This position is located at the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service within the Atlanta VA Healthcare System of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The incumbent serves as a Medical Laboratory Technician in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine's specimen processing area responsible for performing a variety complex tasks. These tasks will encompass areas of Histology, Cytology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Urinalysis, Hematology and coagulation sections.

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to: Proper specimen collection, including patient preparation, if applicable, labeling, handling, preservation or fixation, processing or preparation, transportation and storage of specimens. Performs medical laboratory technician tasks and test procedures as determined by the supervisor. Determines if additional information is needed for clarification of results; confers with providers on additional tests as necessary. Evaluates, modifies or adapts new methods or revises standard techniques to improve or expand accuracy, specificity or proficiency of analyses; compares new methods with existing or reference methods. Operation and maintenance of complex manual and automated equipment, including centrifuges, microscopes and refrigerator temperature monitoring. Trains new personnel and assists in their incorporation into the Phlebotomy Section. Works with end-users for the efficient operation of the patient laboratory testing process. Troubleshoots problems, such as data inconsistencies, permissions, long-running queries and reporting issues. Uses knowledge of laboratory practices and regulations governing biosafety and biosecurity to educate patients. Performs simple laboratory analysis to obtain accurate patient diagnoses. Work Schedule: 12:00 am - 8:30 am with rotating weekends and holidays Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Lab Technician/PD07759A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/14/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Individual Occupational Requirements Specialized Experience: (a) Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: (a) technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic, and blood banking; especially, high volume Phlebotomy) and preparing reports of findings or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, i.e. biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to DetailConscientiousnessFlexibilityTechnical Competence 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a laboratory atmosphere and requires regular and physical exertion such as walking, bending, recurrent standing and moderate lifting. The work requires specific physical characteristics and abilities and dexterity needed to perform intricate analytical and technical procedures. Data entry includes patient information, test orders, and other critical data in a computer that may result in physical problems from the effects of repetitive motion and eyestrain. The incumbent must have normal color vision correctable to 20/20. The position may also require assisting geriatric and/or disabled patients. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Atlanta VA Medical Center 1670 Clairmont Road Decatur, GA 30033 US
• Name: Abdul Turay
• Phone: 919-286-0411 X178628
• Email: [email protected]