Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Clarification from the agency

U. S. Citizens

• Ensures clinical laboratory compliance with CAP, CLIP,FDA, TJC, and agency accrediting and regulatory requirements across all testing sections to maintain rigorous quality assurance (QA), quality control (QC), and patient safety standards
• Develops, writes, and updates Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), testing protocols, and parameter ranges for specialized laboratory techniques, routine/emergency testing, and quality control systems across main and outlying clinics.
• Performs statistical and mathematical analyses of QA/QC data, proficiency surveys, and lab performance metrics to identify trends and deliver data-driven executive summaries and briefings that guide higher-level leadership decisions.
• Collaborates and communicates frequently with the geographically separated Laboratory Director and Laboratory Consultant to align diagnostic operations, resolve complex technical issues, and ensure adherence to clinical standards.
• Directs, schedules, and evaluates a diverse workforce by preparing performance evaluations, setting work priorities, and providing technical training and mentorship for DoD civilians, local nationals, and military service members.
• Actively participates in Defense Health Agency (DHA) and clinic committees, including Risk Management and Quality Improvement, consulting with physicians and nurses to evaluate patient care and resolve diagnostic or operational challenges.
• Coordinates with other Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) and servicing offices to manage contracts, purchase requests, vouchers, and inventory for essential laboratory supplies, reagents, and diagnostic equipment.
• Exercises supervisory authority over position management, recruitment requests, promotions, performance awards, leave approval, and the resolution of employee complaints, formal grievances, and administrative inquiries.
• Directs the validation, calibration, and preventive maintenance of laboratory instruments and new test systems, requiring stateside coordination and electronic verification archiving under MHS GENESIS and LIS protocols.
• Champions and enforces Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) policies, fostering a fair, inclusive, and harassment-free work environment for all laboratory personnel.

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• Applicants must comply with the Exceptional Family Member Program requirements as outlined in the DoD Instruction 1315.19.
• Must be able to satisfy the requirements of the 26JUL12 DODI 1400.25 V1230, DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Employment in Foreign Areas and Employee Return Rights. Visit https://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/DoD-Issuances/140025/.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• U.S. citizens overseas under ordinarily resident status are not eligible for appointment under the Status of Forces Agreement.
• One year trial/probationary period may be required.
• This position requires Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel approximately 5% of the time away from your permanent duty station.
• This position requires a pre-employment physical and annually thereafter.
• This position is required to be screened for and obtain necessary immunizations/vaccinations (hepatitis, influenza, etc.), unless exempted by a licensed physician.
• This position is designated “Mission Essential”. In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations (natural or man-made) the incumbent may be required to report to work or remain at work to support mission operations.
• One year supervisory trial/probationary period may be required per the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) General Schedule Supervisory Guide (GSSG).
• Work requires lifting and moving moderate to heavy items up to 50 lbs.
• This position requires Basic Life Support training certification from, or in accordance with, the American Heart Association. Current Advanced Life Support or other advanced certification does not supersede BLS completion
• This position requires certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation with Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) training
• Federal Law prohibits employment of certain individuals who have committed criminal activity related to fraud, waste, or abuse against healthcare programs.
• Selectee will be required to sign a statement to consent to screening through the Office of the Inspector General, US Health and Services List of Excluded Individuals and Entities database and as a condition of employment, monthly thereafter.
• This position requires the employee to wear a uniform, scrubs, or other appropriate medical professional attire while on duty as needed.
• This position requires the employee to use personal protective equipment provided by the employer
• The duties of this position meet the criteria for compliance with Federal and Department of the Army Drug Free Workplace Programs. This position is subject to a pre-employment screening and random testing thereafter.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist:
A. 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

B. At least 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

C. A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from an accredited college/university that included 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 A or B 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.

Evaluation of Education and Experience: The four major areas of clinical laboratory science are microbiology, clinical chemistry, hematology, and immunohematology (blood banking). Qualifying course work in these areas includes bacteriology, mycology, mycobacteriology, tissue culture, virology, parasitology, endocrinology, enzymology, toxicology, urinalysis, coagulation, hemostasis, cell morphology, immunology, serology, immunoserology, immuno-deficiency, hemolysis, histocompatibility, cyto-genetics, and similar disciplines or areas of laboratory practice.

Related fields include physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, cell biology, embryology, pathology, genetics, pharmacology, histology, cytology, nuclear medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, infection control, physics, statistics, and similar areas of science where the work is directly related to the position to be filled.

Exemption: You are exempt from the basic requirements above if you are a current federal employee occupying a position in the 0644 occupational series and have been continuously employed in this occupational series since September 27, 2017 or before. Note: You will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the respective Human Resources Office to validate your status.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience: One year specialized experience which includes: conducting specialized testing in all areas of a medical laboratory, maintaining quality control in a medical laboratory, developing or updating medical laboratory operating procedures, and monitoring laboratory workload to ensure tasks are performed within established timelines.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.


NOTE: FOR POSITIONS ABOVE GRADE GS-7 (OR EQUIVALENT)

An additional requirement exists for positions above grade level GS-7. You must take this into consideration and incorporate, as appropriate, into the group standard language on the vacancy announcement and occupational questionnaire. Experience or graduate education must have been in (1) the general field of medical technology; (2) one of the disciplines or specialized areas of medical technology; or (3) a field directly related and applicable to medical technology or the position to be filled.

Also, clinical laboratory intern (student medical technologist) experience in an education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (external link) (CAAHEP) education program may be credited on a month-for-month basis toward meeting the GS-7 specialized experience requirement.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.

If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

• Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

2. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
• This position has an individual occupational requirement and does not allow for substitution of education for experience. To meet this requirement for education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses.
• License/Certification: This position requires a job-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses.

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Next steps