The Microbiology Technical Specialist serves as an expert, providing authoritative advice and consultation for more difficult, complex, or unique tests requiring special knowledge. Assists the supervisor with technical phases of the organization on various aspects of Microbiology testing. Facilitates team or unit processes by working in collaboration with team members to ensure that tasks, priorities, goals are coordinated with management

Duties

VA Careers - Microbiology/Molecular Medical Technologist: https://youtube.com/embed/eSDGhIwZKdw Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Medical Technologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Medical-Technologist-Career-Flyer.pdf Healthcare Engineer: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-General-Engineer-Career-Flyer.pdf The incumbent serves as an expert providing authoritative advice and consultation for more markedly difficult, complex, unique and/or emerging tests requiring special knowledge. Such as molecular/deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)/genetic testing, bone marrow examination, and flow cytometry. Advises all organizational levels on various aspects of specialized testing, including appropriateness that takes into consideration clinical context. Advises on alternate testing to overcome ambiguities. Analyzes emerging trends and technology and adopts appropriate methods and testing. Applies policies, precedents, regulatory, licensing and accrediting requirements to establish, monitor and maintain the specialized testing. Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: Develops and reviews Microbiology policies and procedures. Attends vendor training for a complex analytical instrument and is responsible for training employees in its operation. Defines reference values/ranges using statistical methods, maintains and monitors quality control per system protocols. Performs complex maintenance procedures and is consulted as the in house expert for troubleshooting problems Assists supervisor in coordinating the laboratory proficiency testing program for microbiology testing. Works with other clinics to ensure standardization of microbiology testing/methods throughout our system. Provides new employee orientation and training, retraining and new testing/method training as needed. Evaluates competency of staff in the performance of microbiology testing/methods Works with Supervisor and System Quality Assurance officer in developing, monitoring and reporting of all Quality Management issues and monitors promptly and accurately. Evaluates microbiology testing/methods for ongoing compliance with established protocols and guidelines. Is responsible for maintaining awareness and compliance of all applicable College of American Pathologist (CAP) checklists. Designs and prepares appropriate instrument maintenance logs, reviews these logs monthly, and assures that proper routine maintenance is being done by technologists. Evaluates and recommends new tests to be incorporated into the laboratory testing menu. Evaluates and solves problems related to collection and processing of biological specimens for analysis taking into account physiologic processes and requirements. Uses, calibrates, identifies malfunctions, repairs, and performs preventive maintenance of laboratory equipment. Diagnoses deviations in test performance due to instrument malfunction. Performs and documents quality control and assurance activities and corrective actions related to test performance using statistical principles and theories of performance improvement. Adheres to practices and regulations governing bio safety and bio-security in the workplace. Identifies discrepancies, solves problems and presents solutions. Answers inquiries regarding test results, methodology, test specificity, test sensitivity, and specific factors, which influence test results. Interprets results and suggests follow-up test selection or procedures. Evaluates and implements new techniques and procedures in the laboratory in terms of equipment, method comparison and establishment of reference intervals using statistical methods and theoretical knowledge. Interprets findings and makes recommendations. Work Schedule: 8-4:30 Rotating Schedule with weekends and holidays EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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) 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) Functional Statement #: 07086F

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: 1. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 2. English Language Proficiency: Medical Technologists must be proficient in spoken and written English. 3. Education and/or Experience Combination: Individuals must meet at least one of the requirements below: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.). AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four- year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. OR A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCPBOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. OR A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described in 2 or 3 above. This finding may be based on either of the following: A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree. A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination. 4. Certification: Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a Medical Technologist (MT), Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS), or Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) given by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCPBOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). Grandfathering Provision: All MTs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to the position, the following provisions apply: MTs that do not meet the basic requirements for education and certification may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. MTs 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. MTs 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. If MTs who were retained in this occupation under this provision leave the occupation, the MT loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: Medical Technologist (Microbiology Technical Specialist), GS-11 (a) Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the full performance level (GS-9), which is directly related to the position to be filled. OR, (b) Education. Must have 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in medical technology or a directly related field. Technical Specialist. The incumbent serves as an expert providing authoritative advice and consultation for more markedly difficult, complex, unique and/or emerging tests requiring special knowledge. Examples include, but are not limited to, molecular/deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)/genetic testing, bone marrow examination, and flow cytometry. Advises all organizational levels on various aspects of specialized testing, including appropriateness that takes into consideration clinical context. Advises on alternate testing to overcome ambiguities in the clinical diagnoses. Analyzes emerging trends and technology and adopts appropriate methods and testing. Applies policies, precedents, regulatory, licensing and accrediting requirements to establish, monitor and maintain the specialized testing. The technical specialist often works independently and is given freedom of action under the general guidance of a pathologist or other laboratory practitioner. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: a. Advanced knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles, methodology of medical laboratory technology, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements, medicolegal requirements and pertinent statistics sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests. b. Skill to apply new scientific/technical developments and theories to laboratory testing. c. Advanced knowledge of instructional techniques to instruct newly hired technologists and clinical pathology residents in proper performance of tests and applications of the laboratory procedures. d. Ability to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods in order to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations. e. Advanced knowledge of a particular discipline or function with wide latitude for exercising sound independent judgment. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 11

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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/.

Contacts

• Address VA Northern California Health Care System 10535 Hospital Way Mather, CA 95655 US
• Name: Charmaine Runne
• Phone: 000-000-0000
• Email: [email protected]