SUMMARY

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.

QUALIFICATIONS

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.
• Education. 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.).
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C.7403(f).
• 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.

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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

EXPERIENCE:

(1) Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current CLS practices. The experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment as a CLS in the health care field. Research laboratory experience does not fulfill this requirement.
(2) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time workweek. For example, an individual employed 20 hours per week, or on a half-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service.
(3) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to CLS experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level (FPL), the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement:

IMPORTANT: A TRANSCRIPT (OFFICIAL OR UNOFFICIAL) MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION. A SCREENSHOT OF YOUR CLASSES OR A COPY OF YOUR DIPLOMA ARE NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR TRANSCRIPT AND WILL NOT BE USED IN QUALIFYING.

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/.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational requirements if they meet either of the following:

• Foreign transcripts are evaluated by an acceptable evaluation agency, and the degree is found to be equivalent to a NAACLS-approved U.S. clinical laboratory science degree program. OR
• The applicant submits a letter from ASCP BOC or AMT stating the individual is eligible to take the certification examination.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. YOUR APPLICATION, RESUME, C.V., AND/OR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION WILL BE VERIFIED. PLEASE FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT CONSIDERATION FOR EMPLOYMENT.

Do not copy and paste duties, specialized experience, or information from the assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications.

Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement and must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. To ensure all the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, ensure it contains all required information and organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:

• Job title
• Name and address of employer
• Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
• Hours worked per week. Part-Time or PRN experience will be pro-rated.
• Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised, etc.
• Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)

Do not include photographs or video of yourself, sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
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.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate’s abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:

• Develops and recommends new policies and procedures regarding the installation and use of the Laboratory Information System (LIS) or Hospital Information System (HIS).
• Implements and maintains coding and mapping for laboratory test ordering, reporting, billing, and workload recording systems taking into account compliance principles.
• Prepares PALMS’ VISTA contingency plan. Performs annual review of plan and updates as needed. This includes prioritization of hardware, ensuring laboratory manual backup systems are written, available and functional and that personnel are familiar with the manual backup system for their section.
• Responsible for obtaining VISTA access for new laboratory employees and pathology residents; determines and assigns appropriate menu options and security keys. Documents training of new employees on laboratory options. Annually reviews and updates access codes and security keys for laboratory and other medical center personnel who possess laboratory keys and options.
• Troubleshoots problems related to the laboratory phlebotomy collection which includes the draw list, labels, and/or computer ordering backup procedures. The incumbent assists laboratory personnel on ward ordering procedures and problems.
• The incumbent is responsible for the computerization of the Laboratory Workload Recording package including the initial implementation, on going changes, and updates. Confers with the section supervisor and technical staff on LMIP issues, resolving LMIP discrepancies, and ensuring data is accurate and complete prior to transmittal to Austin.
• Receives requests from PALMS or medical center personnel for laboratory statistical data and information which may include data for annual reports, special searches, patient laboratory reports or displays, number of tests performed, quality control and/or quality management data. The incumbent gathers, compiles laboratory data, and presents findings to requesting individual(s).
• Initiates repair requests with IRM as needed. Coordinates with the supervisors, IRM, ISO, and logistics to ensure that hard drives are properly sanitized on leased equipment or equipment returns.
• Periodically verifies that patient results are accurately transmitted from point of data entry to all types of patient reports and documents review.
• Evaluates PALMS’ need for personal computers through discussion with section supervisors and other technical and administrative staff. Prepares written justification for PC’s and submits to IRM.
• Incumbent must posses a thorough knowledge of accreditation agency requirements such as College of American Pathologists (CAP), and Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) to ensure that all regulations relative to the VISTA package are met and documented.
  Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 08:00AM -04:30PM.
  Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
  EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, 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 #-534-59271F.
  Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50’s (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Generalist Certification as an MLS given by ASCP, BOC, or AMT. Generalist Certification as MT given by ASCO, BOR, or AMT.
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Transcrip

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/25/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12747059.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package