Lead Registered Respiratory Therapist Job in Seattle, WA

Vacancy No. CBSV-12782959-25-RT Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $99,606.00 to $129,494.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/21/2025 Close Date 9/2/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Seattle, WA


Summary

Registered (RRT) Respiratory Therapists are responsible to provide appropriate levels of respiratory care to patients in the medical center for the treatment of sleep disorder breathing. Therapists are responsible to setup home diagnostic and therapeutic equipment as well as educate patients and caregivers on use of respiratory/sleep equipment in the home.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

The area of consideration will be referred in the following order: 1. Current permanent Facility employees 2. Current permanent Agency (Department of Veterans Affairs) employees

Duties

  • Evaluate the orders received and communicate directly with the ordering physician any noted concerns about the order. Based on the order, the appropriate procedure is performed after identifying the patient and providing education to the patient per protocol. Routine information is gathered about the patient pre and post procedure to access the effectiveness of the therapy.
  • Must be proficient with home mechanical ventilators, drawing and interpretation of arterial blood gases, CPR, oxygen delivery devices, suctioning of the airway, CPAP and Bilevel therapies, airway clearance maneuvers and proper infection control techniques. Utilized equipment includes ventilators, tracheostomy tubes, devices to improve efficiency of spontaneous cough as well as devices to facilitate the removal of pulmonary secretions, home testing devices, PAP devices and supplies. Must be able to give general education regarding sleep disorder breathing and treatment. Must be proficient in management of sleep devices as well as alternative options.
  • Set the equipment per order or based on evaluation and adjustment per Standing operating procedure. Assess proper functioning of equipment and provide basic adjustment/repair per manufacturer recommendations.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of any interactions or therapy and documents in the medical record.
  • Ensure that appropriate infection control standards are followed to protect the patient, self, and others.
  • Complete a medical record note for each patient encounter and provide updated clinical information regarding patient changes and tolerance of interactions performed.
  • Complete required employee education programs each year.
  • Proficient in alternative forms of patient communications, such as telephone meetings, telemedicine, and skype meetings per VA protocol.
  • Order supplies as needed for patients and assist with equipment resupply line as directed.
  • Must be able to work in-patient respiratory care or other needed respiratory care throughout VA Puget Sound as directed by the Chief of Respiratory Sleep, or Director of Pulmonary Medicine or designee.
  • Assist with work environment cleanliness, will help stock supplies, and clean equipment as well as all other duties as directed by the Chief of Respiratory Sleep Program.


Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible:Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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 trial period.
  • 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 dentification 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).

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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.
  • English Language Proficiency: RTs/RRTs appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
  • Education: Individuals must have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the CoARC or its successor.
  • Licensure: Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a full, current and unrestricted license from a state to practice as an RRT.
  • Credential: Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a valid, current, unrestricted credential of RRT.
    • Loss of Licensure, Certification or Credentials: An employee in this occupation, who fails to maintain the required certifications, RRT credential or license must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in the termination of employment. Once credentialed, licensed or certified, RTs/RRTs must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted license, credential and certification to practice respiratory care.
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 Registered Respiratory Therapist, GS-12

Experience, Licensure and Credential: Candidates must:
  1. Have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level demonstrating the clinical competencies described at that level. RRTs at this grade level in this assignment have experience demonstrating advanced practice skills and clinical judgment across many areas of respiratory care both inpatient and outpatient.
  2. Hold an active license and RRT credential.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to the requirements above, candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs:
  1. Ability to assign personnel and tasks to be accomplished in a manner that assures completion of the workload.
  2. Ability to oversee and direct clinical guidance in a manner that assures completion of the workload.
  3. Ability to communicate with individuals of varying backgrounds to solve problems and provide conflict resolution.
  4. Ability to recommend uncommon or atypical interventions.
  5. Ability to recommend ways to improve patient care and operations through independent research and evaluation of new equipment and therapies.
Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and must be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Lead RRTs are found in higher complexity facilities (level 1 and 2) and the lead duties must be regular and reoccurring and must constitute at lead 25% of the duty time. This assignment may be established as day/evening/night and/or inpatient/outpatient. They ensure work is distributed among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization. Lead RRTs assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload, assess the status, quality and progress of work and make day-today adjustments in accordance with established priorities. They provide clinical practice guidance for other respiratory staff and assist with technical work problems not covered by precedents or established policies for nonroutine or complex procedures. They assist RRTs in determining treatment options for complex patients. They study the quality and quantity of work and operating effectiveness and take or recommend needed actions. They represent the department at interdisciplinary meetings.

References: 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: Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), pulling hand over hand (1-2 hours), use of fingers, walking (1-2 hours), standing, and repeated bending (1-2 hours). Environmental factors include constant noise and working alone.

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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.

Required Documents

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

  • License
  • RRT credential
  • Resume
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


NOTE: Claiming Agency or Federal Employee Eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent (not more than 1 year old) Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 (Not an award SF-50). Your SF-50 must include:
  • Position title, pay plan/series/grade
  • Tenure code
  • Position Occupied - type of appointment (Competitive or Excepted)
Within Grade Increase, General Adjustments, or Promotion SF-50's are best, Award SF-50's do not include this pertinent information.

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)
  • License
  • RRT credential
  • Other (2)
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


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

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/02/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12782959.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Randi Tran
Address
VA Puget Sound Health Care System
1660 South Columbian Way
Seattle, WA 98108
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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