Clinical Laboratory Scientist-Ancillary Testing Coordinator

Veterans Health Administration; Texas; On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ancillary Testing Coordinator at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides oversight and guidance for testing programs outside the laboratory, ensuring that the VHA ancillary testing program meets all requirements, standards, and accreditation across point-of-care sites. Applicants must be U.S.

citizens, hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and meet one of the ASCP/AMT certification options. English proficiency is required, and the position is GS-12 with relevant experience and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• Knowledge of medical technology concepts and regulatory requirements.
• Experience with quality control, proficiency testing, and accreditation activities.

Responsibilities

• Oversight and guidance for ancillary testing programs outside the laboratory.
• Develop policies, procedures, and training materials for ancillary testing.
• Consult leadership to identify needs and ensure compliance with accreditation requirements.
• Monitor performance improvements and regulatory adherence across POC sites.
• Provide training and technical support to testing personnel.

Skills

Medical technology concepts

Quality control & quality assurance

Statistics & data analysis

Regulatory knowledge

Laboratory IT systems

Training & mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Job description

The Primary Purpose of the Position is: The Ancillary Testing Coordinator provides oversight and guidance for testing programs outside of the laboratory. The Ancillary Testing Coordinator ensures that the VANTHCS ancillary testing program meets all requirements and standards and provides oversight for all point of care (POC) testing locations. Individual has specialized training and experience.

Basic Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Education. A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• Certification. (1) Candidates must meet one of the certification options below. (a) Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT. (b) Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT. (c) Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f).

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).

Grade Determinations

GS-12 Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Ancillary Testing Coordinator)

Experience.

1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) is required for all GS-12 assignments. Examples of experience would include, but are not limited to: Develop and recommend policies and procedures for procurement and service requirements for ancillary testing; consult with leadership of clinical services to identify ancillary testing needs, analyzes emerging trends and technology, and adopts appropriate methods; provide authoritative advice, training, troubleshooting, quality assessment and ancillary testing program consultation; develop technical bulletins, procedures, training materials, and other program materials; ensure accreditation and compliance with all regulatory agencies for patient testing, results reporting, and proficiency testing; monitor and report on continuous performance improvement initiatives; evaluate ancillary testing activities to assess ongoing day-to-day compliance with established protocols and guidelines; identify, define, and resolve issues associated with complex aspects of data and problems associated with unique aspects of the ancillary testing management program and knowledge of accrediting agencies and regulatory requirements and performs and evaluates instruments, performs validation studies, recommends policy/protocol changes to correct deficiencies, and improves the program.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate also must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of medical technology concepts, principles, practices, and methodologies sufficient to perform full oversight and guidance for testing programs outside of the laboratory.
• Knowledge of mathematics and statistics as related to quality control, quality assurance, proficiency testing, inspection and accreditation, and continuous quality improvement.
• Knowledge of Federal, state, and VHA laws, regulations, reference standards, and certifying or accrediting agency requirements to carry out work in each ancillary testing site.
• Knowledge of laboratory information technology systems and interconnectivity.
• Skill in applying new scientific/technological developments and theories to laboratory testing.
• Ability to evaluate, interpret, and teach others to use quality control procedures and implement corrective actions.

Preferred Experience:

• Prepared and coordinated regulatory inspections to ensure organizational readiness and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, standards, and internal procedures.
• Developed, reviewed, revised, and maintained Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, industry standards, and organizational policies.
• Planned, executed, and documented validation and verification activities to ensure processes, equipment, systems, and procedures consistently met established requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Coordinated and managed proficiency testing (PT) activities to evaluate laboratory performance, analytical accuracy, and compliance with applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements.
• Delivered laboratory instruction and practical demonstrations to trainees, laboratory personnel, and other end users on laboratory techniques, equipment operation, testing procedures, and analytical methods.

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:

Light lifting (under 15 lbs.); Light Carrying (under 15 lbs.); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (2 to 8 hours); Standing (2 to 8 hours); Repeated bending (2 to 8 hours); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13' to 16' to Jaeger 1 to 4: Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted).