Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Chemistry)

Clarification from the agency

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration. This job is also open to USPHS Commissioned Corps Officers and Call-To-Active Duty (CAD) Candidates.

The NIH Clinical Center Department of Laboratory Medicine (DLM) located in Bethesda, MD is hiring for two Clinical Laboratory Scientists in the Chemistry department.

As a GS-0644-09/11 Clinical Laboratory Scientist in the Chemistry section, your duties will include, but are not limited to the following:

• Receives and evaluates adequacy of clinical specimens for testing, including specimen identification and integrity. Processes specimens for testing.
• Performs specialized and technically demanding analytical procedures for diagnostic and research purposes. Identifies and addresses issues in testing that may affect results, such as interfering substances, disease conditions, limitations of the test procedure, or other problems in the test system.
• Reports laboratory results using the laboratory and/or hospital information system. Communicates STAT and urgent results directly to the patient care team.
• Participates in laboratory proficiency testing programs.
• Develops procedures and establishes parameters for correlation of test results and determines troubleshooting protocols.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
• The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
• Tier 1 Emergency Essential Personnel.
• Position requires Education, transcripts required.
• Physical Requirement: Requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as long periods of standing and walking, bending over instruments and microscopes, and lifting light to moderately heavy items such as reagent packs and various supplies.
• The work environment involves regular and recurring exposure to infectious agents such as hepatitis, HIV and to noxious and flammable liquids such as xylene and formalin.
• Clinical Laboratory Scientist are required to use protective clothing such as lab coats, goggles, gloves, and must follow all Universal Safety precautions. Technologists work in a Biohazard Level 2 facility.
• Incumbents working with radioactive sources such as those found in blood irradiators will be required to complete a background security check to be certified as trustworthy and reliable by Division of Radiation Safety and DPSAC.
• If selected, you must pass a pre-employment medical examination, provide evidence of immunization, and be free from communicable diseases.
• May be required to work weekends, evenings, nights, or holidays as indicated by specific duties. Positions may also be subject to on-call.
• At the supervisor’s discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities such as Alternative Work Schedules.
• The pay range for each grade is as follows in Montgomery County, MD: The pay range for the GS-9 is $70,623 - $91,815 The pay range for the GS-11 is $85,447 - $111,087

Qualifications

You qualify if you meet the following qualification requirements:

Basic Requirements

Education

1. A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from a regionally accredited college/university including courses in biological science, chemistry and mathematics, AND successful completion of a Medical Laboratory Scientist/Clinical Laboratory Scientist program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

   OR

2. A full 4-year course of study that included 12 months in a college or hospital-based medical technology program or medical technology school approved by a recognized accrediting organization. The professional medical technology curriculum may have consisted of a 1-year post- bachelor's certificate program or the last 1 or 2 years of a 4-year program of study culminating in a bachelor's in medical technology.

   OR

3. A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of biological science (with one semester in microbiology), 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of chemistry (with one semester in organic or biochemistry), one semester (one quarter) of mathematics, AND five years of full time acceptable clinical laboratory experience in Blood Banking, Chemistry, Hematology, microbiology, Immunology and Urinalysis/Body Fluids. This combination of education and experience must have provided knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of medical technology equivalent to that provided by the full 4-year course of study described in 1 or 2 above. All science and mathematics courses must have been acceptable for credit toward meeting the requirements for a science major at an accredited college or university. Acceptable experience is responsible professional or technician experience in a hospital laboratory, health agency, industrial medical laboratory, or pharmaceutical house; or teaching, test development, or medical research program experience that provided an understanding of the methods and techniques applied in performing professional clinical laboratory work. Certification/licensure as a medical technologist (generalist) obtained through written examination by a nationally recognized credentialing agency or State licensing body is a good indication that the quality of experience is acceptable.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for the GS-09 position: You must have completed two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree that is directly related to the duties of this position.

OR

You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following tasks: 1) Reviewing and evaluating clinical laboratory procedures related to Chemistry; 2) Recognizing problems such as interfering substances and new organisms; 3) Performing specialized and technically demanding analytical procedures for diagnostic and research purposes; 4) Recognizing deficiencies and proposing solutions; 5) Evaluating, modifying or adapting new methods or revising standard techniques to improve quantitativeness, accuracy, precision, specificity or proficiency of analyses.

OR

You must have a combination of post-baccalaureate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

To qualify for the GS-11 position: You must have completed three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctorate degree that is directly related to the duties of this position.

OR

You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following tasks: 1) Reviewing and evaluating clinical laboratory procedures related to Chemistry; 2) Performing specialized and technically demanding analytical procedures for diagnostic and research purposes; 3) Identifying and addressing issues in testing that may affect results, such as interfering substances, disease condition, limitations of the test procedure, or other problems in the test system; 4) Interacting directly with patient care physicians in discussing the interpretation of test results and suggesting follow up procedures which may help answer clinical questions; 5) Coordinating laboratory activities to minimize duplication of services; 6) Training laboratory personnel in laboratory procedures.

OR

You must have a combination of post-baccalaureate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12978941

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your score on the required assessments. This recruitment will use the following assessment(s): USA Hire.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

• Attention to Detail
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and assessment scores will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:

• Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
• Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
• Qualified - for those who meet the minimum qualification requirements

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.

How You Will Be Evaluated
To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least 80 points on assessment(s), and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS

RESUME:
Your resume must clearly demonstrate, in two pages or less, how your skills and experiences align with the "Qualifications" section and support your questionnaire responses. While cover letters provided with your application will be shared with hiring officials, they will not be used for initial qualification determinations. We cannot assume required experience based on your work or academic history. If your resume exceeds two pages, only the first two will be reviewed.
Use a legible font such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, or Arial, with 0.5-inch margins. Suggested formatting: 14-point for titles and 10-point for body text.
You may use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or upload your own resume. If uploading, ensure it includes all required information and is organized so we can match the following to each position:

1. Job title
2. Employer name
3. Employment dates (MM/DD/YYYY)
4. Hours worked per week (full-time assumed; part-time prorated)
5. Detailed duties, accomplishments, skills, responsibilities, and supervisory details (if applicable)
6. Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions)

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: NIH Help Applying, USAJOBS Resource Center, and the USAJOBS Resume Guidance.

ASSESSMENT(S):
You must complete any required assessment. Not providing the required information or participating in required assessments will result in a determination that you do not meet minimum requirements for the position (e.g., an ineligible rating).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, Schedule A or military spouse eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.

• Veterans' preference (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.
• Visit our sites on Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) for more information and required documentation.
• Visit our site on the Appointment of Certain Military Spouses for more information and required documentation to verify eligibility.
• Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities) Applicants who are eligible to be considered under Schedule A must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility. Documentation must be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be printed on a medical professional's letterhead. Veterans' preference takes precedence in these appointments.

The Schedule A and military spouse hiring authorities do not guarantee employment or give an individual preference in the hiring process.

If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible, or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility.

Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official or hiring manager.

Next steps