Lead Clinical Lab Scientist

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 17th, 2026 or until all positions are filled.

The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System is hiring for one Lead Clinical Lab Scientist for the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center.

The Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) is a certified laboratory professional who performs complex laboratory diagnostic testing on human specimens for diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease in clinical laboratory specialties including, but not limited to, Hematology, Chemistry, Immunohematology(Blood Bank), Microbiology, Immunology, Cytogenetics, Anatomic Pathology, Electron Microscopy, Molecular Diagnostics, and Flow Cytometry. A CLS is responsible for performing the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases of clinical laboratory test.

The Lead CLS communicates the organization's strategic plan, mission, vision, and values. The Lead CLS identifies, distributes, balances work, coaches, and facilitates with problem solving methods. Prepares reports and maintains records of work status; resolves simple, informal complaints; reports performance, progress, and training needs of the team and on behavioral problems; and provides information on promotions, reassignment, recognition of outstanding performance, and personnel needs. Is responsible for all aspects of operation in their area of specialty, including assignment of work responsibilities, workload management, and completion of assignments for staff at or above the full performance level as well as preparation and maintenance of records and reports, analysis of testing methodologies, training, instrumentation, and compliance. The Lead CLS may act as a liaison to the supervisor and other departments/divisions of the medical center for the appropriate laboratory specialty.

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Orientation and evaluating the competency of assigned staff including identification of continuing education and training needs.
• Coordinating daily activity of the lab sections.
• Writing or modifying technical procedures.
• Providing technical instruction, ensuring that policies, procedures and regulatory requirements are followed, advising on course of action to follow when results or samples obtained are unacceptable and coordinating or performing quality control reviews and method verification activities.
• Adheres to professional clinical laboratory science principles, practices, concepts, and theories that support sound, independent work.
• Evaluates the suitability of the specimen for analysis requesting new specimen if determined to be unusable.
• Prepares specimens for analysis, ensuring that the physiologic state of the specimen properties is maintained.
• Prepares reagents and primary reference materials, assembles equipment, verifies correct instrument operation; standardizes, performs, and calculates results for a variety of complex tests such as special stains and procedures associated with whole blood and microbiological specimens, special cytochemical stains, body fluid analysis differentials and smears, cardiac panels, crossmatching blood, etc.
• Selects, performs, evaluates, and monitors the performance of routine, non-routine, and specialized test procedures using manual techniques and/or instruments in accordance with the established protocol.
• Recognizes and reacts to indicators of malfunction, locates the problem, and implements corrections; evaluates the validity of data in relation to the test system and assay procedures.
• Correlates quantitative, biochemical, physiologic, and morphologic, and morphologic data with other laboratory data and/or other patient data to verify results.
• Performs additional tests to clarify or confirm abnormal patient results and reports results.
• Conducts quality control procedures on equipment, reagents, and products.
• Maintains proper records for all quality control reports.
• Evaluates the validity of data in relation to the test system and accepted assay procedures.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD51214-A

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section 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.
• Education. A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
  • Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational requirements if they meet either of the following: (1) Foreign transcripts are evaluated by an acceptable evaluation agency, and the degree is found to be equivalent to a NAACLS-approved U.S. clinical laboratory science degree program. OR (2) The applicant submits a letter from ASCP BOC or AMT stating the individual is eligible to take the certification examination. NOTE: Possession of a certification identified in 4c above automatically determines the foreign education as creditable and no further documentation or proof of equivalency is needed.
• Certification. 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.
• 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).
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f).

GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.

Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist, GS-12

1. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level is required for all GS-12 assignments.
2. 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.

Preferred Experience: Blood Bank experience is preferred.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

This vacancy is above the full performance level.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to perform moderate lifting up to 20 lbs., straight pulling, pushing, reaching above the shoulder, use of fingers and both hands, walking, standing for up to 4 hours, kneeling, repeated bending, use of both arms and legs. Specific visual requirements include use of both eyes, depth perception, ability to distinguish colors and shades of colors, hearing (aids permitted), clear, high cognitive function and emotional stability; ability to read ordinary type without strain.

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/.

• 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.