Histopathology Technician (Lead)

Clarification from the agency

This job announcement is open to current permanent VA employees of the Charleston VAMC facility. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. *Veterans preference is not applicable.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• The MOHS Lead will independently oversee the general operations of the MOHS Micrographic Surgery lab and will be responsible for troubleshooting issues and resolving higher-level problems. The incumbent also carries out the day-to-day operations in Histology when MOHS procedures are not occurring which include accessioning, embedding, cutting, staining, and cutting frozen sections.
• The incumbent will be responsible for assigning tasks, preparing and directing work, monitoring work in progress and ensuring protocols are being followed in the MOHS Laboratory Area. The incumbent will stay abreast and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of regulatory, licensing, and accrediting agency requirements that govern laboratory operations ensuring that work practices, documentation, and reporting are consistent with all governing standards and regulations.
• The MOHS Lead will provide input to the supervisor on performance and training needs of employees and will resolve simple, informal complaints from employees and patients, referring the more difficult problems to the supervisor. The incumbent will manage staffing requirements, prepare and approve work schedules, plan and organize workload priorities, and will coordinate duties among department staff ensuring all daily work goals are achieved.
• The incumbent serves as the MOHS Lead Histopathology Technician with responsibility for performing higher-level duties of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety which will be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

MOHS Laboratory Related:

• Independently oversee the general operations of the MOHS Micrographic Surgery lab, including performing or assisting with the majority of MOHS procedures, monitoring all equipment and supply levels, and ensuring compliance with safety operations.
• Prepare MOHS procedural specimens for frozen section processing, including mapping, inking, embedding, and cutting specimens, submit residual tissue and file accordingly ensuring record retention compliance with regulatory agencies.
• Accession MOHS cases into the medical record system and prepare, organize, and print applicable paperwork for the staff pathologist.
• Maintain MOHS lab SDS manual and monitor expiration dates of chemicals and reagents used in the micrographic surgery lab.
• Oversee the training of back-up Histopathology MOHS Technicians to ensure employees have been successfully trained and are competent in all areas of the MOHS Micrographic Surgery lab.

Histology Laboratory Related:

• Histopathology technicians at this level generally have a higher level of responsibility for technical oversight and are expected to carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty independently.
• The incumbent will have the responsibility of performing difficult specialized histological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical procedures, as well as developing, modifying, or adapting new staining methods or techniques, improving existing methods as necessary for routine histotechnology procedures.
• The technician will be responsible for troubleshooting issues with instruments and resolving problems.
• For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
• Independently maintains, troubleshoots, and operates automated and semi-automated instrumentation in a histology/immunohistochemistry laboratory within the Anatomic Pathology section and function as a resource for the Pathologist. ? Accession, process, prepare, cut and stain tissues from surgical procedures, bone marrows, frozen sections, and cytological specimens.
• Advise physicians about optimum fixation/immunofixation techniques to be employed for a given type of specimen and disease process.
• Accession specimens ensuring specimen integrity, adequacy of documentation and identification, process in order of clinical urgency and ensure specimens are turned around within required timeframes.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday | 6:00am - 2:30pm
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 61984F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).
• 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:
a. Citizenship. Citizenship of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
b. Experience and Education.
(1) Experience. One year of experience in a health care field that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work such as but not limited to a medical or clinical laboratory assistant (or technician) or health technician. OR,
(2) Education
(a) Four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation such as biological science or chemistry; or
(b) Successful completion of two academic years of study above high school that included at least 24 semester hours in Chemistry and/or in appropriate fields of biological science and successful completion of a 12-month program of education and training in histopathology or cytotechnology.
OR,
(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Examples are listed below:
(a) Six months of experience in the health care field and two years of education above high school that included at least six semester hours in health care related courses such as biological science, surgical technician courses or other courses related to the position; or an associate's degree in a health care related field.
(b) Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or histopathology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces.
Grandfathering Provision. All Histopathology Technicians 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. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
(1) Such employees in an occupation that does not require a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted, or demoted within the occupation.
(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
(3) If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Histopathology Technician, GS-8 (Lead):
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Also,
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.
(a) Ability to use independent judgment and apply comprehensive technical histopathology knowledge to solve complex problems concerning a broad range of tests, procedures, and protocols.
(b) Ability to perform procedural technical review and provide written and practical application training and instructions to laboratory personnel in all areas of histology.
(c) Ability to manage staffing requirements, plan and organize workload and priorities, and coordinate work in order to complete duties in an accurate and timely manner. This includes the ability to follow-up on pending issues and demonstrating an understanding of the impact of incomplete work.
(d) Comprehensive knowledge of regulatory, licensing, and accrediting agency requirements that govern laboratory operations in order to insure that work practices, documentation, and reporting are consistent with all governing standards and regulations.
(e) Skill in communicating with individuals in order to obtain the desired effect, provide technical guidance and ensure compliance with established policies and regulations.
Certification. None.

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-06. The actual grade at which an applicant will be selected is GS-08.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration- Current permanent VA employees of the facility.

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:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' 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.

• CV / Resume
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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