Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS.
To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:
Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may beappointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
Education.
A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college oruniversity.
NOTE: The Supervisory CLS (Laboratory Director), GS-15, requiresunique education requirements. Please reference the education requirementslocated in that assignment below.
Certification.
Candidates must meet one of the certification options below.
(a)Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT.
(b)Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT.
(c)Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT.
NOTE: Categorical and specialist certifications are not acceptable for CLS Generalist positions or lab sections unrelated to the categorical or specialist certification held. Categorical or specialist certifications are acceptable for higher-graded positions within the relevant lab section or one of the non-section specific assignments (including, Ancillary Testing Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Laboratory Information Manager, Quality Manager, Laboratory Manager, Regional Technical Specialist, National Quality and Compliance Agent, Regional Program Manager, Regional Director, Laboratory Director, or National Quality and Compliance Officer).
Grandfathering Provision.
Employees in VHA in this occupation under apermanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of thisqualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirementsfor the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education andcertification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basicrequirements of this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the positionat the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:
(1)Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the fullperformance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the
occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(2)If an assignment above the FPL requires an additional certification overand above the basic requirements, employees must meet theassignment-specific requirement before they can be promoted.
(3)Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effectivedate of the qualification standard may not have their temporaryappointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanentbasis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
(4)Employees retained in this occupation under this provision whosubsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meetthe full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time ofre-entry to the occupation.
(5)Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequentlyobtain certification that meets all the basic requirements of this qualificationstandard must maintain the required credentials as a condition ofemployment in the occupation.
NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/placements.
Grade Determinations: 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lowergrade level is required for all GS-14 assignments.
Preferred Experience: Experience in clinical laboratory operations, including significant experience in a supervisory or managerial role. Demonstrate expertise in laboratory regulatorycompliance, quality assurance, and performance improvemnet.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Physical Requirements:
The work requires regular physical exertion that consists of mainly long periods of standing, some bending and lifting as required for the handling of supplies and equipment, lifting of weight 15-44 lbs., pushing of weight 15-44 lbs., as well as long periods of sitting. In addition, manual skills are required to be able to perform delicate procedures and fine manual dexterity procedures and requires eye-hand coordination for multiple repetitive motion activities of the hands, wrists, and arms. Requires ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of color.