Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Technical)

Position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Selected applicant will be placed no earlier than 1/24/2027. However, a sooner date may become available.

The incumbent is a qualified, experienced Clinical Laboratory Scientist who serves as the Blood Bank Technical Specialist and the Tissue Bank Coordinator for the Lexington, KY VAMC Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service, a large, diversified clinical and anatomical laboratory in the VA Health Care System. VA Medical Center Lexington, KY is a member of VA Complexity Index Group 1 and performs more than 1 million Standard Billable Tests (SBT's) annually as reported to the Laboratory Management Index Program (LMIP).

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Consulted on incompatible crossmatches, antibody problems, single & multiple unit transfusions, transfusion reactions, WARM Auto Absorptions, and patient phenotyping in the blood bank.
• Identified as the person at the Clinical Laboratory Scientist level responsible for the coordination and quality of all the work and duties in the tissue bank and performs complex testing in the Transfusion Service.
• Is responsible for control, procurement, processing and storage of patient and donor blood and blood/tissue products, as well as any other necessary transactions with the local blood supply agency, and all companies procuring the tissues.
• Performs additional, often more difficult, less frequent tests with meticulous accuracy to clarify or confirm patient testing as deemed necessary. Helps the supervisor evaluate the validity of data in relation to methodologies used.
• Takes corrective action when erroneous or discrepant results occur. Determines if additional information is needed for clarification of patient results and/or to establish a definitive diagnosis and confers with physicians as necessary regarding blood and tissue implants.
• Compatibility testing/tissue storage procedures directly affect the well-being of patients; therefore, strict adherence of exact techniques and stringent quality control are required.
• Discusses problems encountered with physicians and other laboratory personnel and may be asked specific advice in tissue implant cases. Staff physicians will discuss problems regarding the availability and preparing of blood and blood/tissue products and the presence, identification, and significance of atypical antibodies.
• Additional responsibilities involve the development and implementation of new tissue procedures, modification of current tissue procedures, which will aid the Tissue Bank section to provide more efficient and better patient care.
• Monitors conformity to protocols and is responsible for developing and implementing Quality Control in the Tissue Bank.
• Maintains a current procedural manual. Reviews and revises procedure manuals as necessary.
• The incumbent instructs cross trained and off tour Technologists, house staff, medical students, and Laboratory Science students assigned to the blood bank /tissue bank.
• Reviews all QC and paperwork performed in the Tissue Bank during all shifts as required by FDA and the tissue vendors.
• Serves as a member on the Transfusion & Tissue Review Committee (T&TRC) and assists the T&TRC with tissue data and vendor information for approval.

Work Schedule: 7:00am-3:30pm or 8:00am-4:30pm (Monday-Friday) with rotating weekends.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 30815-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact rannetta.evans@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.
• English Language Proficiency: CLS's must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
• Education: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• Certification: Candidates must meet one of the certification options:
  • Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT.
  • Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT.
  • Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT.

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: Employees in VHA in this occupation under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and certification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements of this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (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 over and above the basic requirements, employees must meet the assignment-specific requirement before they can be promoted.
3. 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.
4. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
5. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain certification that meets all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/placements.

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

Clinical Laboratory Specialist (Technical Specialist), GS-12

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

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles, methodology of medical laboratory technology, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements, medico-legal requirements, and pertinent statistics sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests.
2. Knowledge of instructional techniques to instruct newly hired clinical laboratory scientists and clinical pathology residents in proper performance of tests and applications of laboratory procedures.
3. Knowledge of one or more advanced clinical laboratory functions.
4. Skill to apply new scientific/technical developments to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations.
5. Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of a clinical laboratory.
6. Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of the specific laboratory section.

Assignment. The CLS serves as a Technical Specialist CLS, providing expert authoritative advice and consultation for more markedly difficult, complex, unique and/or emerging tests that require special knowledge. Examples include, but are not limited to, molecular pathology, gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy, and flow cytometry. The CLS advises all organizational levels on various aspects of specialized testing,
including appropriateness that takes into consideration clinical context. The CLS advises on alternate testing to overcome ambiguities in the clinical diagnoses and analyzes emerging trends and technology to adopt appropriate methods and testing. The CLS develops policies, precedents, regulatory, licensing, and accrediting requirements to establish, monitor, and maintain the specialized testing. The CLS assumes responsibility for training and competency assessment of staff and students within the area assigned. The technical specialist often works independently and is given freedom of action under the general guidance of a pathologist or other laboratory practitioner.

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-12.

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

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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.