Basic Requirements:
Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
Education. A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
Certification.
(1) Candidates must meet one of the certification options below.
- Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT.
- Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT.
- Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT.
(2) Exception for Non-Certified
- Applicants who do not currently hold valid certification may be hired by VA and actively work toward their certification if they meet one of the routes identified in Appendix A that makes them eligible to take the MLS certification exam through the ASCP BOC or the MLS certification exam through AMT Certification Agency.
- Non-Certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure may be given a temporary appointment CLS under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2).
- Non-Certified individuals may only provide care under the supervision of a certified CLS at or above the FPL.
- Non-certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be
promoted/converted until certification is obtained.
- Temporary appointments of non-certified CLS may not be extended beyond 2 years or be converted to a new temporary appointment.
(3) Failure to Obtain Certification. In all cases, CLSs must actively work to meet requirements for certification starting from the date of their placement into the occupation. At the time of appointment, the Human Resources (HR) Office staff, in collaboration with the supervisor, will provide the employee with the written requirements for certification, including the time by which the certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. Failure to obtain certification during this time period may result in separation from employment.
(4) Loss of Credential. If an employee fails to maintain the required certification, management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff, must immediately remove the employee from duties and responsibilities associated with this occupation. This may also result in separation from employment.
(5) If a CLS currently has, or ever had, their CLS certification revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status, HR Office staff must appoint them according to the provisions in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section B, paragraph 16.
Grandfathering Provision. 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: Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist, GS-12.
Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11), which is directly related to the position to be filled.
Experience at the GS-11:
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of professional clinical laboratory science principles, practices, concepts, and theories that support sound, independent work. (b) Knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement. (c) Skill in informatics, laboratory data flow, and laboratory processes. (d) Ability to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair instrumentation. (e) Ability to use independent technical judgment to analyze and interpret laboratory results. (f) Ability to read, interpret, and apply complex written instructions. (g) Ability to communicate, consult, and interact with other members of the health care team, external relations, customer service, and patient education.
Experience at the GS-12:
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of medical technology applicable to a wide range of duties to solve complex problems involving diverse aspects of clinical laboratory practice.
- Skill to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair laboratory instrumentation.
- Ability to develop procedures for new tests, and modify existing procedures and methods to
- resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations.
- Ability to manage and coordinate daily work activities and assignments in a section.
- Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training.
- Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to a wide variety of individuals including physicians, nurses, and other clinical staff regarding technical aspects of testing, specimen requirements and results.
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-12.
Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.