collection, labeling, accessioning, distribution, and storage. Performs work in the testing and examination procedures carried out in the laboratory. Prepares diagnostic reagents and reference materials. Perform tests that are relatively new and involve very fine distinctions. There are typically very many extremely delicate and exacting steps, the instrumentation is elaborate and complex, and the settings and measurements are very fine. Uses a high degree of laboratory expertise to determine the validity of results and the potential causes for invalid results. Provides necessary assistance on test performance or special studies. Work Schedule: Position has rotating shift including weekends and holidays Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 517-23094-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. 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 The following are the basic requirements for appointment as a Medical Technician in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Citizenship. All applicants are required to be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g.) 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. Education. Candidates must meet the applicable educational requirements for certification. Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign MLT programs are considered to meet the basic education requirements if they have a current certification as described in subparagraph 4.c. Loss of Certification. Management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff, must immediately relieve employees of the duties and responsibilities associated with the MLT occupation who fail to maintain the required certification, which may also result in separation from employment. Physical Requirements. The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring light lifting, walking, bending or standing. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. In other situations, such as in a laboratory, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity, such as exceptional hand/eye coordination, or color differentiation. English Language Proficiency. All applicants must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). GRADE REQUIREMENTS. Creditable Experience. To be creditable, a candidate must possess the required knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the scope of Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) practice. The candidate's experience must be evidenced by active professional practice. (Active professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional MLT). Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, one week of full-time credit equals two weeks of half-time work. Quality of Experience. Experience is creditable if it is directly related to MLT duties equal to or exceeding professional MLT experience at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. GRADE DETERMINATIONS. a. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for appointment in paragraph 4, VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Medical Technician, GS-07 Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below. Assignment-specific KSAs are designated with an asterisk (*) and are only required if that task is required of the position, as indicated in part (c) below. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs i. - iv. and the advanced KSA as identified by the corresponding asterisk(s) if MLTs are assigned advanced MLT duties: i Knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology of medical laboratory technology, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements and medicolegal requirements sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests. ii Skill in applying new scientific/technical developments and theories to laboratory testing. iii Ability to work independently on a broad range of complex laboratory processes. iv Ability to troubleshoot and repair specific/advanced complex laboratory equipment. v *Knowledge of laboratory information technology (IT) systems including troubleshooting systems issues, interface requirements between new instruments and existing IT infrastructure and laboratory IT test development. vi *Ability to convey knowledge of safety regulations and guidelines such as College of American Pathologists (CAP), Joint Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration along with continuing education and employee orientation to ensure staff compliance with safety requirements. vii *Ability to plan and administer an ongoing continuing education program for the laboratory to meet accreditation standards. viii *Ability to assist with quality management activities in the laboratory, including monitoring and evaluating quality in accordance with CLIA and CAP, conducting quality improvement activities and communicating quality management results. Assignments. MLTs at this level have a higher level of responsibility for technical oversight and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. They are responsible for performing difficult specialized tasks including, but not limited to, advanced blood banking (antibody titers, elutions), advanced microbiology (Mycobacterium (Acid Fast Bacillus) Identification and Sensitivities, Mycology Identification, Virology, Anaerobic Culture, Polymerase Chain Reaction testing), molecular testing, high complexity testing, recording workload statistics, quality management projects and obtaining data for validation studies. Advanced MLTs may be expected to independently operate the full range of laboratory functions at remote sites. Their duties consist of advanced operation, training and comprehensive troubleshooting of laboratory instruments and resolving any problems. MLTs at this level may act as key operators for specific instrumentation.Advanced duties may also include one or more of the tasks identified below. When these duties are required, advanced MLTs must also demonstrate corresponding KSA(s) as identified by the asterisk(s) below. i *Laboratory Information Management: Carry out day-to-day operations related to laboratory information systems/computer use and system maintenance. ii *Safety Coordination: Oversee safe handling of specimens, chemicals and equipment by all staff and ensure compliance with safety regulations .iii *Laboratory Education: Plan and administer an ongoing continuing education program for laboratory staff to meet accreditation requirements. iv *Quality Management: Coordinate quality management activities within the laboratory and ensure compliance with required standards of quality. 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). 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-07. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.