Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026 or until the position is filled. An applicant list will be sent to the service line every two weeks, the first one starting July 29, 2026.

This vacancy will remain open until filled.

The incumbent will be expected to give oversight, training and encouragement to lower grade therapists.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Schedules treatments in a manner as to optimize accelerator times while maintaining flexibility for emergency cases. This requires the ability to prioritize scheduled patients as well as the ability to accommodate the emergency patient who may need immediate simulation and treatment.
• Performs quality control of the treatment machines by taking recorded readings every morning prior to patient treatments using the dosimetry verification and record system for each energy level. Obtaining machine check for rotational therapy and electronic dynamic wedge verification. Performs daily imaging procedures to ensure correct operations. Alerts appropriate staff as necessary if parameters fall outside the recommendations.
• Identifies individual patient by the required identification methods set forth by hospital policy and departmental procedures before simulation and each daily radiation treatment is delivered.
• Ability to determine the appropriate timely sequence for patient studies and any special orders required.
• Verifies patient consent prior to initiating CT simulation.
• Prepares required contrast materials that are to be used for treatment simulations. Ensures proper use and administration of the contrast materials to avoid the risk of patient morbidity and mortality, therefore it is essential that the therapist has a thorough understanding of contrast material usage.
• Must be alert to patient's condition and other disorders. Reactions on the part of the patient require immediate attention so that harm does not come to the patient.
• Properly operates CT simulator, provides reproducible patient treatment position sets-ups. That can be accurately used for daily treatments on the Linear Accelerator.
• After CT scan is acquired and isocenter or reference point is obtained, the therapist will provide set-up DDR's for use in treatment planning and transfer the data set to the dosimetry treatment planning system.
• Verifies patient's treatment area daily in the treatment machine vault.
• Performs simulation verification before prescribed treatment. Accurately reproduces initial (simulation set-up, with proper patient positioning, immobilizing devices, to ensure proper alignment and quality treatment.
• Obtains isocenter verification, treatment field verification of conformal blocking, with multi-leaf collimator, or cerro-bend blocking.
• Obtains isocenter verification as needed by the use to cone bean CT and or the use of the on-board imaging system.
• Verifies correct multi-leaf collimation and electronic dynamic wedges.
• Delivers prescribed mode of treatment in accordance with prescribed radiation prescription. This included conventional, 3-D conformal, electron delivery, IMRT treatment delivery, IGRT treatment delivery, and Rapid Arc treatment delivery.
• Practices radiation safety in order to reduce exposure to patients, staff, and self, in compliance with department and VA radiation safety procedures to maintain occupational exposures "as low as reasonable achievable" (ALARA). This is achieved by the use of lead-lined treatment room walls, cornered doorways, distance management, and conscientious accident-free beam-on times.
• Assists patients to and from the treatment room, as well as in transferring on and off the treatment table as necessary. Utilizing all patient transfer aids.
• The ability to work as a contributing and cooperative part of the radiation oncology team, communicating and interacting with all team members in a tactful, respectful and professional manner. Thus contributing to the effective operations of the workplace and continued development of a collaborative working relationship with all colleagues.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 50862-F.
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.
• 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

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:

• United States Citizenship. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education. Individuals must have successfully completed a program in therapeutic radiologic technology, evidenced by a certificate or an associate's or higher degree accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology or other accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the subsequent completion of a 12-month ED accrediting body-approved program in therapeutic radiologic technology.
• Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 C.F.R. Part 75. They must have successfully completed an educational program meeting or exceeding the standards described in that regulation and is accredited by an organization recognized by the ED, and be radiation therapists certified by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy (T).
• Certification. All applicants must be certified in therapeutic radiologic technology by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy (ARRT (T)).
  • Loss of Certification. Once certified, a TRT who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment.

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).

• Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. 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:
  • Employees in an occupation not requiring a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted or demoted within the occupation.
  • Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
  • Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher-grade levels.
  • 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.
  • Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
  • NOTE: Each uncertified TRT permanently employed on June 21, 1986, and whose competence in the safe administration of ionizing radiation was affirmed, in writing, by a VA licensed physician not later than January 1, 1987, is considered fully qualified. These employees may be promoted, up to and including the journey level, demoted or reassigned within the GS-0648 occupational series. Any employee initially retained in this manner who leaves this job series loses protected status and must meet the full requirements in effect at the time of reentry.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

• Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist, GS-10:
  • Experience: At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled.
  • Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher- level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity, range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Employees at this level serve as advanced staff TRTs independently carrying out procedures which have varying assignments. This includes basic and advanced treatment modalities and procedures, which exceed the full performance level. Employee will be assigned the responsibility of emergency on-call treatments, if applicable, and perform simple Monitor Unit calculations. Other assignments include but, are not limited to performing CT simulations, troubleshooting for basic problems and machine issues, maintaining treatment rooms and equipment in a clean, neat and safe condition and assisting patients to and from the treatment room. Regardless of the nature of the specific assignment, the work must be of sufficient scope and complexity to meet the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform at this level.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSA's):

• Skill in independently performing machine warm up procedures and interpreting output levels compared with established thresholds adhering to the principles of radiation safety and all aspects of quality assurance.
• Ability to independently perform patient chart reviews using an electronic medical record and the Record and Verify System or other similar treatment delivery systems.
• Ability to independently perform all basic and complex CT simulations, including independently operating the CT equipment, following directives, designing custom immobilization for reproducible set-ups, obtaining optimal imaging, completing accurate data transfer for treatment planning and providing accurate and precise patient documentation.
• Ability to utilize a Linac's On Board Imaging system to interpret complex images.

Preferred Experience: Two (2) years of Therapeutic Radiation Technology experience.

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-9. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-10 to GS-10.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

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.

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

• Resume

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.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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

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