Clinical Laboratory Scientist

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Danville (IL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

US Department of Veterans Affairs seeks qualified candidates for a Medical Laboratory position. Eligibility for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) and detailed grading criteria up to GS-11 are included. Basic requirements cover U.S.

citizenship, English proficiency, and a bachelor’s degree or higher, with certification options through ASCP/AMT. Grade determinations GS-07 to GS-11 outline experience or education requirements and related knowledge, skills, and abilities for testing,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• Certification options: MLS/MT generalist or ASCP/AMT variants.
• English language proficiency required.
• United States citizenship required.

Skills

Lab testing policies

Quality control

Laboratory equipment

Teamwork

Reading instructions

Lab data flow

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree or 3 graduate years

Tools

Laboratory equipment

Job description

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. 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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f)
• Education: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• 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.
  • Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT

Grade Determinations

GS-07 Experience.

None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-09 Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet one of the criteria below:

• Experience. 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

OR

• Education. Master's degree or 2 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education in medical technology or a directly related science.

GS-09 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of policies and procedures of clinical laboratory testing.
• Knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance principles.
• Knowledge of laboratory equipment and routine maintenance.
• Ability to work as a team member and effectively complete assignments.
• Ability to read and interpret written instructions.
• Ability to accurately perform pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases of testing.

GS-11 Experience or Education Candidates at this level must meet one of the criteria below:

• Experience. 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

OR

• 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 science.

GS-11 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of professional clinical laboratory science principles, practices, concepts, and theories that support sound, independent work.
• Knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement.
• Skill in informatics, laboratory data flow, and laboratory processes.
• Ability to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair instrumentation.
• Ability to use independent technical judgment to analyze and interpret laboratory results.
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply complex written instructions.
• Ability to communicate, consult, and interact with other members of the health care team, external relations, customer service, and patient education.

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 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-11.