Clarification from the agency

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

The Clinical Lab Scientist (Education Coordinator) is responsible for the following duties but not limited to:

• The CLS acts as the clinical education coordinator responsible for organization of all educational activities and relationships with internal and external clinical laboratory educational programs.
• The CLS may develop teaching materials, activities, and handouts for the course and participates in assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation activities.
• Manages the competency assessment program for all Pathology and Laboratory staff in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Coordinates assessment schedules for all staff with supervisors and ensures assessments are completed in accordance with regulatory requirements and by assigned deadlines.
• The CLS serves as a consultant, facilitator, trainer, and technical advisor to staff at all levels to ensure facility compliance with clinical laboratory accreditation and regulatory standards that include, but are not limited to, Joint Commission (JC), College of American Pathologists (CAP), the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and AABB (American Association of Blood Banks).
• The CLS ensures the laboratory maintains continuous readiness and supports the organization's performance improvement and patient safety programs. Evaluates the quality of laboratory services through inspections and review of reports and data.
• Maintains a laboratory performance improvement program, ensures monitoring quality assurance and customer feedback, and interacts with management officials and organizations involved in inter-laboratory quality assurance and proficiency testing.
• Ensures that all appropriate written policies and procedures are maintained and current for a comprehensive Performance Improvement Program designed to monitor and evaluate the overall laboratory testing procedures at all testing sites in the Medical Center and outreach functions.
• Establishes the standards and writes and maintains the policy, training and competency assessments. for document control as it applies to the Pathology and Laboratory Department in accordance with Accreditation Standards.
• May serve as an advanced operator on laboratory analyzers. May perform daily preventative maintenance as well as more intensive weekly, monthly and/or quarterly preventative maintenance. Ensures maintenance is completed as scheduled and within the required timeframes. Appropriately documents all actions related to the maintenance of analyzers.
• Maintains professional competency through formal education and professional training and networking. Maintains licensure/certification through continuing education activities, if applicable. Ensures the adequacy of the scientific knowledge applied in the performance of required tests. Annually, completes the current mandatory hours of continuing education required by the facility.
• Assists Supervisory Medical Technologist in providing effective and professional training (including on-the-job demonstration) to medical technicians and medical technologists as needed.
• The incumbent works the bench as needed with rotating weekends and holidays, and provides emergency coverage for other tours as scheduled or as priorities demonstrate a need.
• The incumbent is considered essential personnel.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, day shift with rotating weekends and holiday(as needed).

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required


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)

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

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 and/or Experience Combination: (1) A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.). AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. OR,
  (2) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics,
  AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. OR,
• (3) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory.
• Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described in paragraph 2b(2) or (3) above. This finding may be based on either of the following: (1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree. (2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination.
• Certification. Candidates must have either (1) or (2) below:(1) Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. (2) For positions up to the full performance level, candidates must currently possess the categorical or specialist technologist level certification from the certification agencies listed above, such as, but not limited to, chemistry (C/SC), hematology (H/SH), microbiology (M/SM), molecular biology (MB/SMB) and blood bank (BB/SBB). Technologists with categorical or specialist certifications may only perform duties within the area of the laboratory specific to their categorical certification (e. g., an individual with a chemistry (C) certification can only perform duties in chemistry).
• Grandfathering Provision. All MTs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to the position, the following provisions apply:
  (1) MTs that do not meet the basic requirements for education and certification may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
  (3) MTs initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain certification that meets all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

GS-12 Grade Determinations:
Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the full performance level (GS-11), which is directly related to the position to be filled. Creditable experience includes but not limited to: Serves as an expert providing authoritative advice and consultation for more markedly difficult, complex, unique and/or emerging tests requiring special knowledge. Advises all organizational levels on various aspects of specialized testing, including appropriateness that takes into consideration clinical context. Advises on alternate testing to overcome ambiguities in the clinical diagnoses. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of Federal and state laws and regulations, laboratory accrediting and regulatory requirements in order to develop new policies and guidelines, formulate plans and the ability to judge effectiveness of the operation.
2. Knowledge of laboratory quality management procedures and principles sufficient to establish and monitor a laboratory quality management program and/or education and training of laboratory staff.
3. Knowledge of, and ability to, provide the full range of supervisory duties which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; selection of staff; recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions.
4. Ability to analyze organizational, technical and administrative problems to develop and implement solutions that result in efficient overall laboratory operation.
5. Skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders and managers.
6. Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs and administer the allocated budget.
7. Ability to set short and/or long term goals for the section and conduct studies on technical and administrative problems, including personnel shortages, organizational structure, new technology, etc.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/72 Part II, Appendix G24

The full performance level of this vacancy is 12.

Physical Requirements: Straight pulling. pushing, reaching above the shoulder, use of fingers and both hands (grasping). Walking, frequent standing (i.e. up to 4 hours). Kneeling repeated bending and use of both arms and legs and repetitive motion. Specific visual requirements include use of both eyes and depth perception. Ability to distinguish colors anti shades of colors, hearing (aids permitted). Clear high cognitive function and emotional stability. Ability to read ordinary type without strain.

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Professional Certification
• Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps